Filing a Personal Injury Claim Against a Sexual Abuser in Illinois
When someone experiences sexual abuse, life as they knew it is irrevocably changed forever. The statistics of sexual abuse in the United States are straight-up horrifying. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women will have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime, while 24.8 percent of men will have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Sexual abuse and its debilitating aftereffects can take on many forms. Sufferers may experience physical, mental, emotional, and psychological anguish related to their abuse.
What can sufferers do to help ensure their abusers are held responsible for the pain and suffering they have caused? Fortunately, those who have experienced sexual abuse have legal options at their disposal so that the individual who sexually abused them can be held responsible for the actions. This blog will discuss how those who have experienced sexual abuse may pursue a personal injury claim against their abuser. If you have suffered from sexual abuse, consider contacting an experienced sexual abuse injury lawyer who can ensure your rights remain protected and respected while working towards holding your abuser accountable for their heinous actions.
Holding the Responsible Party Accountable
It is essential to specify that personal injury cases are a form of civil law. In the context of filing a personal injury claim against someone who sexually abused you, since the situation is a part of civil law and not criminal law, the burden of proof is different than in a criminal case. In civil law, the burden of proof is a preponderance of the evidence, a lower standard than in criminal law, where the burden of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition, in Illinois, the statute of limitations with personal injury claims is two years, meaning you will have two years from the incident to pursue compensation against the at-fault party.
Recovering Damages Against the Abuser
Like in other personal injury claims, you are essentially seeking damages against the person who sexually abused you since you were injured due to their negligent, reckless actions. While it is true that no amount of money can take away the pain and trauma caused by the sexual abuse you endured, financial compensation can help put you in a better position to move on with your life. Compensation may be sought after for:
- Medical costs, past, and future
- Lost wages from lost work
- Disability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
Contact a Kane County Sexual Abuse Injury Attorney
If you have experienced sexual abuse and are interested in seeking compensation against your abuser, contact the highly astute Aurora, IL, sexual abuse injury lawyers at Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur P.C.. Call 630-907-0909 for a free and confidential consultation.
Source:
https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics
