Horsham Clinic offers therapeutic services to children, adolescents, and adults with psychiatric and behavioral challenges. In recent years, there have been credible allegations of sexual abuse at the facility.
Patients who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of staff or other patients have begun filing Horsham Clinic sexual abuse lawsuits. If you were abused while a patient at Horsham Clinic and are ready to seek accountability and financial compensation, contact the attorneys at Phillips Law Group.
Investigations Uncover Rampant Abuse
For more than 60 years, the Horsham Clinic has provided inpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization mental health care. Universal Health Services (UHS) currently operates the facility.
UHS was one of four major behavioral health and juvenile services companies investigated by the Senate Finance Committee in 2022 and 2023. The investigators’ report found massive failures to protect patients from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. In 2023, a former Horsham Clinic employee was sentenced to jail and forced to register as a sex offender after being convicted of sexual offenses against an underage patient at the facility.
Sexual abuse may have been pervasive at Horsham Clinic for decades. Survivors can be eligible to bring a lawsuit seeking financial compensation from the facility, UHS, and individuals who committed abuse or covered it up. Sexual abuse survivors interested in joining the lawsuits against Horsham Clinic should contact an attorney at Phillips Law Group as soon as possible.
Understanding Statutes of Limitations for Sexual Abuse
In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for civil claims of sexual abuse is complex. The time limit depends on when the abuse happened and how old the survivor was when it occurred. A survivor should consult an attorney with Phillips Law Group to determine whether they have a viable sexual abuse claim against Horsham Clinic.
When the abuse occurred before November 26, 2019, the statute of limitations is two years from the last date of abuse if the survivor was over 18 at the time. If the survivor was younger than 18 when the abuse occurred, they have until their 30th birthday to file a lawsuit.
According to 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes § 5533(b)(2), if sexual abuse occurred after November 26, 2019, a survivor who was between the ages of 18 and 24 must file a claim by their 30th birthday. Someone who was under 18 when the abuse occurred may file a lawsuit anytime before their 55th birthday. However, an older adult who was sexually abused must file a lawsuit within two years from the date of abuse.
Lawsuits Seek Accountability
Healthcare facilities have an obligation to keep their patients safe. The many reports of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse demonstrate that Horsham Clinic failed in its duty. The allegations against Horsham Clinic can include failing to appropriately screen and train staff, failing to supervise staff, creating an environment where abuse of vulnerable patients could occur, and failing to take appropriate action to protect patients.
Survivors bringing a lawsuit are entitled to claim their medical expenses, including any mental health treatment and medications required to process and cope with the abuse. When a survivor can demonstrate that the abuse limited their educational or professional achievements, Horsham Clinic and UHS may be responsible for compensating a survivor’s lost earning capacity. A survivor is also entitled to damages to compensate for the impact the sexual abuse had and continues to have on their quality of life.
Survivors can be entitled to compensation even if the perpetrator is dead or cannot be located. An attorney at Phillips Law Group can present a survivor’s evidence of sexual abuse at Horsham Clinic and its impact on their life to obtain the maximum compensation the circumstances permit.
Contact Phillips Law Group if You Experienced Sexual Abuse at Horsham Clinic
Providers of mental health care must protect their vulnerable patients from exploitation and abuse. Horsham Clinic clearly failed in its duty.
The attorneys at Phillips Law Group are preparing Horsham Clinic sexual abuse lawsuits for filing. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse at that facility, get in touch with us now for a complimentary consultation.
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