Former UM Doctor Criminal Charged for Sexual Battery – Do Victims Have A Civil Claim?

Ranjith Ramasamy, a 45-year-old former University of Miami urologist and professor, was recently arrested on three counts of sexual battery after multiple male students/patients accused him of performing medically unnecessary intimate procedures under the guise of legitimate care. 

According to the arrest warrant, an independent medical expert determined that the procedures fell far outside the bounds of acceptable medical practice. 

If you were a student, trainee, or employee subjected to similar conduct by Ramasamy or another medical professional, you may have a civil claim for sexual assault. The Doan Law Firm represents survivors of sexual abuse by physicians nationwide. Call (800) 349-0000 for a free, confidential consultation.

The Allegations Against Ramasamy

According to the arrest warrant, Ramasamy used his position as director of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at the University of Miami to coerce students and trainees into submitting to procedures they did not need. Three victims accused Ramasamy of performing semen analyses, testicular ultrasounds, rectal exams, and prostate massages that served no clinical purpose and were not consistent with accepted medical standards.

In one case, the procedures were performed alone and after normal business hours. In another, a victim stated his rectal exams were more aggressive than what he had observed Ramasamy perform on actual patients. A third victim said Ramasamy performed surgery based on undocumented test results.

Additional Victims May Exist, Along With Additional Civil Claims

Ramasamy held his position at the University of Miami for years and supervised many more students, fellows, and trainees during that time. Cases involving physician sexual abuse frequently involve more victims than the initial accusers, especially when the physician held a position of academic authority over the people they treated. In some instances, these cases even involve child molestation. 

The criminal prosecution will adjudicate Ramasamy’s guilt and provide punishment if he is found responsible for sexual battery. These do not generally provide compensation to survivors. That’s where a civil sexual assault lawsuit comes in. 

A civil lawsuit addresses the harm done to survivors and provides the opportunity to seek compensation from the individual doctor and any institution that failed to prevent sexual abuse by the doctor.

A civil claim can name multiple defendants:

• The physician who committed the abuse
• The university or medical school that employed them
• The hospital or clinical facility where the procedures took place
• Any supervisory personnel who received complaints or observed warning signs and failed to act

For example, if the University of Miami knew or should have known about Ramasamy’s conduct and failed to intervene, it may share responsibility for the harm caused to his victims.

Institutional liability plays a major role in these cases and expands the amount of compensation and insurance sources available to survivors.

What Compensation May Be Available to Survivors

Survivors of physician sexual abuse can pursue compensation for all financial and personal harm caused by the abuse. That may include medical expenses, therapy costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and lasting psychological harm. Punitive damages may also be available to punish the abusive physician or institutional defendants who ignored warning signs or actively concealed complaints.

If you were a patient of Ranjith Ramasamy or another physician and were subjected to unnecessary or inappropriate medical procedures, you have legal options. The Doan Law Firm represents survivors of sexual abuse across the country. 

We can help you gather evidence that the treatment provided to you was not medically necessary and merely a pretext for sexual abuse. We can also identify all liable parties in your case and establish the full value of your claim, working with experts where necessary to fully evaluate your future damages and pain and suffering. 

If you are ready to come forward, call (800) 349-0000 or visit our Miami office at 801 Brickell Center, Suite 900
Miami, Florida 33131, for a free, confidential consultation. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We handle every case on a contingency basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.