Sadly and perhaps shockingly, sexual abuse by medical professionals is a common occurrence across the country. If you have been the victim of sexual abuse by a doctor or other medical professional, it is imperative to contact our experienced Baltimore professional negligence attorneys. We are dedicated to protecting the rights of patients throughout Maryland and we will do everything in our power to make sure no one else suffers at the hands of the perpetrator.
A well-known Boston-area psychiatrist and best-selling author has been sued for sexually exploiting three of his patients. Specifically, three women allege that the doctor preyed on them while they were vulnerable patients and drew them into demeaning sexual relationships while he was treating them for depression. Each of the women filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the healthcare provider, which have now been settled. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The Boston Globe reports that the doctor used a debatable treatment for depression on the women, which greatly depended on infusions of Ketamine – a fast-acting anesthetic and painkiller that induces a trance-like state, memory loss and even hallucinations. It is alleged that the doctor was using the Ketamine along with talk therapy to control at least one of the victims.
All medical professionals, including therapists, have a duty to provide competent and professional care. In a doctor-patient scenario, the medical professional holds great power over the patient and has a responsibility to behave appropriately. When a medical professional crosses the line, the consequences can be devastating for a patient. While in the aforementioned case, it was a Massachusetts therapist who allegedly sexually abused his patients; the sad reality is that this type of behavior is common in Maryland and virtually every other state.
Sexual abuse, in the context of a therapist-patient relationship, refers to a sexual relationship that takes place between the mental healthcare provider and an individual under his or her care. If you have been the victim of sexual abuse by a therapist or other medical professional, you can likely sue for professional negligence. Professional negligence occurs when there is a breach of the duty of care between professionals and their clients. To prove professional negligence, the plaintiff is required to show the following: a duty of care exists between the medical professional and the patient; the medical professional breached the duty of care owed to the patient (i.e., the medical professional failed to act how a reasonably competent medical professional in the same speciality would have acted under the same or similar circumstances); and, that the patient’s harm was a direct result of the medical professional’s breach.
If you have been the victim of sexual abuse by a medical professional who was treating you, you may be entitled to compensation. At Arfaa Law Group, our experienced and hard-working professional negligence attorneys are committed to holding at-fault parties accountable for the harm that they cause. While no amount of money can undo the violation of abuse, a lawsuit can help hold the medical professional accountable and prevent him or her from doing the same thing to other patients. For a free consultation about your case, please do not hesitate to call 410-889-1850 or contact us online.