Child sexual abuse can be traumatic for survivors and their families. Often, children need extensive support in the aftermath of abuse. They may suffer both physical and mental harm and should be provided with the very best care and treatment possible.
In many cases, the institutions responsible for allowing the abuse to occur should be required to provide compensation to ensure that child sexual abuse survivors have the funds they need to move forward. Matthew de Lira can help in these difficult situations.
Our compassionate and trauma-informed San Bernardino child sex abuse lawyers can provide the assistance that you need to pursue a claim if you or your child was the victim of child sex abuse. To find out more about how our personal injury firm can help, give us a call or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation.
Taking legal action for child sex abuse
When you pursue a civil claim for child sex abuse, it’s important to understand that many child sexual abuse cases are not against the abuser, and the survivor of the abuse does not have to confront the abuser in court. This is different and separate from a criminal claim against an abuser.
These types of cases are intended to help you obtain monetary compensation to cover losses and damages resulting from the abuse. They hold accountable those who facilitated the abuse or were negligent in allowing the abuse to occur despite having a duty to the child to keep them safe from harm.
Some examples of the defendants you could pursue a claim against in a child sex abuse case include:
- Schools that didn’t conduct appropriate background checks, that ignored signs of abuse, that didn’t provide proper supervision to prevent abuse, or that retained an employee despite red flags.
- Churches and religious organizations that concealed allegations of abuse, failed to report or act upon suspicious behavior, or transferred abusive clergy or staff.
- Sports programs that failed to properly screen coaches, supervise adult interaction with children, or put appropriate child safety policies in place.
- Daycare centers and childcare facilities that didn’t conduct rigorous background checks, ignored potential misconduct, or failed to provide proper supervision.
- After-school programs that did not vet staff properly or respond in a timely and effective way to potential abuse.
- Foster care agencies that did not properly investigate allegations of abuse or that placed children with abusive caregivers due to negligence.
- Group homes, residential facilities, and juvenile detention centers that did not protect children from abusive staff members, conduct the required pre-hiring screenings, or put policies in place that provide safeguards.
These are just some of the organizations that could be made to compensate children and families when abuse occurs.
Types of compensation for child sex abuse
Victims of child sex abuse should be compensated for all of the economic and non-financial loss resulting from the misconduct. Some of the different kinds of damages that may be available include:
- Payment of past and future medical bills resulting from the abuse
- Loss of future earning capacity that occurred due to the abuse
- Pain and suffering due to the abuse or its aftereffects
- Emotional distress damages from the abuse
- Costs of counseling and psychological treatment
Often, a substantial amount of money is at stake, as childhood sexual abuse survivors may need many years of therapy to overcome the trauma.
Contact a San Bernardino child sex abuse lawyer
Our legal team takes child sexual abuse cases seriously. We truly care about every client, and we have trained, trauma-informed legal professionals fighting for survivors to get them the funds they deserve to rebuild.
Give Matthew de Lira, APC, a call or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation with a San Bernardino child sex abuse lawyer to learn more.