Philadelphia Sexual Abuse

LAWYER

Sexual abuse is a traumatic experience that can take years to recover from. Anyone can be a victim of sexual abuse. As a survivor, you understandably want to hold your abuser accountable and get justice. However, you don’t have to rely on the criminal justice system alone to achieve these objectives.

A Philadelphia sexual abuse lawyer from TopDog Law can seek justice for you by filing a civil lawsuit against your abuser to recover damages for you. We will handle your legal case so you can take the time you require to heal.

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Steps to Take if Someone Sexually Abuses You

Those who have been sexually abused often suffer from shock, confusion, and even guilt despite not being at fault. However, in the wake of sexual abuse, taking the following steps can be helpful, not only to any criminal proceeding but also to your civil lawsuit.

  • Seek medical treatment: The most important action to take after suffering sexual abuse is to seek medical treatment. Sexual abuse can cause minor to severe injuries. Your doctor can document your injuries and treatment, which will help build your case. 
  • Contact law enforcement: Reporting the sexual abuse to law enforcement further documents your case and shows a jury that you sought police assistance as soon as possible. Police can also gather evidence, arrest your abuser, and offer protection.
  • Consult an attorney: Consulting a lawyer with experience representing sexual abuse victims is the next step if you intend to file a lawsuit for compensation. We can provide you with options to hold your abuser accountable and help you navigate the legal process. We will also provide you with regular updates on the status of your case.

You are not alone. Medical, law enforcement, legal, and counseling professionals are ready to offer you their support. We are one of them, and we are on your side. 

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TopDog Law Works on a Contingency Fee Basis

You might have concerns about what a lawyer from TopDog Law would cost to represent you. This is understandable, but there’s no need to worry because we work on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay us unless we win your case and you receive compensation. A lawyer from our firm will explain how payment works in more detail and put you at ease.

There are no upfront costs since we cover the expense for experts to testify on your behalf. In addition, we offer free consultations to evaluate your case and answer your questions.

Some individuals and institutions believe that they are untouchable because they have the money to hire a team of lawyers to handle every aspect of their defense. Everyone should have access to competent legal representation regardless of their financial status. You have the right to file a lawsuit against your abuser and hold them accountable. 

Hiring a Philadelphia Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Help You Get Justice

A positive aspect of obtaining the services of a sexual abuse lawyer from TopDog Law is that you do not have to fight back against your abuser alone. A lawyer from our firm will guide you through the legal process step by step and advocate for your best interests. 

We understand that you may be feeling powerless to confront your abuser. Our firm is committed to making your voice heard and supporting your journey to find your courage and regain the power your abuser took from you.

When you hire a lawyer who cares about fighting for the underdog, you get a lawyer who will:

  • Investigate the abuse: Holding your abuser accountable, whether an individual, institution, or organization, means we must investigate the incident or incidents of sexual abuse that are causing you physical and emotional pain. We want to discover the facts to build a solid case to present in court.
  • Gather evidence: Building a strong case involves collecting evidence to support you. The more evidence we can gather to support your claim, the better. The evidence we will gather includes DNA, video footage, clothing you wore, photographs, police reports, medical records, witness statements, and expert opinions. 
  • Calculate your claim: To seek compensation, it would help to know how much compensation you require, which is why we will calculate the value of your claim. We will send a demand letter for the amount and evaluate any settlement offers to determine if they are fair.
  • Protect your confidentiality: You may wish to be anonymous, which is your right as a survivor of sexual abuse. You can be confident that we will protect your identity and maintain your safety throughout your case and beyond. 
  • Stand up for your rights: We will help you understand your rights as a survivor of sexual abuse and defend them. No one can take these rights away from you, and we will provide you with options to hold your abuser accountable.
  • Minimize interaction with your abuser: We understand that facing your abuser will be difficult for you, even traumatizing. This is why we will minimize your interaction with your abuser as much as possible. We will handle most communication, stand with you at every hearing, and prepare you to testify.
  • Represent you in court: If necessary, we will file a lawsuit and represent you at trial in pursuit of the compensation you deserve. We prepare every case to present to a jury, and we are not afraid to face your abuser and hold them accountable no matter how powerful, wealthy, or connected they may be.

We believe everyone should have access to legal representation, especially victims of sexual abuse. We know what it’s like to feel unheard. We know what it’s like to feel powerless and hopeless. This is why we represent sexual abuse survivors like you. We empathize with our clients and show them compassion, dignity, and respect.

A Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Recover Damages for You in Philadelphia

In the wake of surviving sexual abuse, you may feel hopeless that you will ever see justice, especially if the criminal justice system is moving slowly to charge and prosecute your abuser.

But there is another path to justice that you can consider: filing a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for your injuries and covering your financial losses. It takes courage to fight back against your abuser, especially since you understand that you will likely have to face them in court. 

