| About Personal Injury Law |
| Automotive & Motorcycle Accidents |
| Head and Spinal Injury |
| Slip and Fall Injuries |
| Wrongful Death |
| Natural Disasters |
| Sexual Abuse |
| Class Actions |
Sexual Abuse
Although sexual abuse of a child or an adult is a crime, research has been consistent in its findings that several child abuses are to a great extent not disclosed and underreported to authorities. The effect of sexual abuse is long-term damage to the psyche and emotions of the victims. Child sexual abuse, in particular, affects victim's capacity for normal development, and plants the seeds of predisposition whereby they may be repeatedly victimized.
If you were a victim of sexual abuse, there are a few options for taking action against the perpetrator. You may report the incident to your local District Attorney for criminal prosecution, apply for financial compensation from the State Victims of Crime Assistance Fund, and file a civil lawsuit for personal injury damages. If the perpetrator is a professional, you can also report him/her to the licensing or credentialing agency.
Filing a personal injury action against your abuser can be a painful and drawn-out process. But you may find that the action is therapeutic because this is your way of challenging yourself to face your abuser and fight back. It can become a symbol of your struggle to recover from the traumatic experience. And the pecuniary damages that the court may award will help you secure professional help to deal with the consequences of the abuse, or to continue your existing therapy for overcoming the ill-effects of sexual abuse.
Statute of Limitations
Most states have statutes of limitations, or the time during which crimes other than murder can be prosecuted or a civil action can be filed in court. In past years, several states extended statutes of limitations on criminal and civil cases of child sexual abuse, although for varying lengths of extension. More recently, however, some studies have indicated that memories of sexual abuse in childhood that surface during therapy, or when triggered by survivor group sessions or by reading certain materials, are likely to be false. This has led some states to reduce their prescription periods for prosecuting child sexual abuse cases. For this reason, it is best to seek legal representation as soon as you recall the sexual abuse you encounter as a child.