Sexual Abuse Lawyer Philadelphia PA

Anyone who has lived through sexual abuse or sexual assault knows how terrible the experience is. They also know that after the incident, it’s not over. The impacts of sexual abuse and assault can be felt for their entire lives. Seeking justice and compensation is just one way survivors can begin healing and rebuilding their lives.

Injury Lawyer Team understands how challenging and sensitive these civil cases can be, and we’re ready to fight for your rights in Philadelphia if you’ve been sexually assaulted or abused. We’ll handle your case with the care it deserves while protecting your rights every step of the way.

Why Choose Injury Lawyer Team

At Injury Lawyer Team, we’re committed to handling sexual abuse cases and obtaining the highest compensation settlement possible. We have a team of compassionate and experienced attorneys who will stop at nothing to ensure justice is served and you receive a fair settlement based on what you had to experience.

You’ll work with a Philadelphia sexual abuse lawyer who will thoroughly investigate your claim, build a strong case against the perpetrator and any applicable institution, and then fight for a settlement to cover a variety of costs to ensure your pain and suffering are fully addressed. From protecting your rights in the courtroom to offering support resources, you can count on us.

Understanding Sexual Abuse and Assault

Sexual assault and abuse are terrible violations that can happen to anyone at any point. These acts are characterized as having a lack of consent and often an imbalance of power between the victim and the offender. Sexual assault and abuse include a variety of different situations, ranging from unwanted sexual comments to non-consensual sexual intercourse.

Whether it’s inappropriate sexual comments or rape, the main criterion is there is no consent. It is important to note that consent can be removed at any time.

Common Forms of Sexual Abuse

Several different acts that can be considered sexual assault or abuse:

• Voyeurism: Watching someone undress or perform sexual acts without their knowledge or consent.
• Incest: Sexual intercourse or behavior between two family members.
• Childhood Sexual Abuse: Any sexual behavior or action between an adult and a minor.
• Statutory Rape: Sexual intercourse between an adult and a minor, often with a teenager who thinks they can consent when they can’t.
• Digital Sexual Abuse: Sharing and sending photos and videos of a sexual nature without the person’s knowledge or consent.
• Sexual Harassment: Unwanted sexual comments or touching.
• Sexual Assault and Rape: Forcing someone into any penetrative sexual act.

Institutions Where Sexual Abuse Is Most Likely to Occur

As committed sexual abuse attorneys, we’re prepared to hold your abuser accountable and have defended clients who have been assaulted or abused in these institutions:

Educational Institutions

We’ll protect your rights, whether it’s a teacher, other staff member, or student who sexually abused or assaulted you.

Religious Institutions

We’re committed to helping sexual assault survivors get justice for clergy abuse and to stopping systemic abuse.

Nursing Homes

Elderly patients are vulnerable to abuse, and we’ll hold everyone involved accountable.

Workplace

Sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace are never okay, and we’ll fight for you if it’s against your boss or peers.

Inpatient Treatment Facilities

Patients in rehabilitation centers are often vulnerable to sexual assault.

Prisons and Correctional Facilities

Just because someone’s in prison doesn’t mean they should be sexually assaulted. We’ll handle your case and bring your abuser to justice.

Foster Care

Foster children are often moving around, making them more vulnerable to sexual abuse and assault.

Daycare Facilities

Children should be safe in their daycare, but we’re prepared to protect their rights when they’re not.

Sports Clubs

Athletes of all ages are in a vulnerable position to be sexually abused by other athletes, coaches, or team doctors.

Military Institutions

With power imbalances, sexual assault within the military is far more common than it should be.

Hotels and Short-Term Rentals

Since these locations are more transient, it makes them frequent targets for sexual predators.

Shelters

Those in shelters should feel safe, but sexual abuse and assault are unfortunately common.

Steps to Take If You Have Been Sexually Abused

If you’ve experienced sexual violence of any kind, there are things you can do immediately after to help when you’re ready to pursue compensation and justice. The steps you should consider taking are:

• Ensure Your Safety: The first thing you need to do is get yourself somewhere safe and away from your abuser or attacker if you’re able to. This can be in a nearby home, hospital, or anywhere away from them so they can’t hurt you further.
• Get Medical Attention: Visit a hospital for medical care and a rape kit, even if you think your physical injuries aren’t that bad. This is additional evidence that will help you when you pursue justice.
• Report the Sexual Assault: Call your local Philadelphia police department to file an official police report. This helps make sure your sexual assault is documented and will hopefully help prevent them from continuing to attack others.
• Document Everything: Write down everything you can about the sexual assault, including what happened leading up to it and anything afterward worth noting.
• Preserve as Much Evidence as Possible: If you can, don’t shower after the attack or wash the clothing you were wearing so you can preserve any DNA evidence the perpetrator left behind.
• Find Support: Lean on your loved ones during this challenging time. You can also reach out to local support resources like the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center (PSARC) and Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) for support groups, therapies, and more.
• Consider Hiring a Sexual Abuse Lawyer: Look for a lawyer who has experience helping sexual abuse survivors bring their abuser to justice.

Compensation for Sexual Abuse Victims

Innocent victims of sexual abuse or assault have already been through so much, and Injury Lawyer Team are ready to help seek compensation.

