The road to recovery is complicated and often uncertain for victims of sexual abuse. Knowing your options can help you regain a sense of control and empower you to move forward to the next stage of healing in your life. You deserve empathetic and confidential legal assistance to help address sexual abuse complications and pursue compensation on your behalf.
A dedicated North Miami Beach sexual abuse lawyer at Dolman Law Group can provide a safe place to share your unique circumstances and create a plan of action for holding your abuser responsible.
Why Sex Abuse Survivors Seek Civil Justice Against Their Abusers
When most people think of any type of abuse, they picture a criminal court scenario where a judge or jury determines if the alleged abuser should be found guilty and punished for their actions. While a criminal charge and eventual punishment are possible in many sexual abuse cases, sexual abuse survivors should know that criminal punishment is not the only justice they can receive. Civil justice also provides a form of relief.
Every abuse situation is different, and survivors react differently to their experiences. Some sex abuse survivors never disclose their abuse because it may be too traumatic or they feel shame or guilt. Some survivors want to tell their story in open court to see their abuser’s face when they tell the world what happened.
Others fall somewhere in the middle and may want to pursue a financial settlement or protect others by publicly exposing the abuser to ensure that no one else is harmed. If an organization such as a church or school system knew about the abuse but did nothing to prevent it or stop it from continuing, a survivor may want to expose that organization to hold it responsible for the harm it allowed.
If you are considering taking action against the person who abused you or an entity that allowed it, you deserve a team of tenacious legal professionals supporting you. Depending on your ultimate goal, our compassionate sexual abuse attorneys can guide you through the challenging legal process.
We Can Help You Hold the Defendant Directly Accountable By Making Them Pay
Money cannot erase what you went through, but making the perpetrator pay can be a validating and healing experience. Your compensation will provide the money and resources you deserve to heal and move forward in your life. A damages award can also be an acknowledgment of the damage the abuser caused.
Or, in the case of a church, school, or other organization that permitted the abuse, we can hold those responsible for the harm that occurred on their watch. A legal judgment can also bring closure to a complicated emotional time in your life. Our Miami Beach lawyers will do everything we can to make your goals a reality.
Trust Our Team of North Miami Beach Sexual Abuse Attorneys to Pursue the Compensation You Need
Our caring legal team could help you recover monetary compensation for many types of losses related to the abuse. These losses can be financial, physical, or psychological and may include:
- Medical treatment expenses
- Lost income
- Chronic pain
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Psychological disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Reduced ability to work
- Mental health treatment
- Reduced quality of life
- Anxiety
- Depression
Our attorneys can help you on the path to healing by enlisting experts in the fields of medicine and psychology who focus on these types of situations. When you partner with Dolman Law Group, we promise to support you until the completion of your case.
How Does the Law Define Sexual Abuse?
Sexual abuse can take many forms. It does not have to involve physical sexual contact, nor does it have to be aggressive. It also involves non-physical sexual experiences like someone exposing their genitalia to someone else. Examples of sexual abuse, also known as sexual assault, include:
- Rape
- Using minors to create child pornography
- Exposing or exhibiting genitals
- Unwanted or inappropriate touching
- Verbal sexual assault
- Exposure to pornographic material
- Voyeurism
Sexual Abuse Can Occur in Many Situations
Sexual abuse claims can result from a spectrum of situations, often involving a person in a position of authority or trust taking advantage of the victim. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center confirms that most sexual assault victims know their attacker. Some common sexual abuse situations we see in our practice include:
- Between acquaintances
- Among family members
- Involving staff members at nursing homes
- Clergy members abusing parishioners, including children
Proving Sexual Abuse in a Personal Injury Case in North Miami Beach, Florida
Unfortunately, sexual abuse itself isn’t defined as an actual cause of action for a civil lawsuit in Florida. Instead, skilled sexual abuse lawyers in North Miami Beach must present evidence to support the specific cause or circumstances of the abuse to prove that the survivors have a legal right to compensation. Legally valid causes of action for a personal injury claim against a sexual predator include:
Premises Liability Sexual Abuse
This is sexual violence occurring on another person’s property due to an unsafe or defective condition. These cases could involve inadequate security, exterior doors that don’t lock, or poor lighting conditions that allow someone to hide. Premises liability cases can arise on a commercial property or an apartment complex.
Sexual Battery
Under Florida Statutes § 794.011, sexual battery is the anal, oral, or vaginal penetration of a person by another person’s body part or object without consent. This is known more commonly as rape.
Assault
When a person threatens to harm someone else with the very real intent or ability to do so, they are considered to have assaulted the victim under Florida law.
Negligent Hiring
If a victim was harmed by an employee who was not properly screened, trained, or supervised, the company could be found responsible for negligent hiring or supervision of the abuser and thereby held liable for the resulting harm. For example, many of the pending Uber sexual abuse cases brought against the rideshare company allege the company negligently hired or supervised Uber drivers who have assaulted rideshare passengers.
Our lawyers will examine and investigate the facts of your case to pinpoint the best path forward to receiving justice. We understand how difficult it can be to come forward with your story. Our team aims to make sure that your actions are not taken in vain.
You Do Not Need To Be Rich To Hire a Lawyer After a Sexual Assault
Some lawyers make their clients pay upfront or by the hour. We do not do this. We know our clients are in vulnerable positions after suffering injuries or abuse. At Dolman Law Group, we don’t want to put further stress or financial pressure on you.
We only work with clients on a contingency fee basis. This means we are paid as a portion of your settlement or judgment, not from your pocket.
Do I Have To File My Lawsuit Within a Certain Time?
Florida Statutes § 95.11 imposes a general, two-year deadline on personal injury lawsuits. So, you would have to file your lawsuit before this time frame ends. However, in some situations, you may have more or less time to file a civil case. For example, if you were a child at the time of the abuse, your filing timeline is different than a typical injury case. A knowledgeable sexual abuse attorney in our North Miami Beach office can explain how much time you have to take legal action.
What You Can Expect When You Work With a Sexual Abuse Lawyer at Dolman Law Group?
Our team will handle your case with sensitivity, confidentiality, and persistence to see it through to the end. The legal process is about getting justice and closure for you. It will begin with your lawyer speaking to you about your case and the abuse you survived during a free consultation.
Then, we will compile evidence to support your claim. This could include your testimony, testimony from witnesses to the abuse, photos, videos, and incident reports. We will also explore the criminal history of the perpetrator. If they have done this before to other people, this fact could influence your chance of recovering damages.
If we are unable to negotiate a favorable settlement, we will file your lawsuit and take your case to court. You could recover compensation from the perpetrator, a property owner’s homeowners insurance, or another liable party. Any criminal case brought against the abuser will not affect your civil case and will not award you the financial compensation you deserve.
Rebuild Your Life with a Sexual Abuse Lawyer From Dolman Law Group Standing By Your Side
Let the North Miami Beach sexual abuse lawyers at Dolman Law Group be your guides to justice. You do not have to suffer in silence after sexual abuse. When you are ready, call (305) 676-8154 or complete our simple online contact form for a free consultation with our sensitive and dedicated legal team. Our North Miami Beach personal injury lawyers will work hard to secure fair damages for your assault-related losses. We can start as soon as you call and share your story.
North Miami Beach Office
1820 NE 163rd St #306,
North Miami Beach, FL 33162
(305) 676-8154