Quick Answer
Under Oregon's elder abuse law (ORS 124.100), a vulnerable person (age 65 or older, or with a qualifying disability) who is sexually abused can recover up to three times their damages plus attorney fees, with a 7-year window from discovery (ORS 124.130). Sexual assault occurring on or after June 26, 2025 also has no filing deadline under HB 3582. Facilities that failed to screen or supervise staff can be held liable, not just the abuser.
Confidential Portland Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Representation
Confidential legal help for older Portland residents, and the families who love them, when sexual abuse happens inside a nursing home, assisted living facility, or memory care unit. Oregon's elder abuse law lets survivors and their families recover up to three times their damages, plus attorney fees.
- $500M+ recovered
- 20,000+ cases handled
- 98% success rate
- 4.6/5 stars, 446 five-star Google reviews
Portland Office: 6500 S Macadam Ave Suite 380, Portland, OR 97239. Open 24/7 by phone. Proud sponsors of the Portland Fire and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Free, confidential consultation. Pay nothing unless we win.
Call (971) 803-4962Sexual Abuse of Elders in Oregon Care Facilities
Most older adults in long-term care never report sexual abuse. They depend on the people abusing them. They may have dementia, limited mobility, or limited ability to communicate. Families often discover what happened only after a worker is fired, a roommate speaks up, or a hospital exam finds physical evidence.
At Goldberg & Loren, our Portland nursing home sexual abuse attorneys represent older Oregonians and their families when sexual abuse occurs in a nursing home, assisted living facility, memory care unit, adult foster home, or residential care setting. We pursue the abuser personally, the facility that failed to screen and supervise them, and any corporate owner whose understaffing or neglect allowed the abuse to continue. For survivors of related institutional abuse, see also our page on clergy sexual abuse.
Under Oregon law (ORS 124.100), a vulnerable person (age 65 or older, or a person with a qualifying disability) who is the victim of abuse, including sexual abuse, may recover treble (triple) economic and non-economic damages, plus reasonable attorney fees. Sexual offenses are treated as physical abuse of a vulnerable person under ORS 124.105, which is what makes the treble remedy available.
If You Suspect Abuse Is Happening Right Now
Call the Oregon DHS Abuse Reporting hotline: 1-855-503-SAFE (7233). The line is staffed 24 hours a day. You do not need to be certain. A reasonable suspicion is enough, and you cannot be sued for reporting in good faith (ORS 124.075).
What Counts as Sexual Abuse in an Oregon Care Facility
Under Oregon's elder abuse statute, sexual abuse of a vulnerable person includes any of the following by a facility employee, contractor, or paid caregiver:
- Any sexual contact between an employee or paid caregiver and a resident, whether or not the resident appears to consent
- Any sexual contact achieved through force, trickery, threat, or coercion
- Sexual contact with a resident who lacks the capacity to consent due to dementia, intoxication, sedation, or cognitive impairment
- Forcing or coercing a resident to view sexual acts or sexual material
- Sexual exploitation, including sharing or photographing a resident's body without consent
Common Warning Signs Families Notice First
- Unexplained bruising on inner thighs, breasts, genitals, or buttocks
- New torn, stained, or bloody undergarments or bedding
- A sudden sexually transmitted infection or recurring genital infections
- Withdrawn behavior, fear of being alone with a specific staff member, or agitation during personal care
- New refusal to bathe or change clothing
- A staff member spending unusual one-on-one time behind closed doors with one resident
- Sudden onset of nightmares, depression, or PTSD-like symptoms in a previously stable resident
How Often It Happens, and How Rarely It Is Reported
Sexual abuse survives on silence. Nationally, only 310 of every 1,000 sexual assaults are ever reported to police, which means more than two out of three are never reported at all. For older adults and people with disabilities, the two groups that fill Oregon's care facilities, that reporting gap grows even wider.
Where it happens most. Most sexual assaults happen where the victim feels safest. For the general population, that is in or near the victim's own home. For older and disabled adults in long-term care, the facility is the home, and the people with the most private access, paid caregivers and, in some cases, other residents, are the most common perpetrators. Research consistently finds that sexual abuse is the least detected and least reported form of elder mistreatment, and that the residents most at risk are women and those living with dementia or other cognitive impairment, the very people least able to report what was done to them (Staff-to-resident abuse in nursing homes: a scoping review). That is why a formal report, a medical exam, and an experienced attorney matter so much: the record almost never creates itself.
Why Oregon Law Favors Survivors and Families
Oregon's civil action for elder abuse is one of the strongest in the United States. The legislature built it specifically to push facilities to invest in safer care.
- Treble damages: Under ORS 124.100, the court awards three times the actual economic and non-economic losses suffered by the victim.
- 7-year discovery deadline: Under ORS 124.130, a civil action must be filed within 7 years of discovering the abuse, meaningful time for families investigating after the fact.
- Attorney fees recovered: The statute lets the prevailing victim recover reasonable attorney fees, so facilities cannot starve survivors out of court.
- Facility and corporate liability: Owners, operators, and corporate chains can be sued for negligent hiring, supervision, and understaffing, not just the individual abuser.
