DETROIT (WXYZ) — Four additional civil lawsuits were filed Wednesday against DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital and its parent company, Tenet Healthcare, in connection with a former hospital nurse accused of sexually assaulting multiple patients and colleagues.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report:
The new lawsuits bring the total number of civil cases to seven against the hospital system, involving Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios, who is currently facing multiple charges of alleged criminal sexual conduct.
Previous report: Preliminary exam held for Detroit nurse accused in sexual assault of patients:
Attorneys from Fieger Law and Flood Law announced the new cases at a press conference on Wednesday, saying they believe there could be many more victims.
"Literally, we are just scratching the surface of how broad this is," said James Harrington with Fieger Law.
The latest lawsuits include allegations from a colleague who worked with Figueroa-Berrios at the hospital.
"This survivor is one that worked with Berrios, was a nurse with Berrios, and the fact of the matter is he sexually assaulted her," said Todd Flood with Flood Law.
Another lawsuit filed Wednesday involves an alleged whistleblower who, attorneys say, tried to report Figueroa-Berrios' behavior to hospital supervisors.
"The whistleblower in this case was the one that gave notice, and filled out the reports, and brought it to the attention of the higher-ups, and instead of being accommodated, she was fired," Flood said.
The lawsuits claim the hospital failed to protect patients and employees from the former nurse. Attorneys say they have been receiving calls almost daily from other alleged victims since they began investigating the case and are looking into nearly a dozen other potential cases.
Sinai-Grace Hospital responded to 7 News Detroit's request for comment with the following statement:
Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios was not our employee and did not work for our hospital in any capacity in 2016 or 2020. Sinai-Grace Hospital prioritizes the safety of our patients. The hospital has rigorous processes in place to screen applicants prior to employment. There was no indication of a concern during that process. We also have processes to identify and address patient safety issues and take appropriate action. Upon becoming aware of allegations against Mr. Berrios, Sinai-Grace proactively initiated contact with and notified law enforcement. The hospital also immediately suspended and ultimately terminated his employment. We do not condone any type of abuse and are cooperating fully with law enforcement. Federal privacy laws restrict us from sharing patient-specific information. Also, we do not tolerate retaliation of any kind. Our employees are required to report patient safety events. A particular employee’s departure from our organization is unrelated to any such required report that she may have made regarding Mr. Berrios’ conduct.
Figueroa-Berrios maintains his innocence and is expected back in court Friday.
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