Hospital Sexual Assault Lawyer: When a Hospital Fails to Protect Its Patients


You went to the hospital because something was wrong. Maybe it hurt. Maybe you were sedated, or stuck in a gown on an exam table with nobody to ask whether what was happening was normal. And then someone crossed a line. They’re responsible for that. But the hospital that hired them, and kept them working, might be responsible too. A hospital sexual assault lawyer digs into what the hospital knew and what it did about it. Below you’ll find who can be held liable, how Colorado’s deadlines work, and what you’d need to prove. None of this is legal advice for your situation. It’s a starting point.

Key Takeaways

  • A hospital can be liable when its own failures made an assault possible.

  • Doctors, nurses, technicians, orderlies, and other staff can all be involved, and so can the hospital that employed or credentialed them.

  • Many claims arising on or after January 1, 2022, have no filing deadline. A public hospital may still require notice within 182 days.

  • You generally have to show duty, failure, cause, and harm.

  • Compensation can cover therapy, medical care, lost income, and emotional harm.

Why a Hospital Sexual Assault Lawyer Matters

Criminal charges go after the person who did it. That’s important, but it leaves a question open: did someone higher up ignore a warning? Only a civil claim gets at that. So a lawyer looks at the hospital. Was a background check skipped? Had patients complained before, with nothing happening? When a problem came up, did the hospital report it, or did it just move the provider to a different unit? Was there any actual rule about who could be alone with a patient?

Greer Law Group takes sexual abuse cases against institutions only. If one person acted alone, such as a relative, spouse, partner, or acquaintance, and no organization shares the blame, the firm can’t take the case. In that situation, the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-4673) can connect you with support.

How Assaults Happen in Medical Settings

Patients are vulnerable in ways most people aren’t day to day. You may be undressed, medicated, asleep, or simply scared. Many people also feel they can’t question a provider, because the provider is supposed to be the expert. Abusers lean on exactly that.

It can happen during an exam. It can happen during a procedure, a hospital stay, an ER visit, or a counseling or psychiatric appointment. A lot of survivors spend a long time wondering if it was “really” part of treatment. If that’s what you’re asking, you deserve a straight answer from someone who can read the records.

What a Hospital May Have Done Wrong

Hospitals have a duty to protect the people in their care. When they fall short, it often looks like this: a background check that got skipped or rushed, earlier complaints about the same provider that went nowhere, thin supervision or no chaperone policy for sensitive exams, a problem employee quietly transferred instead of reported, or patients left alone with staff when that could have been avoided.

Not every case has a failure like these. The facts decide.

Public Hospitals and the 182-Day Notice

Some hospitals are public entities. For many claims against one in Colorado, you must give written notice within 182 days of discovering the injury (C.R.S. 24-10-109). If you miss it, a valid case can die early. Some claims involving abuse of a minor are exempt from that notice rule (C.R.S. 13-20-1207), so get a lawyer to check which rule covers you, and don’t put it off. A private hospital isn’t a public entity. The 182-day rule doesn’t apply to it.

Child Patients and Mandatory Reporting

When the patient was a child, the stakes are higher. Colorado makes doctors, nurses, and other hospital personnel mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse. They must report as soon as reasonably possible and no later than 24 hours after they learn of it (C.R.S. 19-3-304). If someone saw a warning sign and said nothing, that silence can become part of the case.

Maybe you’re looking for a child sexual abuse lawyer because the patient was a minor. The abuse might be recent, or it might be decades old. A lawyer will examine whether the hospital met its duty to report and its duty to supervise. Whether a particular hospital program counts as a youth program under Colorado’s Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act is something a lawyer has to review.

Searching for a Rape Victim Lawyer Near Me in Denver

Plenty of people type “rape victim lawyer near me” into their phone late at night, not sure they’ll ever tell a soul. That’s normal. You don’t need a plan. You don’t need to have it figured out.

Greer Law Group is a Denver firm. If you want a sexual assault lawyer in Denver to call, the first consultation is free and confidential. You don’t have to go through the details on that call. Share what you want. The firm works with survivors across Colorado.

Not sure whether a hospital was involved? Call Greer Law Group at 303-331-6460.

What a Hospital Sexual Assault Lawyer Has to Prove

To hold a hospital accountable, you generally have to show four things: the hospital owed you a duty of care, it failed to meet that duty, the failure caused or contributed to the assault, and you were harmed.

