Attorney for Victims of Sexual Abuse in Norristown

Item: The Law Office of Andrew Shubin
Rating: 5
Author: Tina L

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Fighting For Important Causes In State And Federal Courts

If you were abused by a teacher, priest, camp counselor, coach, or other person in a position of trust, it may be hard to know where to turn. You can report what happened to you to the police, but you can also seek damages through a civil case.

Our lawyers help victims of abuse sue individual abusers and institutions to get damages for what happened to them. While the criminal system focuses on punishment, we focus on getting your medical care, therapy bills, and emotional distress compensated.

For a free review of your case, call our attorneys for victims of sexual abuse at The Law Office of Andrew Shubin at (814) 826-3586 today.

How to File a Claim for Sexual Abuse in Norristown

Lawsuits can be filed against individuals and institutions for sexual abuse, but you need to gather evidence to support the claim.

Gather Evidence

There are agencies and police that sexual abuse should be reported to as soon as you can report it, creating records of when the abuse happened. Many victims wait years between abuse and the time they come forward about it, but other records – such as journals or contemporary discussions with trusted loved ones – can also be used as evidence.

If you sought medical care or psychological care for what happened to you, also gather any records and bills related to this. Our attorneys for sexual abuse victims can help you obtain other records, such as medical records you have not recovered yet and internal records from the organizations you seek to sue.

Determine Defendants

Many claims are brought against the individual abusers as well as the institution that they worked for. This can lead to lawsuits against

Churches
Schools
Camps
Scouting organizations
Hospitals
Nursing homes
Colleges
Athletics associations
And more.

We can potentially hold them accountable for what the individual abuser did if they oversaw them as their employer or if they committed their own acts of negligence, such as negligent hiring or supervision.

In some cases, institutions intentionally hide or fail to report abuse, such as cases involving churches moving priests to different parishes after abuse, without warning the new parish.

Determine Damages

The damages in your case can be broad. We can sue for all economic harms you suffered, which could potentially include

Medical care
Psychological or psychiatric care
Lost wages from physical injuries or mental health issues
Pain
Suffering
Emotional distress
Mental anguish
And more.

Because these cases involve intentional actions and might involve serious misconduct, fraud, and recklessness, that could also lead to punitive damages.

How Long Do I Have to Bring My Case?

The law is always in flux, and the statute of limitations for sexual abuse claims has changed over the years. Under current Pennsylvania law, victims have the following deadlines, depending on their age at the time of the abuse:

Minors under 18: until age 55.
Adults aged 18-23: until age 30.
Adults 24 and over: 2 years from the abuse.

If the abuse was ongoing, the latest date of abuse typically functions to set the start of the clock, though this is typically not relevant for people under age 24.

Keep in mind that the law that was in effect on the date of the abuse is what sets the rule. These laws changed in 2019 to extend filing deadlines, which were previously more limited. Depending on when your abuse happened, you may have a shorter filing deadline, so contact us immediately.

FAQs for Victims of Sexual Abuse in Norristown

How Do You File a Claim?

Our lawyers can help you file your claim by gathering the necessary evidence and filing a lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas for the county where the acts took place. In some cases, such as for abuse at work or at school, there may be filings that need to take place through state agencies before we can move on to a lawsuit.

What Constitutes Sexual Abuse?

The actual acts that make up sexual abuse can depend on various circumstances and why we need to put a definition to the term. Typically, sexual assault involves penetration or nonconsensual touching, creating a broad definition.

If, for some reason, the conduct does not fit this definition, you may still be able to sue for assault and battery, generally. However, the deadline for those claims is typically limited to 2 years from the events or 2 years from your 18th birthday if you were a minor when it occurred.

Can I Keep My Case Private?

Claims and demands can be made privately before filing them in open court, and institutions and abusers may want to settle privately to avoid information about the abuse becoming public. This may involve nondisclosure agreements and other terms that could be unfair to the victim.

However, we may also be able to file your case and keep some of your information private in the filings, especially if you are a minor.

Will My Abuser Go to Jail if I Sue Them?

Civil and criminal cases are totally separate. Although successful criminal charges might help us file your civil claim, there is no requirement that the case be filed in criminal court at all.

If there is no criminal case, then there is no jail time; civil cases deal with damages only. Criminal cases also have a higher burden of proof, meaning the prosecution might lose a criminal case, but you could still win your civil case for damages.

Do I Have to Report the Abuse to the Police?

Our lawyers can advise you on your options for reporting abuse. In many cases, a criminal investigation is helpful in punishing the abuser and stopping them from hurting others. However, you might not want the pressure of testifying or being involved in a criminal case.

Civil claims are separate, but it does often help your case if there was a criminal investigation because that means police and other investigators can testify in your civil case as well. It also helps if there is a conviction, though the standards are different between criminal and civil cases.