Confidential Portland Oregon Sexual Abuse Representation
Confidential legal help for patients sexually abused by a doctor, nurse, therapist, or hospital staff in Portland or anywhere in Oregon. As of June 26, 2025, Oregon eliminated the time limit on adult sexual assault civil claims arising on or after that date (ORS 12.118, as amended by HB 3582).Free, confidential consultation. Available 24/7. Pay nothing unless we win. Call (971) 339-8080
When a Doctor or Hospital Crosses the Line
You trusted a doctor to care for your body. Instead, they used that access to harm you. We know how confusing this is. Many patients spend months or years asking themselves whether what happened was a real exam, a misunderstanding, or something else. It is rarely a misunderstanding when the contact felt sexual, when it had no clinical purpose, or when there was no chaperone in the room.
At Goldberg & Loren, our Portland medical sexual abuse attorneys represent patients abused by physicians, surgeons, residents, OB-GYNs, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, therapists, chiropractors, dentists, and other licensed providers. We also pursue the hospital, clinic, or health system whose hiring, supervision, or complaint-handling allowed the abuse to continue.
~180 Women & girls who joined the Oregon civil suit against a West Linn doctor; most claims settled Jan 2026 OPB, 2026 June 26, 2025 Oregon HB 3582 effective date: no civil time limit for new claims Oregon Legislature $585K OHSU sexual assault settlement (Campbell case), 2021 The Lund Report New Oregon LawHB 3582: No Time Limit on Adult Sexual Assault Claims (Effective June 26, 2025)
Oregon’s legislature amended ORS 12.118 and ORS 12.117 in 2025. For adult sexual assault civil claims that arise on or after June 26, 2025, there is no statute of limitations (OPB, May 30, 2025). The bill also removed a prior requirement that institutions had to “knowingly” allow abuse, making it easier to hold hospitals and clinics accountable for negligent supervision.
For abuse that occurred before June 26, 2025, the older five-year discovery rule may still apply. Whether your case is timely depends on when the abuse occurred and when you first connected it to a resulting injury. A free consultation will tell you which rule controls your case.
The Oregon Landscape Has Shifted
Portland is seeing a wave of accountability for medical sexual abuse. In October 2025, a Clackamas County grand jury indicted a West Linn family medicine physician on sexual abuse and unlawful sexual penetration charges after approximately 180 women and girls came forward in a civil suit (Portland Tribune, Oct 10, 2025).
The criminal charges against him later grew to 16. In January 2026, the doctor, his clinic, and Legacy Health settled the plaintiffs’ claims days before trial in a civil case that sought $970 million. Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center continues to litigate (OPB, Jan 28, 2026).
In 2021, OHSU settled a sexual assault lawsuit involving a former anesthesiology resident for $585,000 (The Lund Report). And in December 2023, a Multnomah County grand jury indicted a Portland-area podiatrist on one count of second-degree and three counts of third-degree sexual abuse after patients reported abuse during foot and ankle exams.
These cases are not outliers. They are what happens when patients stop being told to keep quiet.
We bring civil claims against the abuser, against the practice or hospital that employed them, and against any institutional defendant whose negligence allowed the abuse to continue.
Martindale-Hubbell®Distinguished Rating · 2025 Martindale-Hubbell®
Client Champion Gold · 2025
What Counts as Medical Sexual Abuse Under Oregon Law
Sexual misconduct by a licensee is any conduct that exploits the provider-patient relationship in a sexual way. It is never required, and it is never therapeutic. Examples include:
- Touching a sexual body part without a clinical reason or proper consent
- Pelvic, breast, or genital exams conducted without a clear medical purpose, without a chaperone, or while the patient is sedated
- Penetration during an exam without informed consent
- Photographing or recording a patient’s body without consent
- Sexual comments, propositions, or unwanted contact during an appointment
- Sexual contact with a patient outside the office, where the provider used the provider-patient relationship to initiate it
- Sedating a patient and engaging in sexual conduct
Common Warning Signs Patients Notice First
- The doctor sent the chaperone or nurse out of the room before a sensitive exam
- The exam felt longer, more intrusive, or different from prior visits
- The provider asked sexual questions that had nothing to do with the reason for the visit
- You felt unable to object because you were sedated, partially undressed, or alone with the provider
- The provider followed up by text, social media, or personal calls outside normal care
- Other patients quietly warned you about the same provider
Two Tracks: Civil Lawsuit and Oregon Medical Board Complaint
A civil lawsuit and an Oregon Medical Board complaint are separate processes. Both can run at the same time, and they serve different goals.
- Civil lawsuit: Compensates you for medical bills, therapy, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, where institutional misconduct is involved, punitive damages.
- Medical Board complaint: The Oregon Medical Board can investigate the provider’s license. Discipline can range from monitoring to license revocation. This is not a substitute for civil recovery.
- Criminal charges: Handled by the district attorney or, in larger cases, the Oregon Department of Justice. The criminal case does not pay restitution like a civil case does.
- Institutional liability: The clinic, hospital, or health system can be sued for negligent hiring, supervision, and failure to act on prior complaints.
