RICHMOND, Virginia, USA — A jury has ruled in favor of three women who said they suffered sexual abuse while they were patients at a Virginia children’s hospital, awarding them a total of $300 million in damages.
The Richmond Circuit Court jury awarded each woman $60 million in damages and $40 million in punitive damages, WTVR television reported.
A total of 46 former patients sued Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in New Kent, which offers treatment to vulnerable children, and Dr. Daniel Davidow, who was the hospital’s longtime medical director. In this first trial, the three former patients claimed that Davidow touched them inappropriately while performing femoral pulse tests.
“Having a group of people — a group of strangers — looking at them, listening to them, telling them that they believe them, that they believe in them, it broke them, it made them burst into tears immediately,” said Kevin Biniazan, the women’s attorney. “It made us all burst into tears.”
Bob Donnelly, Davidow’s attorney, told jurors in opening statements that Davidow “categorically denies” the sexual assault allegations. Donnelly said the femoral pulse test performed by Davidow dates back to the 1960s and 1970s and is “a standard test.”
Davidow was found not guilty of allegations of qualified sexual abuse against two other former patients in a criminal trial in April.
The next civil trial is scheduled for March.
