If you or a loved one are suffering through the shock and pain of sexual abuse or sexual assault, it can be difficult to know what recourses you have available. As a result, the thought of recovering financial compensation for your suffering may be the furthest thing from your mind.
However, it’s important to understand that you have a right to obtain restitution for your injuries and suffering, both physical and emotional. Stark & Stark’s sexual abuse representation attorneys work with victims to obtain them the compensation and justice they deserve.
Justice for Victims of Sexual Abuse & Sexual Assault
Stark & Stark’s sexual abuse attorneys focus their practice on representing survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse. We want to bring these perpetrators to justice, and hold the institutions who failed to prevent these attacks accountable for their inaction. Our sexual assault attorneys work to recover compensation for victims in a wide variety of cases, including:
- Schools and colleges: Students at colleges, universities, and any other educational facilities have the right to be safe from sexual assault and sexual harassment. If a school employee, teacher, or student commits a sexual assault on campus, the school or institution can be sued for their negligence for allowing the harassment or assault to happen.
- Healthcare providers: As upsetting as it is, some of the most susceptible sexual assault and sexual abuse victims are those in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other healthcare facilities. Abusers will prey upon those people who are vulnerable because of their physical or mental conditions. Along with our Nursing Home Negligence practice, we represent victims of assault or rape at nursing homes, hospitals, and rehabilitation facilities.
- Property and hotel owners: We represent individuals in cases against property owners, including hotels, who have failed to protect their guests from sexual assault.
- Workplace sexual assault/harassment: No one should feel like they have to endure unwanted sexual advances, harassment, or an otherwise hostile work environment. If you or a loved one were sexually harassed or assaulted at work, our attorneys can pursue civil damages and other remedies against the perpetrator and the employer.
A civil lawsuit does more than just recover compensation for the victims of sex abuse. A lawsuit can also be a powerful tool for victims to obtain the justice they deserve and the closure they need after suffering such abuse.
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Extended Statute of Limitations for NJ Sexual Abuse Claims
New Jersey victims of sexual abuse now have more time to file civil lawsuits against their alleged abusers.
The new law, signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, will take effect December 1, 2019. It features the following reform measures:
- A two-year window from enactment for the filing of any civil sexual abuse claim, regardless of when the abuse took place
- Child victims will be able to make claims until they turn 55
- All victims will be able to make claims within seven years of discovering the damage it caused them
It can sometimes take years or even decades for a person who was abused to acknowledge the abuse happened and recognize that it caused damages.
By adopting this law, New Jersey has recognized that the mere passage of time should not be used to silence a legitimate claim against a sexual abuser or the organization that allowed or concealed abuse.
It is important to contact an attorney as soon as you can in cases involving sexual abuse or assault. We understand how difficult it could be to speak about abuse, but we are here to listen and support you when you do.
Institutional Sexual Abuse Coverups
In the last several years, news reports are filled with stories exposing rampant sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and other religions, educational institutions, and organizations. Frequently, these coverups are revealed to have spanned decades of abuse and left dozens of victims in their wake. There is often a clear pattern of the management overlooking or outright denying the abuse at these organizations, if anything opting to transfer the offending priest, minister, or teacher to another location without reporting the crimes to authorities.
It’s very likely that more sexual abuse coverups will be revealed in the future, not just within the Catholic Church, but also other religious and educational institutions.
Free Consultation with Sexual Abuse Attorney in New Jersey
Victims of sexual abuse or assault are frequently hesitant to report the crime for a myriad of reasons, and often are reluctant to contact an attorney for legal representation for many of the same reasons.
Stark & Stark understands the stigma that comes with these crimes, and we offer compassionate legal counsel in a confidential setting. To set up a free, confidential consultation please call us at 800-535-3425 or contact us online.
