First Class Action Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Patients of UCLA OB-GYN Charged with Sexual Harassment and Assault
July 30, 2019
Lawsuit Alleges UCLA Exposed Numerous Women to Sexual Abuse for Years by Failing to Act After Reports of Sexual Assault
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Girard Sharp LLP and Gibbs Law Group LLP have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of women who were examined at UCLA facilities after January 1, 2014 by Dr. James Heaps, an OB-GYN who was arrested in June 2019 for sexual battery and sexual exploitation by a physician. The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that UCLA breached its duties to patients by continuing to employ Dr. Heaps despite receiving complaints about his misconduct and being notified of a Medical Board of California investigation in 2014. Our attorneys are reviewing potential claims on behalf of additional patients who were examined by Dr. Heaps.
The victims assert that UCLA broke the law in failing to suspend, terminate or otherwise protect patients from Dr. Heaps after learning of his alleged sexual misconduct. Specifically, Plaintiffs alleged that UCLA received complaints about Heaps in 2014, 2015 and 2017, but did not inform his patients that their doctor had been repeatedly accused of inappropriate sexual conduct and continued to allow him to see patients during their investigation.
According to Elizabeth Kramer of Girard Sharp
It is clear in looking at how the university handled these events that UCLA was more concerned with its own public image than the safety and wellbeing of Dr. Heaps’ patients.
Amy Zeman of Gibbs Law Group also stated
To conceal multiple, serious sexual assault allegations from students, patients, and the campus community, UCLA put patients directly in harm’s way, and it must be held accountable for the damage it needlessly caused.
Women who were examined by UCLA doctor James Heaps and would like to learn more about their legal rights in the UCLA Dr. Heaps Sexual Assault Lawsuit may contact our team for a confidential, no obligation consultation at (213) 423-7727. Our attorneys pride themselves on being there for our clients at every stage of the litigation, from intake through verdict or settlement.
About Girard Sharp
Girard Sharp LLP is a national litigation firm representing plaintiffs in lawsuits in state and federal courts. The firm serves individuals in cases involving catastrophic personal injury and consumer protection laws. Girard Sharp has been named a Tier 1 law firm for plaintiffs’ mass tort and class-action litigation by the U.S. News & World Report. Our attorneys have been named among the Best Lawyers in America © for six consecutive years and have been recognized among the Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California.
About Gibbs Law Group
Gibbs Law Group has recovered more than a billion dollars on behalf of its clients against some of the largest corporations in the world. Our attorneys have represented thousands of clients in class actions and personal injury cases throughout California and around the country. Gibbs Law Group’s attorneys have been named among the Best Lawyers in America ©, the Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California, the Top Class Action Attorneys Under 40, and Consumer Protection MVPs.