Table of Contents
Meet Your Portland Trial Attorneys
George GoldbergSenior Partner · Oregon State Bar
With more than 32 years of courtroom experience, George Goldberg has secured multi-million dollar verdicts against corporate and institutional defendants across Oregon. He is known for taking on hospitals and insurers that try to outlast survivors.
- 32+ years trial experience
- Multiple seven- and eight-figure recoveries
- Focus on institutional and medical defendants
Read George Goldberg's full bio →
James LorenSenior Partner · Oregon State Bar
James Loren combines deep legal expertise with a survivor-centered approach. He has spent his career on cases involving abuse, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death. Clients describe him as the lawyer who actually listens, then fights hard.
- 32+ years representing Oregon patients and families
- Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Trauma-informed litigation approach
What to Do If You Suspect You Were Abused by a Provider
You do not need to be sure how to proceed. You only need to take one quiet step.
- Get medical and emotional care: If recent, request a SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) exam. Document any injuries. Tell a therapist or trusted friend in writing or by text so the time and date are preserved.
- Preserve everything: Save appointment records, texts, voicemails, billing records, scheduling apps, and any medical chart entries you can access. Do not contact the provider directly.
- Call a lawyer before reporting to the practice: Hospitals often try to settle quickly and quietly. Our review is free, confidential, and protects your right to pursue the institution as well as the individual.
- Consider the Medical Board complaint in parallel: You can file an Oregon Medical Board complaint at any time. We help you decide whether to do it now, or after the civil case is positioned.
Compensation Available in Oregon Medical Sexual Abuse Cases
A successful civil claim can include:
- Medical bills and future treatment related to the abuse (additional exams, gynecological care, dental care, etc.)
- Mental-health treatment, including therapy and psychiatric care
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity, including time off for medical and legal appointments
- Pain and suffering, PTSD, anxiety, and emotional-distress damages
- Loss of consortium for affected family relationships
- Punitive damages where a hospital, clinic, or health system knowingly ignored prior complaints
Settlements in Oregon and across our admitted jurisdictions cases involving physician sexual abuse have ranged from low six figures into nine figures for institutional defendants with a pattern of cover-up. Each case is different. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Local to Portland, Statewide Reach
We accept medical sexual abuse cases involving Oregon hospitals, clinics, private practices, and residential treatment programs. Our Portland office serves clients across:
- Portland (Multnomah County)
- Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard (Washington County)
- West Linn, Oregon City, Clackamas County
- Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview
- Salem, Eugene, Bend
- Vancouver, WA metro area
Cases can be handled remotely. You do not need to come to our office to start. Request a confidential case review →
For survivors of other institutional abuse in Oregon, see also our pages on school sexual abuse and nursing home abuse.
If your concern is a clinical mistake rather than sexual misconduct, our Portland medical malpractice attorneys handle those claims. You can also browse all of our Portland, Oregon legal services.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on when the abuse occurred. For adult sexual assault claims arising on or after June 26, 2025, Oregon’s ORS 12.118 (as amended by HB 3582) imposes no time limit. For abuse that occurred before that date, the older five-year discovery rule generally applies. Childhood medical abuse follows ORS 12.117’s discovery rule. A free case review will tell you which rule controls.
Often, yes. For adult survivors, Oregon’s prior law allowed claims within 5 years of discovering the causal connection between the abuse and an injury. Many survivors first connect their adult symptoms to a past medical assault years or decades later. For new abuse occurring on or after June 26, 2025, there is no time limit. We can review your timeline at no cost.
Both. Oregon courts hold hospitals, clinics, and health systems liable for negligent hiring, negligent supervision, failure to act on prior complaints, and inadequate chaperone policies. In most successful claims, the institution carries the primary financial responsibility because it has the deeper insurance pocket and the regulatory duties to prevent abuse.
Goldberg & Loren handles every medical sexual abuse case on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing up front. Our fee comes from the recovery only if we win. Initial consultations are free and confidential.
Either order is fine, but timing matters strategically. A Medical Board complaint triggers an investigation that creates a public record and can lead to license discipline. It does not pay damages. A civil claim seeks compensation. Many clients pursue both. We help decide the order based on your specific case so neither track undermines the other.
You do not need photos, recordings, or witnesses. Civil cases often turn on the pattern: prior complaints in the provider’s personnel file, chaperone-policy violations, Medical Board records, billing records that contradict the alleged exam, and the testimony of subsequent patients. Our team requests and reviews this material. You do not have to investigate alone.
Privacy can usually be preserved. Survivors may file under a pseudonym (Jane Doe or John Doe) where the court allows. Our communications with you are protected by attorney-client privilege. We never share your identity, your story, or your case details without your written permission.
Bring it to a free consultation before deciding anything. Hospitals and risk-management teams sometimes ask patients to sign releases, NDAs, or arbitration agreements during a vulnerable moment. Many of these are negotiable or unenforceable, particularly where the patient was not represented by counsel and the institution had superior bargaining power.
One Confidential Call Can Tell You What Is Possible.
The new Oregon law removes a major barrier for new claims. The older law still allows many existing claims. The only way to know which rule controls your case is to talk to an attorney. The call is free, fully confidential, and there is no obligation.