Meet Your Portland Sexual Abuse Attorney
George Goldberg handles these cases personally. Families work with the attorneys, not a call center or a junior associate.
George Goldberg
Senior Partner and Trial Attorney. With more than 32 years of courtroom experience, George Goldberg has secured multi-million dollar verdicts for injury victims across Oregon. He has taken on hospitals, insurers, and corporate-owned facilities when they refused to do the right thing.
- 32+ years trial experience
- Multiple seven and eight-figure recoveries
- Aggressive cross-examination of corporate defendants
Goldberg & Loren Fights for Maximum Compensation
Pay Nothing, Unless We Win
What to Do If You Suspect Sexual Abuse in a Care Facility
You do not need proof to act. You need a reasonable suspicion. Speed matters because evidence in these cases disappears quickly.
- Get to safety first: If immediate danger exists, call 911. Otherwise, request an exam at the emergency room or a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) program.
- Report to Oregon DHS: Call 1-855-503-SAFE. A formal investigation creates a record the facility cannot bury.
- Preserve evidence: Photograph injuries. Keep clothing and bedding in a paper bag, not plastic. Save voicemails, texts, and incident reports.
- Call a lawyer before signing anything: Facilities often offer quick settlements. Do not sign a release until an attorney reviews it. The review is free and confidential.
Compensation Available Under Oregon's Elder Abuse Civil Statute
A successful claim under ORS 124.100 can include:
- Economic damages (medical treatment, sexual assault exams, therapy, relocation to a new facility, lost income for family caregivers)
- Non-economic damages (pain, suffering, emotional distress, PTSD, loss of dignity and autonomy)
- Treble damages on both economic and non-economic losses, where the court finds the conduct warrants it
- Punitive damages in cases involving institutional cover-up or reckless disregard for resident safety
- Reasonable attorney fees and costs, awarded to the prevailing victim
- Wrongful death damages if the abuse contributed to a resident's death
Case value depends on the severity of harm, evidence of facility-wide neglect, and whether the case is resolved in negotiation or at trial. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Facilities and Areas We Cover
We accept cases involving Oregon nursing homes, assisted living facilities, memory care units, adult foster homes, and residential care facilities. Our Portland office serves clients across the region, including:
- Portland (Multnomah County)
- Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard
- Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview
- Salem, Eugene, Bend
- Vancouver, WA metro area
- All surrounding Oregon communities
Cases can be handled remotely. You do not need to come to our office to start. Request a confidential case review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under ORS 124.130, a civil action for abuse of a vulnerable person must be commenced within 7 years after the plaintiff discovers, or reasonably should have discovered, the conduct giving rise to the claim. For families that learn of abuse after a resident has died or been transferred, the 7-year discovery rule provides meaningful time to investigate and file.
Yes. A vulnerable person who lacks capacity may have a claim brought on their behalf by a guardian, conservator, attorney-in-fact under a valid power of attorney, or a personal representative if the resident has passed away. Capacity, or the lack of it, is in fact a central element of many sexual abuse claims, because Oregon law treats sexual contact with a resident who cannot meaningfully consent as abuse.
Treble damages means the court awards three times the amount of the victim's actual economic and non-economic damages. Under ORS 124.100, this remedy is available for abuse of vulnerable persons. It is designed to penalize facilities that allow abuse and to make these cases viable for survivors, especially when the underlying medical bills may be modest.
Goldberg & Loren handles every nursing home sexual abuse case on a contingency fee basis. Families pay nothing up front. Our fee comes from the recovery only if we win, and Oregon law (ORS 124.100) often allows the court to award attorney fees from the defendant on top of the survivor's damages. Initial consultations are always free and confidential.
Both. Oregon courts hold facilities and their corporate owners liable for negligent hiring, negligent supervision, understaffing, failure to follow background-check rules, and failure to report. In most successful claims, the facility carries the primary financial responsibility, not the individual abuser, because the facility is the deeper pocket and the one with regulatory duties.
A claim can still be brought through the personal representative of the estate. If sexual abuse contributed to the resident's decline or death, the case can include wrongful death damages in addition to the elder abuse claim under ORS Chapter 124. The 7-year discovery deadline still applies.
Retaliation against a resident or family for reporting suspected abuse is prohibited. Oregon law also gives good-faith reporters immunity from civil and criminal liability (ORS 124.075). If a facility tries to discharge a resident in response to a complaint, an attorney can help block the discharge and document the retaliation as additional evidence.
Strong cases usually combine medical records (especially SANE exam findings), the DHS investigation file, facility staffing records, prior complaints or citations against the same facility or worker, internal incident reports, and witness statements from other staff or residents. Our team requests and reviews all of this. Families do not need to gather it alone.
One Quiet Phone Call Can Start the Process
Whether you are sure abuse happened, or you just have a feeling something is wrong, we will listen. The consultation is free, fully confidential, and there is no obligation to file a case. You set the pace; we carry the legal weight, guard your privacy, and hold the people and institutions that failed you accountable.
Call (971) 803-4962Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Pay nothing unless we win.
This page is legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different.
