DETROIT (FOX 2) - Attorneys suing a Detroit hospital after a nurse was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting patients claim that he was hired despite facing previous sexual assault accusations.
Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios was a nurse at the Detroit Medical Center’s (DMC) Sinai-Grace Hospital when the most recent allegations of abuse happened. Now, the DMC and parent company Tenent Healthcare are facing lawsuits.
Since those suits have been filed, attorneys Todd Flood and James Harrington say seven more victims have come forward, and they believe even more victims are out there.
Hear from the attorneys above.
The backstory:
Figueroa-Berrios, 47, is facing criminal sexual conduct charges for allegedly sexually assaulting two of his patients in August. He's also accused of making lewd comments to one of the victims, who was being treated for alcoholism under his care on Aug. 18 and 19.
Flood alleges that the victim told staff about the assaults, but was dismissed.
Ex-Detroit hospital nurse named in another sexual assault case involving patient
Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios, 47, of Wayne, has already been charged in a separate sexual assault involving a patient in August, as well as a case that took place in a porta-john in May.
He has since been fired from the hospital.
Figueroa-Berrios was previously charged after he allegedly forced himself on a victim in a porta-john in Detroit in May.
Dig deeper:
According to a press release from Flood Law and Fieger Law, Figueroa-Berrios allegedly has a history of violence and sex crimes.
The attorneys say that he was arrested in 2019 for assault, faced sexual assault accusations while working at a Livonia medical facility in 2020 and 2021, and has allegedly been fired from jobs for assaultive conduct.
The other side:
After the lawsuits were filed earlier this month, Sinai-Grace released a statement saying that there were no concerns uncovered about Figueroa-Berrios during the hospital's rigorous hiring process.
"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."
The Source: Previous FOX 2 stories and a press release from Flood Law and Fieger Law were used.
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