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We empathize with sexual abuse victims and want to help victims like you recover compensation and get justice. But what does justice look like in a civil lawsuit? Holding your abuser accountable means making your voice heard and securing a compensation package that covers the following:

  • Medical expenses: Sexual abuse can cause injuries such as bruising, cuts, scrapes, and genital trauma, among others that require medical attention. Compensation can cover your medical expenses, including hospitalization, laboratory work, diagnostic tests, emergency care, doctor appointments, surgery, transportation, and future medical costs you incur due to the abuse.
  • Lost income and benefits: You may be temporarily or even permanently unable to work because of your injuries, entitling you to compensation that covers your lost income and benefits, as well as future earnings you would have made had you been able to work.
  • Physical therapy and counseling: You may not only suffer from physical injuries that could require physical therapy as part of your recovery but also emotional and mental scarring that requires counseling services.
  • Cost of relocation: You may understandably fear for your safety if your abuser knows where you live. Compensation can cover the cost of relocation so you can feel safer and more secure.
  • Pain and suffering: Daily pain from your injuries, along with emotional distress, mental anguish, disfigurement, disability, loss of enjoyment, and psychological trauma, are all losses that compensation also covers. 

In addition, the court may further punish your abuser by ordering them to pay punitive damages for what they did to you. Compensation will not change what happened to you, but it can help you regain a sense of normalcy so you can begin to rebuild and move forward with your life. This is what justice looks like when TopDog Law files a civil lawsuit on your behalf.

Sexual Abuse According to Pennsylvania Law

Sexual abuse includes sexual assault, indecent assault, rape, and statutory assault by an individual, a group, an organization, or an institution, according to Pennsylvania law.  

State law also provides a grading scale to determine the seriousness of the offense ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony. A felony carries a more severe sentence than a misdemeanor. However, the burden of proof is higher in a criminal proceeding than in a civil lawsuit.

Here are some of the different categories of sexual abuse:

  • Sexual assault: Sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with a complainant (the victim) without their consent.  
  • Indecent assault: Sexual abuse in which the perpetrator forces the victim to come into contact with bodily fluids such as urine, semen, or feces to affect arousal. Unconsciousness, intoxication, and mental impairment of the victim, as well as the victim being underage, can result in a higher grade for the offense.
  • Rape: Forcing a victim to engage in sexual activity such as penetration of the anus and genitals without consent, often using violence or threats. 
  • Statutory assault: Sexual abuse of an underage victim, even if the victim consents to sexual activities. The age of consent in Pennsylvania is 16.
  • Sex trafficking: A form of human trafficking that involves forcing victims into sexual slavery.
  • Exhibitionism: Exposing genitals or other private body parts to the victim without consent.
  • Masturbation: Self-gratification of oneself in front of a victim without their consent.
  • Explicit phone calls and texts: Sending someone photographs of genitalia or other private parts, or making sexually explicit phone calls and sending sexually explicit text messages without their consent.

Institutions that can be held liable for sexual abuse or a cover-up of sexual abuse include:

  • Churches and religious organizations
  • Public and private schools and colleges
  • Hospitals and nursing homes
  • Juvenile facilities and foster homes
  • Child care services
  • Hotels
  • You can even be a victim of sexual abuse in your workplace.

It’s not uncommon for victims of sexual abuse to blame themselves. It may take time and years of counseling, but you are not to blame. You’re not only a victim. You’re also a survivor. Only your abuser is to blame for the sexual abuse, and they should be held accountable.

If you or someone you love are the victims of any of the above offenses, a sexual abuse lawyer from our firm is ready to fight for you. 

TopDog Law Works on a Contingency Fee Basis

You might have concerns about what a lawyer from TopDog Law would cost to represent you. This is understandable, but there’s no need to worry because we work on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay us unless we win your case and you receive compensation. A lawyer from our firm will explain how payment works in more detail and put you at ease.

There are no upfront costs since we cover the expense for experts to testify on your behalf. In addition, we offer free consultations to evaluate your case and answer your questions.

Some individuals and institutions believe that they are untouchable because they have the money to hire a team of lawyers to handle every aspect of their defense. Everyone should have access to competent legal representation regardless of their financial status. You have the right to file a lawsuit against your abuser and hold them accountable.

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Your Philadelphia Sexual Abuse Lawyer Will Meet the Statute of Limitations

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You may understandably require time to recover and decide what you want to do next. Consulting with a sexual abuse attorney from our firm can assist you by laying out your options and helping you choose a path forward.

However, you only have two years to file a lawsuit against your abuser. That’s when the statute of limitations runs out, and you will lose your right to seek compensation through the legal process.

We will work to meet the statute of limitations in your case so you retain your right to hold your abuser accountable in court.

Consult With a Philadelphia Sexual Abuse Lawyer Today

Coming forward to hold your abuser accountable is a big step. We admire your courage, and we want to talk to you about your case. Our law firm will devote the time and resources it takes to build a strong case for compensation.

TopDog Law supports and represents sexual abuse survivors like you. Schedule a free consultation with a Philadelphia sexual abuse lawyer today. Call TopDog Law at (844) 456-9275, and let us help you get the justice you deserve.

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