Carrollton Sexual Abuse Lawyers

Dedicated Carrollton Sexual Abuse Attorneys Ready To Serve You

An attorney handling a sexual abuse case in Carrollton.

Sexual abuse is a major problem in the United States, with an estimated one in five women experiencing an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. Unfortunately, these incidents do not result in criminal prosecutions nearly as often as they occur. According to a 2018 report, just a quarter of all rapes and sexual assaults were reported to police in 2018. However, survivors of sexual abuse do not need to rely on the criminal justice system; they can also pursue a sexual abuse lawsuit of their own. At the Hartley Law Firm, our compassionate Carrollton sexual abuse attorneys work closely with survivors, helping them pursue justice for what they’ve been through.

Types of Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is rampant in today’s society and affects individuals of all backgrounds. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), only about 19.5% of all sexual assaults are carried out by complete strangers. In the rest of the cases, the survivor of sexual assault knew the perpetrator. Some of the most common types of sexual abuse include the following:

Workplace sex abuse,
Nursing home sexual abuse,
Daycare and child sex abuse,
Sex abuse committed by friends or acquaintances,
Date rape, and
Sex abuse committed by medical professionals.

Just as the situations in which sex abuse occurs vary, so do the effects on survivors. At the Hartley Law Firm, we strongly believe that victims of sexual assault deserve compensation for what they have been put through.

The Effects of Sexual Abuse Are Severe and Long-Lasting

Suffering through an act of sexual violence can have a profound effect on your ability to live your life the way you intended. Indeed, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, the estimated lifetime cost a rape survivor faces exceeds $120,000. After an attack, it is common for survivors to experience both physical and psychological injuries which can remain with them for years. Some of the most common injuries a sexual assault victim may experience include:

Anxiety,
Depression,
Employment difficulties,
Flashbacks,
Lack of trust in authority figures,
Loss of faith,
Nightmares,
Panic attacks,
Poor academic performance,
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
Sexual dysfunction,
Substance abuse,
Suicidal thoughts, and
Trust and intimacy issues.

While, in many cases, the physical injuries heal within months, the emotional damages caused by sex abuse can linger for a lifetime. Survivors of sexual violence may be able to obtain financial damages from the person responsible for the attack by filing a sexual assault lawsuit.

Damages Available Through a Carrollton Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Victims of sexual abuse can pursue a civil sexual assault lawsuit against the perpetrator who caused their injuries. These lawsuits are distinct from criminal investigations and prosecutions, which aim to punish a perpetrator for breaking the law. Instead, a sexual assault lawsuit aims to compensate survivors for what they have been through. If a survivor is successful in bringing a case against a perpetrator, they may recover compensation for their economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are those intended to compensate a survivor for the out-of-pocket costs they incurred as a result of the attack. While every case is unique, economic damages often include payment for the following:

Past and future medical expenses,
Lost wages due to an inability to work, and
Decrease in earning capacity.

Non-economic damages provide survivors with compensation to account for the emotional and psychological injuries they endured. For example, courts commonly award the following non-economic damages in a sexual abuse lawsuit:

Pain and suffering,
Mental anguish, and
Emotional distress.

While these damages are available, survivors must prove them. At the Hartley Law Firm, our Carrollton sexual abuse lawyers have significant experience telling our client’s stories in a compassionate and respectful way that highlights what they’ve been through.

Schedule a Free and Confidential Consultation with a Carrollton Sexual Abuse Attorney Today

If you or a loved one suffered through an act of sexual violence, you deserve justice. At the Hartley Law Firm, we are here to help in any way we can. Carrollton sexual abuse lawyer Austin Hartley is a Texas native who does everything possible to ensure his clients are fairly compensated for the physical and emotional injuries they’ve suffered. He is both an experienced negotiator as well as a seasoned litigator, meaning he can handle a case at any stage in the process with confidence.

Our experienced legal team also handles other types of injury cases, including:

To learn more about the Carrollton sexual abuse lawyers of Harley Law Firm and to schedule a free consultation, you can reach out to us through our online contact form. We represent clients in Carrollton and throughout the Dallas metropolitan area.