No amount of money will erase what happened, but the financial compensation you can receive from a settlement can be the support you need to start rebuilding your life and moving forward. Some available types of compensation include:

• Medical expenses
• Therapy expenses
• Punitive damages
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Lost wages

Every sexual abuse case is a little different, so how much you’ll receive in your settlement will be determined by:

• The severity and duration of the abuse
• The strength of the evidence
• The degree of negligence by any institutions involved
• The impact the abuse has had on your life as a whole

Liability in Sexual Abuse Cases

When it comes to seeking justice for sexual abuse or assault, understanding how liability works is key. There’s always the individual perpetrator(s) responsible for what happened to you, but in some cases, we can hold an institution accountable for negligence that led to or enabled the abuse to occur.

Just like with individual perpetrators, institutions can also face civil cases when their negligence allows sexual abuse or assault. We focus on bringing institutions to justice through civil lawsuits at Injury Lawyer Team. Institutions can be held liable for:

• Failing to Report: In Pennsylvania, many institutions are mandated reporters. Even if they’re not, failing to report suspicions or allegations of sexual abuse and assault can make the institution liable.
• Vicarious Liability: Sometimes, we can hold institutions liable for the actions of their employees or agents, even if the institution itself isn’t negligent.
• Negligent Hiring and Supervision: Not screening employees appropriately or providing required supervision can make an institution liable in sexual abuse and assault cases.
• Negligent When Responding to Complaints: When an institution chooses not to do anything about a sexual assault or abuse complaint, it can make them liable for damages.

Several institutions have regulations to protect individuals. This includes Title IX, which adds additional protections against sexual abuse and assault in educational institutions. A few examples of institutional liability are:

A clergy member grooming and abusing someone in their congregation and the church ignoring the allegations or transferring the clergy to another church.
A nursing home not conducting proper background screenings on employees who later abuse patients.

How to Prove a Sexual Abuse Claim

Proving sexual abuse or assault is vital when it comes to securing a settlement for damages. If we can’t prove it, justice can’t be served, and you can’t receive compensation to help you move on. We can prove sexual abuse or assault by:

• Gathering Evidence: We’ll gather medical records, police reports, witness statements, and any physical evidence that will help prove that sexual abuse or assault happened to you.
• Expert Testimony: In many cases, we’ll work with experts who can provide testimony that helps prove the impacts of the abuse.
• Establishing a Timeline: We’ll establish a solid timeline that documents everything that led up to the abuse, the actual assault, and any relevant actions afterward.
• Proving Negligence: If institutions are liable in your case, we’ll prove negligence by investigating their hiring practices, supervision requirements, and whether they’ve failed to respond to any other sexual abuse complaints.
• Demonstrating Damages: We’ll make sure to document all the ways the sexual abuse has impacted your life, including medical treatment needed, therapy costs, lost wages, and more.
• Building a Strong Case: We’ll present all the evidence and create a compelling narrative that showcases the full scope of your sexual abuse or assault.

How Our Philadelphia Sexual Abuse Lawyers Can Help

Injury Lawyer Team can offer comprehensive support to survivors of sexual abuse and assault in Philadelphia. We’re able to help by:

• Free & Confidential Consultations: We offer a safe space for you to tell your story and where we can discuss what your legal options are.
• Thorough Investigations: We’ll thoroughly investigate your claim to ensure we can build a strong case through evidence.
• Legal Strategy Development: Based on your retelling of the events and the evidence we can gather, we’ll develop a legal strategy to help us secure the maximum settlements for your experience.
• Communications & Negotiations with Liable Parties: You won’t have to worry about communicating with the opposing counsel and insurance companies. We’ll handle that to help reduce some of the stress that speaking with them can cause. Ideally, we’ll be able to settle your civil case outside of the courtroom.
• Court Representation: If we can’t settle negotiations, we’ll fight to protect your rights in the courtroom.
• Access to Support Resources: We’ll help connect you with local support resources that can help you, like psychological treatment or support groups.
• Continuous Support: We’ll update you with any changes or things to report throughout the case.

The Time Limits for Filing a Civil Lawsuit in Philadelphia

There is a statute of limitations on sexual abuse and assault in Philadelphia. Every state has its own statute of limitations on these acts, limiting how long a sexual abuse survivor has to file a claim.

The statute of limitations in Pennsylvania for those who were sexually abused or assaulted during their childhood is until they turn 30 years old.

For victims of sexual abuse in adulthood, they have two years from the date of the incident. These timeframes are only for civil action and don’t include filing criminal charges, which have different timeframes.

Contact a Philadelphia Sexual Abuse Lawyer Today!

We know it’s not always easy to come forward and seek justice against your abuser, so we strive to make the process as easy as possible for you by handling all communications with opposing counsel and guiding you along the way. Our law firm will work tirelessly to protect your rights, secure a settlement, and make sure your abuser faces justice.

Your voice matters. If you’re ready to have yours heard and pursue legal action, contact us online to schedule your free consultation, or call us 24/7 at 866-757-6452 to learn more about your legal options.

Related Practice Areas

Allentown Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Erie Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Pittsburg Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Reading Sexual Abuse Lawyer