Demanda colectiva por abusos sexuales en el Hospital Patton
Demanda colectiva por abusos sexuales en el Hospital Patton
Unfortunately, hospital sexual abuse is common. Recently, a social worker was arrested for multiple counts of sexual assault of patients at Patton State Hospital – a mental health hospital. The victims were all patients who were deemed mentally incompetent by the courts. If a member of your family was sexually abused at Patton State Hospital or any other mental health hospital, it is important that you explore the legal options available to you. These hospitals are supposed to be safe places for patients; instead, helpless patients are attacked by those who should be caring for them.
Here at our law firm, we believe that the negligent owners of these hospitals should be held accountable. If you are interested in exploring your legal options, contact the attorneys here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group immediately. Our lawyers have decades of experience handling all sorts of personal injury claims including sexual abuse claims. We are not afraid to take on any entity or establishment to fight for the rights of victims of sexual abuse.
Resumen del reciente arresto de la trabajadora social del hospital
On August 5, 2022, Christopher Lee Smart, a 63-years-old man who has been licensed to practice in California in 2011, was arrested on 9 counts of felony sexual assault against mental health patients at Patton State Hospital. The hospital can house up to 1,200 patients and is located in San Bernardino County; the facility is run by the state. Patients of this hospital have been committed by the court system after being found mentally incompetent and unable to stand trial, suffering from serious mental illness, or not guilty due to insanity.
Según la Fiscalía del Distrito de San Bernardino, el abuso sexual ocurrió entre octubre de 2014 y diciembre de 2018. Los cargos contra la trabajadora social incluyen:
- 5 cargos de violación contra alguien incapaz de dar consentimiento
- 2 cargos de cópula oral con persona incompetente
- 1 cargo de penetración sexual a una persona incompetente
- 1 cargo de agresión sexual a una persona institucionalizada
A few weeks after his arrest, we has barred from practicing in California. He likely dealt with thousands of patients throughout the years. It is possible that there are many more victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Smart. If you or a family member were sexually abused by Smart or another hospital worker while staying at the Patton State Hospital, you could have grounds to file a lawsuit. If you are ready to speak with a Patton State Hospital sexual abuse lawyer, contact us today.
Los derechos de las víctimas de abuso sexual en el Hospital Patton
Incluso con los cargos penales aún pendientes, las víctimas y sus familias tienen derecho a presentar demandas civiles por el daño sufrido. ¿Cuáles son mis derechos? ¿Tengo derecho a demandar? Sí, usted podría tener derecho a demandar. De hecho, podría tener derecho a presentar una demanda contra los propietarios del hospital. Más específicamente, podría demandarlos por negligencia.
Cuando se trata de abuso sexual en hospitales, la negligencia recae en el hospital, o más específicamente, en los propietarios del hospital. La contratación negligente, la capacitación negligente y la supervisión negligente pueden dar lugar a incidentes y a daños a los pacientes. Algunos ejemplos de esto incluyen no someter a los posibles empleados a verificaciones de antecedentes, no capacitar adecuadamente a los empleados, permitir que los empleados estén solos con los pacientes, no tener una vigilancia adecuada, no hacer nada con respecto a los informes previos de mala conducta, etc. Lamentablemente, es común que estos establecimientos sean negligentes y pongan a sus pacientes directamente en peligro.
For more information about whether you have the right to file a lawsuit for sexual abuse that occurred at Patton Hospital, contact the attorneys here at our law firm as soon as possible.
Cómo presentar una demanda por abuso sexual en el Hospital Patton
Dado que el Hospital Patton es propiedad del estado, específicamente del Departamento de Hospitales Estatales de California, las víctimas deben presentar reclamos ante el gobierno. Presentar una demanda puede parecer una tarea abrumadora; sin embargo, con la representación adecuada, su demanda puede tener éxito.
Entonces, ¿qué deberías hacer?
One of the most important things to do is to find a lawyer. It is important that you find a lawyer that has experience in sexual abuse claims as well as in government claims, as these types of claims can be more complex that other claims. With government claims, affected parties must make their complaints directly with the government agency before being able to file a lawsuit in court.
¿Puedo participar en una demanda colectiva? Las demandas colectivas surgen cuando muchas víctimas resultaron perjudicadas. Hasta el momento, no se ha presentado ninguna demanda colectiva. Sin embargo, a medida que más y más víctimas de Christopher Lee Smart se presenten, es probable que se presente una demanda colectiva.
For more information about how you can file a lawsuit for sexual abuse at Patton State Hospital, contact the attorneys here at our law firm as soon as possible.
¿Cuál es el valor promedio de los casos de abuso sexual en el hospital?
It is common for claimants to have questions about case values. However, such questions could be difficult to answer. Ultimately, you could be eligible to recover compensation for medical costs, lost pay, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, funeral/burial costs, punitive damages, and legal fees, for example. The specific type and amount of compensation that you can recover will depend on the details surrounding the case. Of course, the physical injuries resulting from the abuse (like injuries to reproductive organs, injuries to genitals, unwanted pregnancy, sexual transmitted infections, etc.) are important, but when it comes to sexual abuse claims, mental and emotional injuries are often more extensive and can be associated with higher values. In general, sexual abuse cases against hospitals and other establishments can be worth about $1 million – and can often reach multi-million-dollar amounts. For more information about the possible value of your lawsuit, contact the attorneys here at our law firm today.
¿Cuánto tiempo tomará obtener una compensación por un reclamo por abuso sexual?
El tiempo que se tarda en llegar a un acuerdo final sobre su demanda depende de muchos factores, entre ellos el tipo de caso que se presente, la gravedad de las lesiones y la cooperación de las partes implicadas. Dado que el abuso sexual es algo con lo que ningún establecimiento u organización quiere verse asociado, algunos hospitales resuelven estas demandas con relativa rapidez para evitar cualquier tipo de prensa negativa. En algunos casos, se puede llegar a un acuerdo en tan solo unos meses. Sin embargo, en general, puede llevar más de un año llegar a un acuerdo.
Here at our law firm, our sexual abuse lawyers are ready to fight for your rights and get you the settlement that you are owed within a reasonable length of time. For more information, contact the attorneys here at our law firm today.
Prescripción: ¿de cuánto tiempo dispongo para presentar una demanda?
Todos claims are subject to a statute of limitations, or a deadline to sue. If claimants to not file their claims on time, then they can lose their right to sue entirely. So, how long do you have to sue for sexual abuse? In California, victims who were 18 or older when the abuse happened have 10 years from the last incident to file a lawsuit. Victims who were under 18 have a case for child sexual abuse; in these cases, claimants have until age 40 to sue. So, how long do you have to sue? Government claims are subject to much shorter deadlines, so it is important that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible to confirm the time that you have to file your claim.
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