Clifton Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Sexual abuse and assault are devastating crimes that are known to leave lasting impacts on the survivors, their loved ones, and even their community. From physical injuries to emotional and psychological scars, sexual abuse affects people in almost every way. 

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we’ve committed ourselves to protecting the rights of survivors and bringing their abusers to justice. Our experienced legal team grasps the unique challenges that these cases present and is prepared to offer compassionate yet thorough legal representation to those sexually abused or assaulted in Clifton, New Jersey. 

Why Choose Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers

When it comes to sexual abuse and assault cases, the right attorney and legal team will make all the difference. You want a lawyer who has experience handling cases like yours and the compassion and empathy to help guide you through this trying time. 

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, our attorneys have a proven track record of settling sexual abuse cases and achieving maximum compensation for abuse victims. Through our comprehensive investigative process, we’ve been able to help survivors receive compensation for lost wages and bring perpetrators to justice. 

Our approach to these cases combines empathy with aggressive advocacy. We understand what you’ve been through and will fight tirelessly to help protect your rights, in or out of the courtroom. 

Understanding Sexual Abuse and Assault

Sometimes, people may not realize that what they’ve experienced is sexual abuse or assault. Any unwanted sexual act or behavior is considered a sex crime. Sexual abuse often involves ongoing or multiple incidents, while sexual assault typically refers to a single incident, usually involving force.

Regardless of what happens, sexual abuse and assault are never the victim’s fault. These crimes can range anywhere from unwanted sexual comments to making someone have sexual relations forcibly. Understanding the types of acts that constitute sexual abuse or assault is crucial in recognizing what happened to you and knowing how to proceed legally.

The key component that defines a sex crime is the absence of consent and the presence of a power imbalance. Consent must be continuously given, enthusiastic, and free from coercion or manipulation. It’s crucial to understand that consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Common Forms of Sexual Abuse

There are a lot of different ways that sexual abuse and assault can happen, and these are some of the most common forms: 

• Child Sexual Abuse: Any sexual activity or behavior between an adult and a minor (someone under 18 years old). It can range from anything like sexual exploitation online, rape, and other non-touching sexual behavior.
• Statutory Rape: Legally, those of a certain age and with certain mental defects cannot legally consent. Even if the minor says “yes,” their age legally makes them incapable, and if the older person acts on that, that constitutes a sex crime. 
• Rape and Sexual Assault: Non-consensual penetration, regardless of the amount of force used or the part of the body involved. 
• Incest: Sexual acts or conduct between members of the same bloodline, typically happening between an adult relative and a child to whom they have access. 
• Sexual Harassment: Unwanted sexual advances, including verbal and physical conduct that’s sexual in nature. 
• Voyeurism: Watching someone engage in sexual acts or undress without their knowledge and consent. 
• Exhibitionism: Exposing oneself in public or online to others without their consent. 
• Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault: Using drugs or alcohol to facilitate sexual acts when the person would not have otherwise given consent or is unable to give consent legally.

Most sexual abuse and assault happens with someone the survivor knows. Just because someone is your friend, family member, or significant other doesn’t mean consent should be assumed.  

Institutions Where Sexual Abuse Is Most Likely to Occur

Sexual abuse and assault can happen anywhere and at any time. Whether you’ve been abused at your church or home or assaulted in the workplace, we have the experience to handle sexual abuse cases in a variety of institutions, including:

• Workplace: Sexual harassment is common in the workplace, and we can help hold your employer and whoever is harming you responsible.
• Inpatient Treatment Facilities: Unfortunately, this vulnerable population is often subjected to sexual abuse and assault. If you or a loved one has been harmed while in an inpatient treatment facility, we’ll help protect your rights. 
• Prisons and Correctional Facilities: Just because someone’s in prison doesn’t mean they should have to deal with sexual abuse and assault. We’ll help hold the other inmates or correctional officers responsible for their actions. 
• Foster Care: While most people get into foster care to help, there are still incidents of sexual abuse and assault. 
• Daycare Facilities: Children should be protected everywhere. Sadly, sometimes, daycare workers or staff abuse these young ones. 
• Educational Institutions: From elementary schools to college campuses, there are often reports of sexual assault. We’ll take your case and ensure your and other students’ safety. 
• Religious Institutions: Clergy sexual abuse should never happen, but more and more cases are coming to light. 
• Nursing Homes: Older adults are vulnerable, and nursing homes see employees and other residents assaulting people sometimes. We have experience with these cases and can help.
• Sports Clubs: Athletes of all ages are vulnerable to abuse from their coaches, team doctors, and even other teammates. 
• Military Institutions: Even though the military tends to handle cases within the military court, we’re not afraid to help you fight your case of sexual abuse or assault while you are serving our country. 
• Hotels and Short-Term Rentals: Transient environments like these are popular for perpetrators to find victims. We’ll help hold them and the hotel or short-term rental owners responsible for what happened to you. 
• Shelters: Shelters should be safe places for people to stay, but sexual abuse and assault can still happen in them. We can take your case and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Steps to Take If You Are a Victim of Sexual Assault

If you’ve experienced sexual assault, take these steps to ensure your well-being and safety: 

• Get Yourself Somewhere Safe: If you can, get yourself anywhere that you feel safe. If you can’t do that on your own, let the 911 operator know when you call for help. 
• Visit the Hospital: Even if your injuries aren’t visible, go to the hospital to be checked out. This paper trail will help when your lawyers start to build a case. 
• Request a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam: While you’re at the hospital, request this exam, also known as a rape kit, to preserve any DNA evidence that can be used to convict your abuser. 
• Preserve Any Evidence: If possible, avoid showering or washing any clothing you wore when the incident happened. This detail can be valuable evidence to help your case. 
• Document Everything: Write down everything you can remember leading up to and during the assault. This information will be helpful for the police and your legal team. 
• Report the Assault: If you’re ready, report the assault or abuse to the Clifton Police Department. You can also report the incident to local and national sexual assault hotlines. 
• Seek Support: During this time, rely on those you can trust. Whether it’s friends or family, their support will be helpful. You can also access support resources in Clifton, such as the Passaic County Domestic and Sexual Violence Center (PCDSVC). 
• Contact a Sexual Assault Lawyer: Hire a sexual assault lawyer that you can trust to handle your case and bring your abuser to justice. 

