Being sexually abused is traumatic. Sexual abuse survivors often require years to process and overcome feelings of helplessness, anger, or shame. Additionally, the perpetrators of sexual assault often go unpunished.
Working with a Tacoma, WA, personal injury attorney to hold the abuser financially accountable through a civil lawsuit can help you move forward. Our team is dedicated to making offenders acknowledge and pay for their actions. We offer a free legal consultation and can tell you your case’s value.
Consequences of Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse can be any forcible sexual contact or sexual activity without consent. It includes rape, inappropriate touching, child molestation, sexual battery, sexual performances, or other sexual acts.
Lewd abuse often has a deeper impact on survivors than other crimes. Strangers sometimes commit sexual assault or abuse, but the perpetrator is often a trusted friend or family member.
This betrayal of trust could magnify survivors’ shame and prevent them from acknowledging the act.
Sexual abuse victims often experience substantial trauma, including:
- Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Eating disorders
- Substance abuse
- Difficulty maintaining intimate relationships
- Underperformance in school or at work
- Social isolation
- Estrangement from family members
Sexual abuse could also lead to unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and gynecological problems. These consequences are not the survivor’s fault, but society often pressures survivors to overcome the issue without acknowledging its cause.
Survivors sometimes internalize this pressure, often making the condition worse. Working with a sex abuse attorney in Tacoma, WA, to file a sexual abuse lawsuit can help a survivor shift responsibility back where it belongs: on the abuser.
For a free legal consultation with a sexual abuse lawyer serving Tacoma, call 206-558-5555
Statute of Limitations for Sexual Misconduct in Washington
After suffering assault, you have three years to bring a lawsuit against your abuser. The last abusive encounter starts the three-year clock if the abuse happens repeatedly.
Sometimes people who suffered sexual abuse as children do not remember it until many years later, or they might not connect the abuse to the problems they experienced as adults.
The Revised Code of Washington §4.16.340 acknowledges this reality and allows people who suffered sexual abuse as children additional time to pursue a lawsuit. For instance, someone who suffered abuse as a minor has three years from discovering the abuse’s injuries to bring a lawsuit seeking damages against the perpetrator.
Tacoma Sexual Abuse Lawyer Near Me 206-558-5555
Damages You Can Recover As a Tacoma, WA, Sexual Assault Survivor
After being sexually abused, you have a legal right to recover losses you’ve suffered due to sexual misconduct. We know that money cannot erase what happened, but it can help reimburse you for:
- Medical care.
- Therapy sessions or counseling.
- Reduced earning capacity.
- Pain and suffering.
As a survivor, you could also seek compensation for the emotional trauma you experienced. The mental damage sexual misconduct inflicts is often substantial; however, it’s challenging to prove and quantify.
Our Tacoma team is adept at showing how sexual assault limits a survivor’s ability to maintain meaningful relationships, feel comfortable in daily life, or thrive at work.
Can You Hold a Washington State Institution Accountable for Sexual Misconduct?
Tragically, institutions often employ people who use their authority to perpetrate sexual abuse. When the abuser is an employer, coach, teacher, group leader, camp counselor, or clergy member, the institution or organization that puts them in a position of responsibility could be liable for a survivor’s damages.
Similarly, people who experienced sexual assault in foster homes, skilled nursing facilities, and other facilities could hold the relevant licensing agencies responsible.
Click to contact our Tacoma Personal Injury Lawyers today
Why Choose Our Team for Your Tacoma, WA, Sexual Abuse Case
When you’re looking for a law firm to represent you after you’ve suffered sexual assault, you need a dedicated and caring team, and that’s us. We stand out from other personal injury law firms in Washington State because:
We Truly Care About Our Community
When you come to us after you’ve suffered sexual misconduct, our entire Washington team is ready to help. We band together to help you and get you in touch with our founding lawyer Chris Jackman as soon as possible. When you contact us, you’ll speak with our intake professional to get your case started.
In addition, if your case goes to court, our attorney of counsel can communicate the facts of your case to the judge or jury to avoid furthering your trauma. We want you to feel safe and supported when you work with us, not just like another client.
Outside of our clients, we care about our surrounding community. That’s why we annually donate a portion of our legal fees to organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Reading Partners, and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
We’ll Take on the Legal Challenges for You
Talking to insurance companies and interacting with the perpetrator or their representatives can be incredibly triggering, and we don’t want to cause any more harm. So we’ll handle negotiations and present evidence we have to prove your case.
We make sure that we have all the necessary paperwork and meet the deadlines so you have the highest chance of success. We’ll always keep you updated on your case so you’re never left wondering about the latest developments.
We Win Maximum Compensation
Our testimonials clearly show our results; we fight for the maximum compensation. We believe that you should recover all the damages you qualify for.
With our years of experience, we know how to negotiate a fair settlement to get you the justice you deserve. And in the event the insurance company doesn’t budge, we’ll take your case to court.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Call a Tacoma Sexual Abuse Attorney for Compassionate Guidance
All sexual misconduct survivors deserve a strong advocate to stand up for them and demand justice for their suffering. Our sex abuse lawyer in Tacoma, WA, at Jackman Law Firm, can help you recover the compensation you need.
Coming forward and admitting what you experienced is challenging. But we’ll be with you at every stage of the legal process. Contact us for a free initial consultation.
Call or text 206-558-5555 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
