Anyone who’s suffered sexual abuse or been sexually assaulted will have to deal with the repercussions of what happened for the rest of their lives. From physical injuries to emotional and psychological trauma, reporting what happened is just the beginning.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers are committed to helping people in Illinois take back control and fight for the compensation they deserve for the abuse they’ve endured. We handle all our sexual assault or abuse cases with care while remaining compassionate to survivors.
WE ARE ONLY ACCEPTING SEXUAL ABUSE CASES INVOLVING INSTITUTIONS.
IF YOU HAVE A MATTER INVOLVING A RELATIVE OR ACQUAINTANCE, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL BAR ASSOCIATION
Why Choose Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers
If you’ve been sexually abused or assaulted in Illinois, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can be your trusted legal partner. Our law firm has extensive experience working on these sensitive cases in Illinois and around the country, so you can trust that we know how to navigate the legal system on your behalf to ensure fair compensation.
Hotel sexual assault case
Coach grooming and abuse
Cruise ship rape settlement
Negligent security assault
Child sexual abuse lawsuit
Therapist sexual abuse settlement
Our attorneys are determined to fight for your case and reach a fair settlement. We’ll ensure the settlement reflects the pain and suffering you’ve been through while protecting your rights and helping you seek justice.
Understanding Sexual Abuse and Assault
Sexual abuse and assault are terrible crimes, and under those broad terms, there are several different sex crimes. Some of these crimes are considered so minor to some people that many victims don’t even realize what’s happening is a form of sexual assault.
The main thing to know about sex crimes is that it’s always non-consensual. When parties fail to consent, it becomes a crime. Consent has to be verbally and continuously given. It must also be the person’s choice to consent, not obtained via coercion or manipulation.
Common Forms of Sexual Abuse
Since sexual abuse and assault come in many forms, it’s essential to know what actions and behaviors are included:
- Childhood Sexual Abuse: Any sexual intercourse or conduct between an adult and a minor, including grooming.
- Statutory Rape: Sexual conduct between an adult and someone who cannot legally consent, including minors and mentally incapacitated individuals.
- Rape and Sexual Assault: Non-consensual sex of any kind, usually involving some level of force.
- Incest: Sexual misconduct between family members, usually between an older adult relative and a child.
- Sexual Harassment: Unwanted sexual touching or comments, including asking for sexual favors.
- Digital Sexual Exploitation: The non-consensual sharing of intimate videos and pictures on the internet or via texting.
- Voyeurism: Watching someone participate in sexual acts or undressing without their knowledge.
Institutions Where Sexual Abuse Is Most Likely to Occur
It doesn’t matter where you are. There’s always the potential for someone to do the unthinkable. At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we have experience handling sexual assault and abuse cases at various institutions, including:
- Workplace: We’ve helped sexual abuse victims fight back against harassment or assault in their workplace.
- Inpatient Treatment Facilities: We can help victims of sexual abuse who’ve suffered emotional trauma due to being assaulted or abused in an inpatient treatment facility.
- Religious Institutions: Clergy abuse includes sexual assault and is often unreported. We’ll help bring these issues to light and fight back against your abuser.
- Nursing Homes: We’ve helped elders who’ve dealt with elderly sexual abuse file a civil lawsuit against their abuser, whether it’s another patient or a nursing home employee.
- Sports Clubs: Athletes are often victims of sexual assault and abuse by their coaches and team doctors, but we’ll help protect their rights.
- Military Institutions: Not all members of the military file a sexual assault claim, but if they do, we’ll do everything we can to protect them.
- Hotels and Short-Term Rentals: Due to their transient nature, we’ve fought and won many civil sexual assault claims against hotels and short-term rental companies.
- Prisons and Correctional Facilities: Prisons are often places where we see sexual assault, and we’ll help bring the other prisoner or correctional officer who committed the crime to justice.
- Foster Care: Many victims of sexual abuse are within the foster care system, but our lawyers will help keep those children safe and bring the abusers to justice.
- Daycare Facilities: Much like foster care, there are incidents of sexual assault and abuse at daycare facilities. We have experience handling these delicate cases.
