Sexual abuse is one of the most traumatic events you can go through in life, especially at the hands of a clergy member or anyone else you were taught to trust. If you are considering filing a clergy sex abuse lawsuit in Washington state, we want to help.
Jackman Law Firm’s Washington sexual abuse lawyer can fight for justice on your behalf. While nothing can undo what you’ve suffered, a lawsuit can empower you to hold the responsible party and their enablers accountable.
Fighting Back After Sex Abuse in Washington
Clergy sexual abuse can occur at church or even at school if you attended a religious educational institution. In many cases, you could file your suit against:
- The individual or individuals who abused you
- The religious organization that enabled the abuse by looking the other way and failing to investigate and punish the liable parties
- Both
Our honest, caring lawyers are dedicated to serving our community and to the protection and empowerment of children across Washington State. At Jackman Law Firm, that means offering scholarships to deserving students as well as simply doing our jobs with excellence and fighting relentlessly to get justice for abuse survivors.
For a free legal consultation with a clergy abuse lawyer serving Washington, call 206-558-5555
Types of Compensation for Clergy Sex Abuse
RCW § 26.44.020(1) defines abuse or neglect for the state of Washington as: “sexual abuse, sexual exploitation… or injury of a child by any person under circumstances which cause harm to the child’s health, welfare, or safety.”
If a church leader or member of the clergy ever touched you inappropriately or made you feel uncomfortable with sexual remarks or insinuations, your life may never be the same. You could therefore qualify for damages based on:
- Pain and suffering: The mental toll of sexual abuse can be very difficult to cope with. Some forms of abuse may leave painful physical injuries as well.
- Reduced quality of life: Your injuries and memories of the abuse may cause an inability to relate to others, live independently, or experience happiness as others do.
- Loss of consortium: You may have trouble maintaining satisfying relationships with friends, relatives, and romantic partners.
- Loss of earning capacity: Finding and keeping a job can get much harder when living with mental illness. Because of the abuse, you might have trouble staying out of debt and making ends meet.
- Medical costs: Any visit to a medical professional could qualify as a medical cost, including treatment for physical wounds, visits with a psychologist or mental health counselor, medication, or hospitalization.
At Jackman Law Firm, we know that the abuse was not your fault. Our attorneys can pursue fair compensation for your pain.
A sex abuse lawsuit in Washington state can do more than reduce your financial worries: it also sends a clear signal to the clergy—and to the institution that allowed your abuse to happen—that they cannot get away with exploiting children or allowing sexual misconduct.
Washington Clergy Abuse Lawyer Near Me 206-558-5555
Our Lawyers Can Confront Your Abuser for You
Bringing legal action based on sexual abuse can be emotionally difficult. The process can be both cathartic and deeply stressful, so it’s a good idea to seek help from a Washington clergy sex abuse lawyer rather than trying to go it alone.
At Jackman Law Firm, we can fight your entire case on your behalf. You won’t even have to directly confront the individual(s) who committed the abuse. The lawyers at our firm can:
- Identify the liable party by collecting and analyzing evidence, including your personal testimony as a sexual abuse survivor
- Establish how much the abuse has cost you by analyzing evidence like medical records
- Confront the liable party with your lawsuit and your demands for fair financial compensation
- Negotiate with the liable party’s team and, if possible, achieve a pretrial settlement that accurately reflects your losses
- Take the liable party to court if necessary
While our Washington clergy sex abuse attorney manages your case, you would be free to do whatever is necessary to help you heal from the abuse. You could seek therapy and spend time with loved ones, secure in the knowledge that we are taking care of the legal side of things.
Staying in Touch With Your Attorney
We know how painful this process can be, so we support our clients however we can. We are available to you all day, every day, even on holidays and weekends. When you call, we respond the same day.
Additionally, we update our clients regularly and only involve them in the case to the extent they feel comfortable.
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Can I Afford a Lawyer for My Sex Abuse Case?
When holding your abuser accountable, your first concern should never be whether you can afford legal representation. At Jackman Law Firm, you can call our office at any time and let us evaluate your case in a free legal consultation.
Further, you will not pay any attorney’s fees unless and until we win money for you. We work hard to achieve justice and compensation for our clients.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Statute of Limitations in a Sex Abuse Case
In the state of Washington, you have a limited time to file a lawsuit based on childhood sexual abuse, as RCW § 4.16.340 explains. As an abuse survivor, it’s important that you start exploring your rights and options promptly so our sexual abuse attorneys can:
- File your case within the applicable deadline
- Thoroughly study your case and determine the right legal strategy to hold the abuser accountable
- Find and preserve the evidence we need to build up your case file
Let Our Lawyers Handle Your Sex Abuse Case on Your Behalf
At Jackman Law Firm, we work tirelessly for our clients. If you’ve been harmed by a clergy member, let us stand up for you and bring a lawsuit on your behalf. You deserve someone truly worthy of trust fighting for you – let us work for justice in your case.
Reach out to us today and learn more about how our Washington clergy sex abuse lawyers can help.
Call or text 206-558-5555 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
