DETROIT – Seven lawsuits have been filed against Detroit Medical Center Senai-Grace Hospital over a former nurse accused of sexual assault.
Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios, 47, allegedly assaulted patients and had a history of violence before being hired.
Attorneys said one case involved a whistleblower fired after reporting him.
“We’ve been speaking to survivors almost on a daily basis of people sharing their stories,” said James Harrington with Fieger Law. “And it’s almost like when we talk to them, we know exactly what they’re going to say before they even finish what they are saying because this man had a way, he had a method, and he had certain type of person that he would prey upon.”
More cases are under investigation.
Hospital response
In response to the lawsuit, Sinai-Grace Hospital released 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.”
Sinai-Grace Hospital