Here’s the catch. The proof usually sits in personnel files, credentialing records, incident reports, internal emails, and old complaints the hospital would rather keep quiet. Getting to it is most of the job.

If you can, hold on to what you have. Appointment confirmations, discharge papers, patient portal messages, bills, and any notes about who was in the room and when. You can also request your own medical records.

Deadlines for Sexual Assault in Colorado

Senate Bill 21-073 removed the time limit on civil lawsuits based on sexual misconduct, including claims against an organization that didn’t commit the abuse itself (C.R.S. 13-80-103.7). It applies to claims arising on or after January 1, 2022. It also reaches older claims if the old deadline hadn’t run by that date. Claims against public entities can still carry the separate 182-day notice.

Older abuse of a child gets complicated. Colorado’s Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act opened a filing window for abuse of minors in youth programs and activities from 1960 through 2021. Those suits had to be filed before January 1, 2025, so that window is closed. For abuse on or after January 1, 2022, the Act still allows a claim against the organization with no time limit (C.R.S. 13-20-1203). And the Colorado Supreme Court has held that the Act can’t revive claims that were already time-barred (Aurora Public Schools v. A.S., 2023 CO 39). If your abuse is older, a lawyer needs to look at it.

No deadline doesn’t mean you can wait. Records get archived or purged. Staff leave. Memories fade.

What Compensation Can Look Like

Colorado law recognizes several kinds of damages.

  • Economic: counseling, medical care, travel to appointments, lost wages.

  • Non-economic: emotional distress, PTSD, damaged trust, loss of enjoyment of life.

  • Exemplary (punitive): possible when the conduct was fraudulent, malicious, or willful and wanton, and usually capped at the amount of actual damages (C.R.S. 13-21-102). Public entities can’t be required to pay them (C.R.S. 24-10-114), and claims against public entities are subject to damage caps.

Want to talk through your options? Call 303-331-6460. Asking a question doesn’t file anything.

Working With Greer Law Group

Greer Law Group represents survivors in civil claims against the institutions that failed them. Marlo Greer, known as The Pink Advocate, serves on the Board of Directors of CHILD USA. Some survivors would rather work with a female sexual abuse lawyer in Colorado, and she’s there for that. Bring her whatever you have. She’ll tell you plainly what she sees.

Conclusion

What happened to you in a place meant for care is not your fault. A hospital that looked away shouldn’t get a pass. Deadlines can be confusing and records can disappear, so if you’re unsure, don’t wait. When you’re ready, call Greer Law Group at 303-331-6460.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does a hospital sexual assault lawyer do?

At Greer Law Group, a hospital sexual assault lawyer looks hard at the hospital, not only the person who hurt you. That means combing through personnel files, credentialing records, incident reports, and earlier complaints to see what leaders knew and brushed aside. The goal is accountability from the hospital and compensation for the harm you’ve been living with.

2. Can I sue a hospital if a doctor or nurse assaulted me?

Possibly. A hospital may be liable if its own failures, such as weak hiring checks, ignored complaints, or poor supervision, made the assault possible. Each case depends on its facts. If the hospital is a public entity, written notice of claim may be due within 182 days of discovering the injury. A private hospital isn’t a public entity, so that rule doesn’t apply there.

3. Is there a deadline to file a sexual assault lawsuit in Colorado?

For claims arising on or after January 1, 2022, Colorado generally sets no time limit on a civil lawsuit based on sexual misconduct. Older claims can still be viable if the previous deadline hadn’t run by that date. Claims against public entities work differently, since written notice may be due within 182 days.

4. Can a child sexual abuse lawyer help with abuse that happened years ago?

Maybe. The Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act had a filing window for abuse in youth programs from 1960 to 2021, and those suits had to be filed before January 1, 2025. The Colorado Supreme Court has also said the Act can’t revive claims that were already time-barred. Claims whose earlier deadline hadn’t run by January 1, 2022, are treated differently, so have a lawyer review yours.

5. Does it cost anything to talk to Greer Law Group?

No. The first consultation is free and confidential. You don’t have to describe what happened in detail on the first call, and nothing gets filed just because you asked a question. You decide how much to share and when. Call 303-331-6460 whenever you’re ready, even if all you have is questions. Greer Law Group Address:2950 Brighton Blvd Ste 25, Denver, CO 80216, United States
Phone: +1 303-331-6460

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