Compensation for Sexual Abuse Victims

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we understand that no amount of money can erase what happened to you. While that’s true, compensation for you can help you rebuild your life as you progress on your healing journey. It’s also a beneficial way to hold your abuser responsible. The types of compensation we can secure for survivors include: 

• Medical Expenses: To cover hospital visits and any ongoing treatments you need. 
• Counseling Expenses: You’ll likely need therapy to help process and heal afterward, and we can secure compensation dedicated to that. 
• Lost Wages: Compensation for any lost wages because you had to take time off work for physical injuries or emotional trauma. 
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: You can receive compensation for how the abuse has affected your ability to enjoy your life and daily activities. 
• Pain and Suffering: Legal damages for physical pain and emotional harm. 
• Punitive Damages: When extreme negligence occurs, additional damages can be awarded to help punish the perpetrator and the institution liable. 

Regarding getting compensation for your case, we’ll do everything we can to get you the maximum amount based on your case’s specifics. Several factors play into what your settlement can be: 

• Degree of negligence by any institutions involved 
• Severity and duration of the sexual abuse 
• Impact on the survivor’s life 
• Strength of the evidence 

Liability in Sexual Abuse Cases

Liability in sexual assault and abuse cases isn’t always only on the perpetrator(s). In many cases, we can also hold the institutions involved responsible for the following reasons: 

• Negligent Retention: Failing to remove the employee from payroll when there’s suspected or confirmed sexual abuse or assault. 
• Negligent Hiring: Failing to run a proper background check on employees or ignoring any red flags in the employee’s history. 
• Inadequate Supervision: Not monitoring employees or volunteers enough, especially when vulnerable populations like children and the elderly are present. 
• Failure to Report: Not reporting or ignoring known or suspected sexual assault or abuse cases to appropriate agencies. 
• Creating an Environment Conducive to Abuse:  Institutions may be liable if they allow environments where abuse can occur. For example, if an institution has policies prohibiting unsupervised interactions between adults and children but fails to enforce them, they may be complicit in enabling the abuse. 

In Clifton and the rest of New Jersey, there are several legal principles that we can use to help prove institutional liability: 

• Title IX: A federal law that applies to educational institutions and requires they take action to prevent and address sexual abuse and assault. 
• Vicarious Liability: Institutions can be held liable for the actions of their employees or agents. 
• Charitable Immunity: New Jersey has a charitable immunity principle that doesn’t protect these organizations from liability in the event of wilful misconduct or negligence. 

How to Prove a Sexual Abuse Case

Proving that the sexual abuse or assault happened is vital to ensuring that the perpetrator and institution are held liable for their crimes. We can help prove liability in sexual abuse and assault cases by: 

• Gathering evidence of the sexual abuse or assault 
• Establishing negligence and intentional misconduct 
• Demonstrating the harm the incident caused
• Providing expert testimony validating the abuse 
• Linking the abuse to the damages presented 
• Thoroughly investigating the sexual assault or abuse claim to build a strong case

How Our Clifton Sexual Abuse Lawyers Can Help

When you choose to work with Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers for your Clifton sexual abuse case, we’ll be there for you every step of the way. We can help survivors by: 

• Free and Confidential Consultations: We provide a safe place for you to share your story and evaluate your legal options. 
• Thorough Investigations: Our legal team will investigate and build your case. 
• Building a Strong Case: We’ll focus on building the strongest case to ensure your abuser is brought to justice. 
• Providing Resources: We can help connect you with survivor resources in Clifton and the surrounding areas. 
• Handling All Communications: You won’t have to worry about speaking with your abuser or their counsel. 
• Pursuing the Maximum Compensation: Whether we negotiate or go to court, we’ll request the maximum compensation based on your case.
• Negotiations: We’ll handle negotiations for your settlement with opposing counsel. 
• Fighting in Court: If we can’t settle your case out of court, we’ll fight for you in the courtroom. 

The Time Limits for Filing a Claim in Clifton, NJ

Survivors of sexual abuse, whether it occurred during childhood or adulthood, have the right to pursue legal action against both individual perpetrators and negligent institutions. 

For those abused as children, they can now file a lawsuit up until their 55th birthday or within seven years from the discovery of damages, whichever comes later. Adult survivors of sexual assault also have a seven-year window from the time of the offense or from the discovery of harm to file a lawsuit. 

Hiring a lawyer is crucial for survivors of sexual abuse, particularly when navigating the specific provisions that may apply to your case. We can ensure that your claim is filed within the appropriate time limits and that all necessary evidence is gathered to strengthen your case. 

Contact a Clifton Sexual Abuse Lawyer Today!

Book a free, confidential consultation by calling 888-424-5757 or completing our online form.