Dr. Patrick Clyne Sexual Assault Lawsuits

For more than two decades, Dr. Patrick Clyne occupied positions of extraordinary trust. He treated children as a pediatrician, served in leadership within Santa Clara County’s child welfare system, and acted as a foster parent. Those roles placed him at the intersection of medicine, government authority, and child protection—precisely where safeguards should be strongest.

Instead, according to allegations now spanning years and multiple proceedings, those safeguards repeatedly failed.

State regulators allege that beginning as early as 2001, concerns were raised about Dr. Clyne’s conduct with children. Yet meaningful intervention lagged. By the time California’s Attorney General formally acted in 2021, seeking to revoke his medical license for unprofessional conduct and gross negligence, the alleged misconduct was no longer an isolated concern. The state ultimately expanded its case, increasing the number of alleged victims and asserting that children as young as six were subjected to inappropriate, medically unnecessary examinations, often without a caregiver present.

Our sex abuse lawyers believe Dr. Patrick Clyne’s claims are strong cases, and many will see excellent settlement payouts. If you have a potential sex abuse lawsuit against Dr. Patrick Clyne, our sex abuse lawyers are available today at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation. Our attorneys will fight to secure the overdue compensation you deserve.

A Timeline Marked by Missed Opportunities

What makes this case different is not just the allegations themselves, but how long children were left unprotected after adults were warned. For survivors reading this, the record shows something painfully familiar: concerns raised, investigations opened, partial actions taken—and yet access to children continued. This is not a story about one missed moment. It is about years of opportunities to intervene, to believe children, and to stop harm before it spreads.

The publicly available record sketches a troubling chronology:

• 2001: The first known complaints emerge.

• 2005–2008: Internal reviews and reports note concerning patterns in Dr. Clyne’s conduct, but no decisive action is taken to restrict patient access.

• 2011: A District Attorney investigation reportedly finds substantial evidence of sex crimes, leading to Dr. Clyne’s removal from a senior pediatric role. Yet, somehow, his private practice continues.

• 2014: The state bars him from serving as a foster parent, but again, he remains free to treat child patients. So he cannot be trusted to raise a child but he can treat them?

• 2017: Investigations highlight repeated red flags across multiple cases, yet Dr. Clyne’s private practice continues without restriction, bringing home the extent of the systemic gaps in oversight and accountability.

• 2021–2025: Regulatory action accelerates, allegations expand, and Dr. Clyne ultimately surrenders his medical license.

• 2025–2026: Civil lawsuits are filed on behalf of survivors, seeking accountability not only from Dr. Clyne but from institutions that allegedly failed to act.

Each intervention appears partial, reactive, and narrowly tailored, addressing one role while leaving others intact. For plaintiffs seeking settlement compensation, that pattern matters.

How These Cases Are Actually Evaluated

In California, sexual abuse cases involving physicians are rarely evaluated as single-incident disputes. Settlement discussions turn on risk—specifically, the risk that a jury will see a broader pattern of failure.

Several factors tend to dominate that analysis.

Evidence and Corroboration

Contrary to common defense rhetoric, a survivor does not need multiple accusers for a claim to be strong. Medical records, exam notes, deviations from standard practice, witness testimony, or contemporaneous disclosures can independently support a case.

That said, when allegations echo earlier complaints or align with known investigations, sex abuse settlements increase sharply. What may begin as a credibility contest can quickly evolve into a systemic case about ignored warnings0

Severity and Impact

Defense strategies often minimize alleged conduct by isolating individual encounters. Juries, however, tend to focus on context: the age of the child, the authority of the physician, the absence of a caregiver, and the lasting psychological consequences.

Even a single incident can be life-altering. Longer-term or repeated abuse correlates with higher settlement values, but severity is not measured solely in frequency. It is measured in harm.

Statute of Limitations and Delayed Disclosure

California’s extended and revived statutes of limitations have shifted the landscape. Survivors are no longer barred simply because they needed years—or decades—to process what happened. While older cases present evidentiary challenges, delayed disclosure is increasingly understood as a feature of trauma, not a flaw in credibility.

That reality alters settlement dynamics. Defendants can no longer rely on time alone as a shield.

Institutional Responsibility

Perhaps the most consequential factor in determining settlement compensation is institutional liability.  This is where the money for a settlement usually can be found. When an employer, government agency, or regulatory body knew or should have known of misconduct and failed to act, exposure grows.

Evidence that responsibility was deflected, complaints were minimized, or corrective action was incomplete can be devastating at trial. Cover-ups or credibility gaps do not merely increase damages; they erode juror trust entirely.

Resources, Reputation, and Litigation Risk

Large institutions and professional entities tend to settle not only based on legal merit, but also on reputational risk. Trials involving child abuse allegations carry an asymmetric downside: one adverse verdict can eclipse years of quiet risk management. Insurance coverage, asset availability, and public scrutiny all factor into resolution decisions.

How Much Can I Sue Dr. Clyne for?

California does not cap damages in sexual assault or abuse cases. Survivors may pursue compensation for therapy, medical treatment, lost earning capacity, and other economic losses. But the core of these cases is non-economic harm: pain, suffering, emotional distress, and the long-term consequences of violated trust.

In rare cases, punitive damages may also be sought, particularly where conduct reflects conscious disregard for safety.

There is no limit on the award.

Beyond One Doctor

While the allegations against Dr. Clyne are grave, the broader issue raised by this litigation is institutional response. The civil justice system is often the only forum capable of examining how warning signs were handled, why partial measures replaced decisive action, and how vulnerable children remained exposed despite repeated opportunities to intervene.

For survivors, these cases are not only about compensation. They are about acknowledgment, accountability, and ensuring that professional authority is never again allowed to override basic safeguards.

Contact Us About River Valley Juvenile Detention Center Sex Abuse Lawsuits 

If you are thinking about bringing a sexual abuse lawsuit against Dr. Clyne, contact our sex abuse lawyers today for a free consultation. Contact us online or call us at 800-553-8082