Attorneys with two law firms say they suspect a former nurse at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit may have sexually assaulted hundreds of patients over the two years he worked there.
Attorneys with Fieger Law and Flood Law say former patients of the Detroit hospital should contact the Detroit Police Department, in addition to the law firms, if they were victimized by the man, Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios.
At a press conference on Thursday, James Harrington of Fieger Law said the nurse had committed similar assaults before Sinai-Grace hired him, and he alleged the hospital later ignored multiple complaints by patients.
"Having been fired from previous institutions for doing just this — having had assault charges before being hired at Sinai-Grace — a simple background check would have revealed these incidents," Harrington said.
He alleged that Sinai-Grace then proceeded to sweep complaints against Figueroa-Berrios under the rug, and may have destroyed documentation and other evidence.
"Supervisors who do their job, administrators who do their job, would see this," Harrington said.
Figueroa-Berrios has also been criminally charged in one of the incidents, with the Detroit Police Department and Wayne County Prosecutor's Office indicating more criminal cases are pending.
Fieger Law has filed one civil lawsuit so far against Figueroa-Berrios, Detroit Medical Center, Sinai-Grace Hospital, and Tenet Healthcare (the owner of DMC) on behalf of Lashanda Cooper, who alleges she was sexually assaulted by the former employee during an August 2024 hospitalization.
Flood Law has filed a lawsuit against the same parties on behalf of Alece Williams, who alleges she was sexually assaulted during an August 2025 hospitalization at Sinai-Grace.
Lawyers for the firms said Figueroa-Berrios worked at a medical facility in Livonia between 2020 and 2021 and is under investigation for alleged sexual assaults committed against patients there.
They also said Sinai-Grace fired a female nurse who notified them of the pattern of assaults, and that a whistleblower lawsuit will be filed on her behalf later this month.
In a statement, Sinai-Grace said it prioritizes patient safety.
"The hospital has rigorous processes in place to screen applicants prior to employment. There was no indication of a concern during that process," the statement said.
"We also have processes to identify and address patient safety issues and take appropriate action. Upon becoming aware of these allegations, Sinai-Grace proactively initiated contact with and notified law enforcement and suspended the employee, who has since been terminated. We do not condone any type of abuse and are cooperating fully with law enforcement."
Sinai-Grace was one of three Michigan hospitals that received an "F" for patient safety in a recent hospital watchdog report by Leapfrog.
