Lawsuit Information Center
On this page, we will look at sexual abuse lawsuits involving Dr. David Broadbent. Dr. Broadbent was an OB-GYN in Utah that sexually abused countless patients during medical examinations. Victims of sexual abuse by Dr. Broadbent are now filing civil lawsuits against him and the healthcare systems that employed him.
Our firm is currently accepting new cases from victims of sexual abuse by Dr. David Broadbent. If you were sexually abused by Dr. Broadbent, call our sex abuse lawyers at 800-553-8082 or contact us online.
About Dr. David Broadbent
Dr. David Broadbent was an OB-GYN practicing in Utah. Broadbent graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine back in 1974. Dr. Broadbent spent his entire career at various locations in Utah, including:
- Timpanogos Regional Medical Center (Orem, UT)
- Utah Valley Hospital (Provo, UT)
Timpanogos is part of the MountainStar Healthcare system. Utah Valley Hospital is owned and operated by Intermountain Health.
Dr. Broadbent practice medicine at these and other facilities and health systems in Utah for several decades. Over that time period he treated thousands of female patients.
Allegations of Sexual Abuse Against Dr. Broadbent
In 2022, a group of Dr. Broadbent’s former patients joined together and filed a civil lawsuit against him (and his employers) for sexual abuse. The lawsuit alleged that the Dr. Broadbent sexually abused the patients during medical examinations.
Dr. Broadbent’s sexual abuse was very similar to acts committed by other OB-GYNs accused of sexual abuse. During exams, Dr. Broadbent would engage in medically unnecessary vaginal and breast examinations on patients. These unnecessary and inappropriate exams were essentially sexual touching done by Dr. Broadbent for his own personal gratification.
In addition to sexual touching under the guise of medical treatment, Dr. Broadbent would frequently engage in what can fairly be described as sexual harassment of his victims. During and after the examinations Dr. Broadbent would make highly inappropriate and sexually explicit comments to his patients, often while he touched them.
In many instances, Dr. Broadbent would use his bare hands (instead of using medical gloves) to perform invasive vaginal “exams.” During these bare-handed exams, Dr. Broadbent would insert his fingers into the patient’s vagina repeatedly, sometimes he would leave his fingers inside a patient for several minutes.
The majority of Dr. Broadbent’s victims were very young females. In many cases, Dr. Broadbent would sexually abuse his young victims during their first gynecological exam. Dr. Broadbent’s youngest victim was only 14 years old.
In 2022, after civil lawsuits were filed against Dr. Broadbent by a number of his former patients, the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing launched an investigation. Dr. Broadbent responded by voluntarily agreeing to shut down his office and not practice medicine anymore.
Civil Sex Abuse Lawsuits Against Dr. Broadbent
A growing number of former patients have filed civil sexual abuse lawsuits against Dr. Broadbent, and against the healthcare systems that employed him (MountainStar and Intermountain). To date, over 100 women have joined civil sex abuse lawsuits against Dr. Broadbent.
In September 2022, one of the first civil lawsuits against Dr. Broadbent was dismissed after the Utah trial court found that the plaintiffs’ claims were medical malpractice claims, rather than tort claims for sexual battery. That led to the dismissal because medical malpractice claims are subject to a shorter statute of limitations deadline in Utah than sex abuse tort claims.
In August 2024, the Utah Supreme Court overturned the decision by the trial court that the sex abuse claims against Dr. Broadbent were medical malpractice claims. The Court reasoned that sexual assault by a doctor under the pretense of providing medical treatment does not constitute “healthcare” as defined under Utah law. Therefore, the claims were not subject to the deadline for medical malpractice claims.
Holding Dr. Broadbent’s Employers Liable
The sex abuse lawsuits against Dr. Broadbent are seeking to hold some of his employers and other third parties liable. The two primary third parties facing potential liability in these cases are Intermountain Health and MountainStar Healthcare. These are the healthcare companies that owned the hospitals where Dr. Broadbent practiced.
The lawsuits alleged that Intermountain and MountainStar had knowledge of Dr. Broadbent’s sexual abuse of patients, but failed to take any action. Specifically, the lawsuits note that a number of Dr. Broadbent’s victims made informal and even formal complaints about this conduct to both hospitals. One of these complaints even reached the desks of the Chief Administrator and Chief Medical Officer at Utah Valley Hospital.
Despite having actual knowledge of the allegations of sexual abuse against Dr. Broadbent, these companies did nothing to investigate the allegations and continued to allow Dr. Broadbent to practice at their facilities. In fact, Intermountain Health continued actively referring patients to Dr. Broadbent for over 10 years after it first received a complaint about him.
Victims of Dr. Broadbent Have the Right to File Lawsuits and Seek Compensation
Under Utah law, victims of sexual abuse by a doctor have the legal right to file a civil lawsuit for sexual battery. A victim can pursue a David Broadbent sexual abuse lawsuit even if they never reported the abuse to law enforcement or disclosed it to anyone. Additionally, the spouses of victims may also file a claim for loss of consortium, which compensates for the damage to their marital relationship caused by the abuse.
Compensation in Doctor Sexual Abuse Cases
Victims who successfully file a lawsuit against a doctor for sexual assault may be entitled to financial compensation for various damages, including:
Mental Pain and Suffering
Sexual abuse by a trusted medical professional can cause severe emotional trauma, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and long-term psychological distress. Compensation in these lawsuits often covers both past and future emotional pain and suffering.
Lost Income and Wages
The emotional and psychological effects of abuse can interfere with a victim’s ability to work. Compensation may be awarded for lost wages due to time away from work, as well as future loss of earning capacity if the trauma affects long-term career prospects.
Medical and Therapy Expenses
Victims often require therapy, counseling, and other mental health treatments to cope with the abuse’s lasting effects. Lawsuits may include damages to cover both past and future medical expenses related to psychological and emotional recovery.
Settlement Value of Dr. Broadbent Sex Abuse Lawsuits
Sexual abuse lawsuits involving doctors like Dr. Broadbent have resulted in substantial settlements in similar cases, with average payouts often ranging from $400,000 to $1,000,000. The potential settlement value of doctor sex abuse lawsuits depends on several factors.
The biggest factor impacting settlement payouts is whether there is a third-party, such as a hospital or healthcare system, that can be held liable for negligently failing to prevent the abuse. Intentional acts such as sexual abuse are typically not covered by a doctor’s malpractice insurance. So suing Dr. Broadbent personally won’t result in big payouts because he doesn’t have the resources for that.
To make a doctor sexual abuse lawsuit financially successful you need strong liability claims against third parties like health systems or hospitals. In the case of Dr. Broadbent there are definitely strong negligence claims against MountainStar Health and Intermountain Health. Both of these organizations apparently had knowledge of Dr. Broadbent’s potential abuse of patients and failed to act. For that reason alone, the Dr. Broadbent sex abuse cases could have a very high potential value.
Contact Us About Dr. Broadbent Sex Abuse Lawsuits
Our attorneys are prepared to help victims of Dr. Broadbent’s sexual abuse. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation at 800-553-8082 or contact us online.