For over 3 decades, Dr. Robert Anderson sexually abused countless students and patients at the University of Michigan, while administrators did nothing. In 2023, the University agreed to a $490 million settlement to resolve claims by some of Dr. Anderson’s former victims. Although the deadline to participate in this settlement has now expired, Michigan may be passing a new law that will give more of Dr. Anderson’s victims the change to bring their own claims and get financial compensation.
RELATED CONTENT:
Michigan Personal Injury Settlement Amounts
Dr. Robert Anderson’s Sexual Abuse at University of Michigan
Dr. Robert Anderson worked as a university health services physician at the University of Michigan from 1967 to 2003. Dr. Anderson had many roles at the University during his career, including director of its health service, team physician for the athletic department and a clinical instructor at the university’s medical school. Dr. Anderson passed away in 2008.
In May 2021, the University published an independent investigation report revealing that Dr. Anderson had sexually abused and exploited thousands of students. During his time at the school, Dr. Anderson subjected countless students to invasive exams, including unnecessary genital and rectal examinations, earning the nickname “Dr. Drop Your Drawers.” Most of his victims were male student-athletes from football, track and wrestling.
Evidence has emerged which showed that officials at the University of Michigan were aware of Dr. Anderson’s misconduct, but failed to terminate him or do anything about it. In fact, when Dr. Anderson’s actions were initially reported to Vice President at the University, Dr. Anderson was transferred to the athletic department instead of fired. This transferred actually gave Dr. Anderson a new platform to continue his sexual abuse. If administrators at the University had taken reports more seriously, many student victims could have been spared.
$490 Million Settlement
Following the release of the investigation report, a group of over 1,000 former student-victims of Dr. Anderson filed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan for negligently failing to protect them. In January 2022, the University agreed to a $490 million settlement to resolve that lawsuit.
The $490 million settlement included $430 million to be paid to the group of over 1,000 former students who were named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Another $30 million was set aside to cover additional, future claims by victims of Dr. Anderson who were not named in the lawsuit but who filed claims by October 2023.
Victims of Dr. Anderson Can Still File Lawsuits
If you were a victim of Dr. Anderson, it is not too late to file your lawsuit against the University of Michigan and seek financial compensation. The deadline for participating in the $490 settlement has already passed. However, many victims of Dr. Anderson were not included in that settlement and did not get a chance to participate in the lawsuit.
There is nothing preventing these victims from coming forward now and filing their own claims against the University for negligently failing to protect them from the abuse of Dr. Anderson.
Potential Settlement Value of Dr. Anderson Sex Abuse Claims
The settlement value of sexual abuse lawsuits depends on a variety of factors, including the extent and severity of the abuse, the strength of the evidence proving that the abuse happened, and the financial resources of the third party defendant. In this case, we have a very good idea of what the potential settlement value of future Dr. Anderson sex abuse claims might be based on the compensation victims received under the recent $490 million settlement.
The $460 million in settlement funds was not divided evenly among the 1,050 claimants. Instead, the plaintiffs worked out a ranking system to determine how much compensation each individual plaintiff received, based on the severity of the abuse they suffered. However, if you average out the $460 million among the gross number of claimants, it works out to just under $400,000 per victim.
This means that plaintiffs at the top end of the settlement tier probably got around $600,000-$800,000, while victims at the lower end of the settlement tier probably received a settlement payout of around $100,000 to $275,000. Unfortunately, the settlement payout value for future claims by victims of Dr. Anderson will likely be somewhat lower simply because they are taking a second bite at the apple.
Contact Us About Dr. Anderson Sex Abuse Lawsuits
If you were subjected to sexual abuse by Dr. Robert Anderson at the University of Michigan between 1967 and 2003, and you did not already participate in the recent $490 million settlement, you may be eligible to bring your own sex abuse lawsuit and get compensation.
Contact us today at 800-553-8082 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.