At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, our Chicago massage therapist sexual abuse lawyer team is committed to standing up for individuals who have been sexually assaulted during massage therapy sessions. We hold massage spas, franchises, and individual therapists accountable when they fail to protect clients from sexual misconduct and assault.
Our law firm has achieved meaningful settlements and verdicts for survivors across Cook County and throughout Illinois. Every case we handle reflects our focus on seeking compensation, helping survivors heal, and working to prevent future abuse in massage settings.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers has built a strong reputation for representing sexual assault survivors in Chicago. Our Chicago sexual abuse law firm has taken on national spa franchises, local massage clinics, and individual therapists who engaged in or enabled sexual misconduct.
With over $450 million recovered for our clients across Illinois, including many sexual abuse cases, our results reflect both the seriousness of the harm and the strength of our advocacy. We’ve been recognized by leading legal organizations, including the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Super Lawyers, and maintain a 10/10 rating on Avvo, for our work in holding abusers and negligent businesses accountable.
Two Chicago men visited the same River North massage spa weeks apart for professional therapy sessions. Both were sexually assaulted by the same massage therapist, who had previously been the subject of internal complaints that the spa failed to act on. Each survivor suffered significant physical and emotional trauma, including PTSD symptoms, difficulty sleeping, and relationship strain.
Our legal team filed a civil lawsuit against both the individual therapist and the spa’s corporate ownership. The company’s prior knowledge of the therapist’s conduct and its failure to intervene were a key factor in securing a $5,000,000 settlement on behalf of our clients.
Sexual abuse during massage therapy in Chicago often happens in environments where accountability is lacking and concerns are ignored. Many cases we’ve handled involve spas or franchise locations that failed to respond to earlier complaints about inappropriate behavior. Some employers don’t conduct proper background checks or overlook warning signs during the hiring process.
In other situations, management doesn’t provide clear protocols or supervision, allowing professional boundaries to break down. Survivors often tell us they felt uncomfortable speaking up–either because they feared not being believed, worried about retaliation, or didn’t know where to report the abuse. These gaps in oversight and support create conditions where abuse can continue unchecked.
Massage therapy sexual abuse can leave deep and lasting harm–both physically and emotionally. Survivors we’ve represented in Chicago often describe the long-term toll the abuse has taken on their lives, even years after the incident. Many struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or anxiety, often requiring ongoing counseling or psychiatric care.
Some turn to substance use or self-harm to cope with the emotional fallout. In some instances, the abuse results in physical injuries or exposure to sexually transmitted infections, leading to medical expenses and continued treatment.
Survivors also commonly experience emotional trauma–feelings of fear, shame, or isolation–that make it difficult to maintain relationships or trust others. For some, the psychological impact interferes with their ability to work or continue with school, leading to lost income or missed career opportunities.
In Illinois, survivors of sexual abuse have the right to seek compensation through a civil claim. These damages are meant to help rebuild stability and cover the lasting effects of the abuse, both physically and emotionally.
Compensation may include medical costs, such as hospital visits, therapy sessions, prescriptions, and treatment related to injuries or trauma. Survivors can also recover lost wages or compensation for reduced earning capacity if the abuse disrupted their education or ability to work. Civil courts recognize pain and suffering, reflecting the long-term impact of physical and emotional trauma. Emotional distress damages address ongoing psychological effects like anxiety, fear, and isolation.
In cases where a spa, franchise, or employer ignored warning signs or tried to hide the abuse, punitive damages may also be awarded to hold those responsible parties fully accountable.
Based on Law.com’s VerdictSearch, the average payout in massage therapist sexual abuse cases is $1,672,621, with a median settlement of $1,000,000. Reported case values range from $125,000 to over $10 million, depending on the facts of each case.
Each case is unique, and while averages provide a general picture, the specific facts surrounding the abuse and the survivor’s experience often drive the final result:
$10,016,600 Jury Verdict for Ten Women Sexually Abused During Massages
Ten women testified that a therapist sexually assaulted them during sessions, including touching their breasts and genitals, improper draping, and rubbing his erect penis against them. The spa and building owners were accused of ignoring prior complaints about the therapist. Plaintiffs developed PTSD, depression, and other conditions, requiring ongoing therapy. Some lost jobs or changed careers due to trauma. After the claims against the spa were settled confidentially, a jury found the therapist liable for sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, awarding a combined $10,016,600 in damages–including punitive awards for each plaintiff.
$3,300,000 Verdict Against Massage Franchise for Sexual Assault of Client
A 50-year-old woman was digitally penetrated without consent by a therapist during a scheduled appointment. She was examined at a hospital and later diagnosed with PTSD. Though she only attended limited counseling, her symptoms led to significant changes in her daily life and personality. Evidence showed the therapist had a prior incident, and the franchisor had received dozens of similar complaints across its facilities. A jury found multiple defendants liable, including the franchisor, awarding $3.3 million in damages, which included $1.8 million in punitive damages due to gross negligence and failure to act on known misconduct.
$1,000,000 Settlement for Two Women Assaulted by Repeat Offender Massage Therapist
Two women filed separate lawsuits against a massage franchise after alleging sexual assaults by the same male therapist during their appointments. One woman reported digital penetration and forced oral contact, later testing positive for HSV-1. The other reported repeated inappropriate touching and poor draping. Internal documents revealed multiple prior complaints against the therapist, who had been “retrained” instead of terminated. Both women reported the incidents immediately, one to the police and the other to management. The franchise settled for $1 million, prompted by clear evidence of the therapist’s pattern of misconduct and the franchise’s failure to remove him from practice.
Filing a civil claim after being sexually abused during massage therapy can be overwhelming, especially when the abuse occurred at a well-known spa or national franchise. Survivors often find themselves up against companies that are more concerned with protecting their brand than taking responsibility. Many massage businesses fail to act on past complaints, ignore warning signs, or attempt to silence those who speak up.
A knowledgeable Chicago sexual abuse lawyer can make a meaningful difference in how these cases are handled. Our team supports survivors through the civil lawsuit process while coordinating with any criminal investigations, ensuring that your voice is heard without retraumatizing you in the process. While prosecutors focus on criminal penalties, our role is to pursue financial compensation for the trauma, lost wages, and medical expenses survivors often face.
Survivors in Cook County frequently deal with aggressive defense strategies–denials of wrongdoing, challenges to their credibility, and arguments over the statute of limitations. We respond with a clear legal strategy, strong evidence, expert testimony, and a survivor-focused approach.
According to data from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), one in six women and one in thirty-three men in the U.S. are sexually assaulted each year. That equates to someone being assaulted every 68 seconds, with more than 450,000 sexual assaults reported annually. Massage therapy, unfortunately, is not immune to this crisis.
Some spa franchises have begun implementing safety measures aimed at reducing incidents of sexual misconduct. For example, by 2019, about half of all Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa locations had installed “Attention Buttons”–a system that allows massage clients to immediately alert the front desk if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe during a session.
The company tracked the number of inappropriate-touch complaints per 1,000 massages and found that spas using the Attention Button experienced a 91% drop in reports. Based on that success, Hand and Stone made the system mandatory across all U.S. locations by 2020.
These results show that simple, low-cost safety tools can have a significant impact–but too many spa operators still fail to take such preventive steps. When a massage therapist assaults a client, the responsibility often falls not just on the individual but on the company that failed to protect the people it serves.
Sexual abuse during massage therapy in Chicago often takes place in environments where oversight is weak and complaints are ignored. Franchise massage spas are among the most common settings, particularly when management fails to act on prior reports of inappropriate sexual contact. Independent massage therapy clinics also pose risks when there’s little supervision or accountability.
Abuse can occur in hotel spas or wellness centers, where visiting therapists may not be adequately screened or monitored. In-home massage sessions add another layer of vulnerability, as the lack of third-party oversight can leave clients unprotected.
Even fitness centers and health clubs that offer massage services can become dangerous when they don’t enforce strict professional standards or properly train staff. In each of these situations, survivors are often left feeling powerless, especially when businesses prioritize image over client safety.
The Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5/) prohibits sexual harassment and discrimination in places of public accommodation, including massage spas and wellness centers. If a massage business allows an unsafe environment or fails to act on reports of sexual misconduct, the law may support a claim for civil liability. Survivors can use this statute to hold businesses accountable when they ignore warning signs or fail to protect clients from known risks involving sexual abuse or harassment.
Under the Illinois Premises Liability Act (740 ILCS 130/), businesses and property owners have a duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions for customers. This includes taking steps to prevent foreseeable harm, such as sexual assault by an employee. If a massage spa, hotel, or franchise fails to supervise staff, enforce safety protocols, or respond to prior complaints, they may be held liable for resulting abuse. This statute is often used in civil lawsuits involving negligent security or oversight.
In Doe v. Massage Envy Franchising LLC, a survivor of sexual assault during a massage filed a civil lawsuit against both the individual therapist and the franchisor. The case focused on claims of negligent hiring and failure to protect clients despite previous misconduct complaints. Although the franchisor denied control over the therapist, the case highlighted how franchise systems can still face liability when corporate policies ignore red flags or fail to enforce adequate safety measures.
In Illinois, sexual assault survivors have legal options even if the abuse happened years ago. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202.2, those who were abused as children can file a civil lawsuit at any age–as long as it’s within 20 years of recognizing how the abuse affected them. This is known as the discovery rule, and it gives survivors time to process their experience before taking legal action.
For felony sex crimes, including sexual assault during massage therapy, there is no statute of limitations in Illinois. This allows prosecutors to pursue criminal charges at any point, regardless of how much time has passed since the abuse occurred.
In sexual abuse cases at a massage spa in Chicago, legal responsibility often goes beyond the individual who committed the assault. While the therapist is directly accountable, many survivors are harmed in environments where business owners, managers, or franchise operators failed to take proper action.
Liability may fall on spa owners who ignored previous complaints, national franchises that overlooked patterns of abuse across multiple locations, or property owners who leased space to businesses with a known history of misconduct. In some cases, staffing agencies or third-party contractors that failed to properly vet or supervise therapists can also be held accountable.
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we take a comprehensive approach to identifying every responsible party, ensuring survivors have the opportunity to seek compensation not just from the abuser, but also from the institutions that enabled or ignored the misconduct.
In sexual abuse claims involving massage therapists, defendants often rely on legal strategies aimed at avoiding accountability. When we file a civil lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court, spa owners, franchises, and their attorneys may argue that too much time has passed since the abuse occurred, even though Illinois law provides extended timelines, especially in cases involving minors.
Some defense teams raise claims of consent, even when the survivor was in no position to give it due to age or the power dynamic in a massage setting. Others simply deny the abuse happened or argue there’s not enough evidence to prove it. Franchises and spa managers may claim they did not know about the therapist’s prior misconduct, even when complaints or red flags existed.
Our legal team addresses these tactics by gathering detailed evidence, reviewing internal spa records, identifying past complaints, and working with trauma experts. We build each case with survivor voices at the center, making it clear that the harm was real–and preventable.
If you’ve been sexually assaulted during massage therapy in Chicago, the following steps can help protect your rights and strengthen your civil case.
First, report the abuse to law enforcement as soon as you feel safe doing so. If the survivor is a minor, contacting the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is also important. Try to preserve any relevant evidence–this could include appointment confirmations, text messages, or written complaints made to the spa.
Seek medical attention and psychological support to protect your well-being, and also document the physical and emotional trauma. Finally, reach out to a Chicago massage therapist sexual assault lawyer as early as possible. An experienced attorney can secure records, identify responsible parties, and take legal action before key evidence disappears or the spa attempts to silence the claim.
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we understand that taking legal action after being sexually abused during massage therapy is deeply personal. As experienced Chicago massage therapist sexual assault lawyers, we support survivors by offering confidential, respectful legal guidance from the very first conversation.
We handle every part of the civil legal process, including filing claims in Cook County Circuit Court and staying informed on any related criminal charges. Our team works to recover damages for medical bills, emotional distress, therapy costs, and other losses tied to the abuse.
When massage spas, franchises, or property owners refuse to take responsibility, we are prepared to take the case to trial. We also help survivors connect with trusted advocacy organizations and mental health resources so they never have to face the process alone. Our goal is to help survivors regain control and secure the compensation and acknowledgment they deserve.
We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay anything up front. Our law firm only receives payment if we win your case through a settlement or verdict. There are no out-of-pocket costs to start your claim.
Yes. A civil lawsuit is separate from any criminal prosecution. Even if the massage therapist was never charged or convicted, you can still file a civil claim and pursue compensation. The standard of proof is lower in civil court, making recovery possible even without a criminal verdict.
Survivors can file on their own behalf. If the survivor is a minor, a parent or legal guardian can bring the claim for them. In either case, a civil lawsuit allows survivors and their families to seek compensation and hold both the therapist and the business accountable.
If you or someone you care about was sexually assaulted during a massage, our law firm is here to help. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers offers free, confidential consultations and works on a contingency fee basis, meaning we never charge any fees unless we win compensation for you. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can begin investigating the abuse, securing evidence, and protecting your legal rights.
Reach out today to speak with an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer. Call us at (800) 926–7565 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.
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All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.