DETROIT – Lawsuits were filed against Sinai-Grace Hospital, alleging systematic failures following sexual assault charges filed against a nurse.
Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios, 47, is accused of assaulting a patient while he was working at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit and faces four other sexual assault charges, where prosecutors claimed he “preys on vulnerable patients” who seek help at the hospital.
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He’s also accused of sexually assaulting a 41-year-old woman after forcing himself into a porta-potty on May 9 outside Grand Circus Park in Detroit.
Fieger Law and Flood Law announced in a joint press conference on Oct. 8 that they have filed lawsuits against Detroit Medical Center’s Sinai-Grace Hospital.
Figueroa-Berrios worked at the hospital for two years, the attorneys said, and he has been a nurse since 2012. He also worked for Trinity Hospital in Livonia.
The lawsuits were filed on behalf of Figueroa-Berrios’ victims against Sinai-Grace Hospital and its parent company, Tenet Healthcare, alleging it failed to perform background checks and investigate abuse and neglect complaints.
According to the attorneys, several more lawsuits will be filed in the coming weeks on behalf of additional victims coming forward and the whistleblower, a nurse, who was fired for reporting the alleged assaults.
Fieger Law and Flood Law said there could be more victims, especially at Trinity Hospital. James Harrington, attorney and managing partner of Fieger Law, said Figueroa-Berrios was fired from the hospital in Livonia for allegedly assaulting multiple patients.
“A simple background check would have revealed these incidents,” said Harrington.
The lawsuits seek damages exceeding $25,000.
Detroit Medical Center’s Sinai-Grace Hospital released a statement following the announcement on the lawsuits filed:
“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 these allegations, Sinai-Grace proactively initiated contact with and notified law enforcement and suspended the employee, who has since been terminated. 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.”
Sinai-Grace Hospital
Trinity Health Michigan released the following statement:
“We are aware of the reports concerning serious allegations made against an individual who was previously employed by health care facilities in southeast Michigan. The individual was briefly employed at Trinity Health Livonia for about six weeks in 2018. While we are unable to disclose the reason for the end of employment, it was not for the reasons listed in the lawsuit. We have no record of anyone by that name employed by us in 2021 or any other time referenced in the most recent allegations.”
Trinity Health Michigan