- Educational Institutions: It doesn’t matter if it’s an elementary or college campus; we can represent anyone sexually assaulted on campus.
- Shelters: Our law firm protects the rights of those sexually abused and assaulted where they should feel safe, including shelters.
Steps to Take If You Are a Victim of Sexual Assault
Victims of sexual abuse and assault don’t always know what they need to do right after an incident occurs. The main thing to consider is getting somewhere safe and away from whoever hurt you. After that, these are some steps you should take:
- Get to the hospital even if your injuries aren’t visible.
- Request a rape kit at the hospital to preserve any evidence.
- Report the assault or abuse to your local Illinois police department.
- Reach out to people you trust who can support you through this time and to resources like the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA)
- Hire an experienced sexual assault lawyer at a reputable law firm to protect your rights and bring your abuser to justice.
Compensation for Sexual Abuse Victims
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we work tirelessly to help victims of sexual abuse and assault get the compensation they deserve. Even though no amount of money can erase the emotional wounds of what happened, it can be helpful in the healing process as you rebuild your life. Our law office can often recover compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Therapy costs, including help for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Lost wages
- Other non-economic damages
How much a settlement for personal injury claims will be for a sexual assault civil claim will vary. The factors that influence the overall payout include:
- The duration of the abuse
- The severity of the abuse or sexual assault
- The strength of the evidence presented
- The impact on the survivor’s life
- The cost of medical bills
- The emotional damages, such as whether it resulted in self-harm
- The length of time the sexual contact occurred (such as whether it was a one-time event or happened over several months or years)
Liability in Sexual Assault Cases
Liability in sexual assault and abuse cases isn’t always cut and dry. Besides the individual perpetrator, we can hold the institution where the sexual assault happened liable in some instances. We can hold them liable on the grounds of:
- Negligence
- Negligent hiring and retention
- Failure to train
- Failure to report
Certain legal principles will help us prove an institution is just as liable as the person committing the abuse or assault. Title IX is beneficial in this when proving liability against educational institutions.
How to Prove a Sexual Abuse Case
The lawyers at our law firm will do everything we can to prove what happened in our sexual assault cases. We can do this by:
- Gathering all the evidence possible, including medical records;
- Establishing potentially liable parties;
- Demonstrating what harm was done;
- Providing expert testimony;
- Thoroughly investigating the claim.
How Our Illinois Sexual Abuse Lawyers Can Help
Victims of sexual assault can count on the legal team at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers to be relentless as we pursue justice. As a trusted sexual assault attorney, we can help survivors by:
- Offering you a safe place to share your story;
- Thoroughly looking into your claim;
- Gathering all the evidence possible to strengthen your case;
- Establishing who’s liable;
- Communicating with insurance companies and opposing counsel;
- Getting experts to provide testimony to strengthen your case;
- Negotiating a fair settlement based on the specifics of your case;
The Time Limits for Filing a Claim in Illinois
Every state has its statute of limitations when it comes to filing criminal or civil claims for sexual assault and abuse. Many states have different requirements for adults and children, but Illinois’s statute of limitations differs.
As of 2020, Illinois has eliminated its statute of limitations on all sex crimes. For crimes committed after this date, this means at any point after the abuse or sexual assault, a criminal case can be pursued. For acts before this date, please consult with one of our attorneys for guidance on the viability of possible criminal charges.
For personal injury cases related to sexual assault, the statute of limitations depends on a variety of factors, such as when the assault took place, as well as whether the victim was a child or an adult at the time.
Contact an Illinois Sexual Assault Lawyer Today!
Securing justice and rightful compensation following an auto accident is both necessary and challenging. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers prevents the legal process from adding to your stress, offering free consultations to evaluate your situation thoroughly without any financial risk.
When you’re ready to work with an experienced attorney, contact us at (888) 424-5757 or fill out the form on our website.
Related Practice Areas:
- Aurora Sexual Abuse Lawyer
- Champaign Sexual Abuse Lawyer
- Chicago Sexual Abuse Lawyer
- Joliet Sexual Abuse Lawyer
- Naperville Sexual Abuse Lawyer
- Rockford Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Fabio Otega M.D., Northshore University Health System Sexual Abuse Lawsuit