Dentist Sexual Abuse Lawyer If you were sexually abused by a dentist in Pennsylvania, you may be able to hold the practice accountable too.

Can you sue a dentist for sexual abuse in Pennsylvania?

Yes. If you were sexually abused or assaulted by a dentist during treatment in Pennsylvania, a civil claim can hold the dentist responsible and, in many cases, the practice or employer that placed them in a position of trust with you. A civil case is separate from any criminal case — you do not need a police report, a charge, or a conviction, and you do not need to have reported it at the time.

A dental appointment puts you in a uniquely vulnerable position — reclined, sometimes sedated, alone with a provider you are told to trust. Touching or conduct that is not part of legitimate dental care is never acceptable. If a provider crossed that line, what happened is not your fault, and the law gives survivors a way to seek accountability.

When the practice — not just the dentist — is responsible

The individual dentist is responsible for their conduct. But a dental practice, clinic, or larger dental group can also be liable when its own failures enabled the abuse. Common theories include:

• Negligent hiring — employing a provider despite a record, prior discipline, or red flags.
• Failure to provide a chaperone or to follow safety protocols during intimate or sedated procedures.
• Ignoring prior complaints from other patients or staff.
• Negligent supervision or retention — keeping a provider on after warning signs.
• Failure to report known misconduct to the state dental board or authorities.

An attorney works to identify every responsible party — the dentist, the practice, a dental services organization, or a hospital — and the insurance behind them.

How long do you have to file in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania sets specific deadlines for filing a civil claim, and those deadlines have changed in recent years — so the safest step is to confirm yours directly instead of assuming it is already too late. How much time you have can depend on how old you were, when the abuse happened, and other facts. That is exactly why we do not print a single number here: getting it wrong could cost you the right to be heard.

What matters is this — abuse by a dentist from years ago may still be within the deadline, and waiting can quietly take the decision out of your hands. A free, confidential call with Ashley DiLiberto gives you a clear, accurate answer about your own deadline, at no cost and with no obligation.

How to start — safely and privately

You do not need every detail, a police report, or any paperwork to reach out. You do not need to have told anyone before now. A first conversation is simply that — a conversation, on your terms and at your pace. When you are ready, here is what a confidential review with Ashley DiLiberto looks like:

• You share only what you are comfortable sharing — there is no interrogation and no judgment.
• Ashley explains, in plain language, whether the dental practice and the people involved can be held accountable, and what your options are.
• If we move forward, the case is handled on contingency — there is no cost unless we win.

Call (267) 502-9090 any time, day or night, or request a free, confidential case review online. The call is free, private, and entirely yours — you decide if and when you are ready.

Compensation in a dentist abuse case

A civil claim can seek compensation for counseling and future therapy, medical care, lost income, pain and suffering, and the lasting impact the abuse has had on your life. For many survivors, a case is about more than money — it is accountability, and forcing the dental practice to change the way it protects people so no one else is harmed the same way. Survivors of Abuse PA handles these cases on contingency. Past results never guarantee a future outcome; every case is judged on its own facts.

About your attorney

Ashley B. DiLiberto, Esq. is a Pennsylvania sexual-abuse lawyer (PA Attorney ID 323701, admitted 2017, clean disciplinary record) and a Partner at Messa & Associates, P.C. in Philadelphia, where she leads the firm’s national Mass Tort Litigation Team. She has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers “Rising Star” every year since 2019 and represented survivors in the Boy Scouts of America cases connected to the $2.46 billion settlement. She offers free, confidential consultations 24/7. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome.