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USC Reaches $852M Settlement for Over 700 Sex Abuse Claims Against Doctor

Published on Apr 8, 2021 by Thomas Law Offices.

Sexual Assault Lawyer

On March 25, 2021, the University of Southern California reached an $852 million settlement of state court lawsuits after more than 700 alleged victims came forward with accusations of abuse against a former gynecologist.

George Tyndall, now retired, has been accused of abusing his patients for decades. Legal action was taken against the university for ignoring warning signs and red flags about Tyndall. Prior to this lawsuit, the University of Southern California had reached a $215 million federal settlement in February 2020 that covered 18,000 alleged victims. Tyndall is currently facing sexual assault charges.

Tyndall began his career at USC in 1989. In June 2017, he quietly resigned with a financial settlement to keep the incidents concealed. When the first lawsuit was filed in May 2018, five women made claims about Tyndall touching them in a way that was not normal by gynecological standards, making inappropriate comments about their bodies, and asking them unnecessary questions about their sex life.

The USC President, Carol L. Folt, said in a statement, “I am deeply sorry for the pain experienced by these valued members of the USC community. We appreciated the courage of all who came forward and hope this much-needed resolution provides some relief to the women abused by George Tyndall.

The $852 million settlement is the largest ever for a sexual abuse case in the United States, as well as the largest-known personal injury settlement against a university. According to law firms Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos LLP and Janet Janet & Suggs LLC, which represent 136 of the plaintiffs, funds will be allocated by a neutral third party that will review each plaintiff’s damages individually before distribution begins.

While federal plaintiff will likely receive less than $15,000 on average, women that opted out of the federal class-action will receive an average of $1.2 million. Howard Janet of Janet Janet & Suggs released a statement, saying, “I’m sure our clients will be glad they didn’t settle for less. Our results are a testament to the extraordinary work done by these plaintiff lawyers to ferret out the truth. It’s also a reflection of this country’s mindset after the Me Too movement. Institutions that let sexual predators operate with impunity are finally being held accountable.

For more information on the latest personal injury lawsuits, click here.

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Tad Thomas - Trial Lawyer

Tad Thomas

Managing Partner

Tad Thomas has dedicated his practice to representing plaintiffs in various types of civil litigation, including personal injury, business litigation, class actions, and multi-district litigation.

After graduating with his law degree in 2000 from Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, Mr. Thomas immediately opened his own private practice and began representing injury victims.

In 2011, Thomas Law Offices was established in Louisville, Kentucky. Over the past decade, Mr. Thomas has expanded his firm and now has offices in three additional locations: Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbia, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. He is also a frequent lecturer on topics like trial skills and ethics and technology.

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