Deciding whether to take legal action after sexual abuse is deeply personal. You may have questions about your privacy, whether anyone else can be held responsible, or what a civil case would actually involve.
A Wellington personal injury lawyer from GOLDLAW can explain your options without pressuring you to move forward. Our firm brings more than 200 years of combined legal experience and has recovered more than $1 billion for clients.
If you choose to pursue a case, a Wellington sexual abuse lawyer can handle the legal work while keeping you informed about what is happening and what decisions are yours to make.
How a Wellington Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Help With a Civil Claim
A civil sexual abuse case is separate from any criminal investigation or prosecution. Criminal proceedings focus on whether someone committed a crime, while a civil claim can seek compensation for the harm you experienced.
You may be able to pursue a claim against the person who committed the abuse. In some cases, another person, business, or organization may also bear responsibility because of what it did or failed to do.
A criminal conviction is not always required before a civil claim can be pursued. We can look at the circumstances and explain which civil options may apply to you.
For a free legal consultation with a sexual abuse lawyer serving Wellington, call 561-222-2222
Can an Institution Be Held Responsible for Sexual Abuse?
Sometimes the person who committed the abuse is not the only party whose conduct needs to be examined. A school, employer, healthcare provider, religious organization, youth program, property owner, or other entity may have had responsibilities of its own.
What matters is whether the organization had warning signs and what it did with them. We may look at earlier complaints, how staff was hired or supervised, and whether basic safety measures were ignored.
A sexual abuse lawyer serving Wellington can review those issues and identify the parties that may be legally responsible based on the facts of your case.
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What Compensation May Be Available After Sexual Abuse?
The effects of sexual abuse are not limited to one moment in time. Therapy, medical treatment, time away from work, and changes to everyday life can create losses that continue well after the abuse itself.
A civil claim may seek compensation for:
- Medical treatment, counseling, and future care
- Lost income or reduced earning capacity
- Pain, emotional distress, and psychological harm
- Loss of enjoyment of life and other personal effects of the abuse
Punitive damages can sometimes be part of a claim, but only in certain situations. They are usually tied to especially serious conduct, so whether they apply will depend on what the defendant actually did.
Call or text 561-222-2222 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
How Long Do You Have to File a Sexual Abuse Claim in Florida?
There is no single filing deadline that applies to every Florida sexual abuse case. The timeframe can change depending on your age when the abuse occurred, who the claim is being brought against, and the legal basis for the lawsuit.
Florida Statutes § 95.11 contains special rules for certain abuse-related claims. Some intentional claims involving abuse can use the latest of several deadlines tied to adulthood, leaving the abuser’s dependency, or discovering the connection between the abuse and the resulting injury. Certain sexual battery claims involving a person who was under 16 may be brought at any time if the statutory conditions are satisfied.
Other claims can have much shorter deadlines. For example, a negligence claim against an institution may be governed by different rules from a direct claim against the person who committed the abuse. We review the dates and the type of claim before advising you about how much time may remain.
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What Evidence Can Matter in an Institutional Abuse Case?
These cases can involve records that are not immediately available to you. Prior complaints, personnel files, internal messages, policies, security footage, and records showing how earlier concerns were handled may all become relevant.
We also look at evidence connected directly to what you experienced, which can include messages, medical or counseling records, witness information, photographs, or other documentation. You do not need to have collected everything yourself before speaking with us.
GOLDLAW can take over the work of identifying and requesting records that may help establish what happened and whether another party had an opportunity to prevent it.
What if the Abuse Happened Years Ago?
A long period of time between the abuse and seeking legal advice does not automatically mean you have no options. Florida law recognizes that some abuse-related claims require different limitation rules from ordinary injury cases.
What matters is when the abuse occurred, your age at the time, when certain injuries or their connection to the abuse became known, and the type of defendant involved.
A Wellington sexual abuse claim lawyer can review that timeline before making any assumptions about whether a claim is still possible.
Will You Have Control Over the Legal Process?
Speaking with a lawyer does not commit you to filing a lawsuit. A consultation gives you an opportunity to understand what a civil claim may involve before deciding whether you want to continue.
If you do move forward, we explain important developments and discuss decisions with you rather than leaving you unsure about what is happening. We also understand that conversations about abuse can be difficult, and you should not have to repeatedly explain painful details unnecessarily.
Our role is to handle the legal process while respecting that this is your case and your experience.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire GOLDLAW?
GOLDLAW handles sexual abuse claims on a contingency-fee basis. You do not pay an upfront retainer or hourly legal fees for us to begin working on your case.
Our legal fee is paid from a recovery if we obtain compensation for you. If there is no recovery, you do not owe us a legal fee.
We can explain how the arrangement works during your initial consultation so you understand the financial side before deciding whether to hire us.
Talk to a Wellington Sexual Abuse Lawyer
You do not need to have every document, every date, or every answer before asking about your legal options. The first conversation can simply be about what happened, what you are concerned about, and whether a civil claim may be possible.
Contact GOLDLAW for a free, confidential consultation with a Wellington sexual abuse lawyer. We can answer your questions and help you decide what, if anything, you want to do next.
Get GOLDLAW and get the help you need and the compensation you deserve.
