Reviewed by Mazie Slater’s specialized sexual abuse attorney [David A. Mazie – Managing Partner of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman]

If you are a survivor of sexual abuse or sexual assault, it’s time for your voice to be heard.  Institutions have been covering up sexual abuse for decades and the time has come to hold them accountable. A law passed in New Jersey in 2019 gives survivors of sexual abuse and sexual assault the opportunity to file a civil lawsuit, not only against the person who abused them, but against the institutions that allowed the abuse to happen. Now is the time to hold those who are responsible accountable for the wrongs done. Even if you are not ready to publicly pursue your abuser, our sexual abuse lawyers in New Jersey can file a lawsuit anonymously, so your name will not be known by the public.

Sexual abuse and institutional abuse cases are among the most sensitive and complex matters in civil litigation. They require attorneys who know how to build a case around decades-old evidence, take on well-funded institutions and their insurers, and, most importantly, support survivors with compassion at every step. Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman brings all of that, and a documented track record of results, to every survivor we represent. Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.

Our New Jersey sexual abuse attorneys have secured meaningful compensation for survivors of abuse and assault, including:

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Our sexual abuse and assault cases are led by Beth G. Baldinger, a partner at Mazie Slater who has been nationally recognized in the field of crime victims’ rights for over 25 years. She represents children, adult survivors, both men and women, and disabled survivors of abuse, and has taken on schools and universities, religious organizations, hospitals and medical providers, sports organizations, and foster care and residential youth programs on their behalf. She has been both locally and nationally recognized for her work on sexual assault cases, and some of her awards include:

Sexual assault refers to any non-consensual sexual contact, ranging from unwanted touching to rape. Sexual abuse typically describes sexual contact carried out by someone in a position of trust or authority over the victim, a teacher, coach, clergy member, or caregiver, for example. Both are devastating violations of a person’s autonomy, and New Jersey law allows survivors of either to pursue a civil claim for compensation, separate from, and regardless of the outcome of, any criminal case against the abuser.

It’s no longer too late. In many cases, you can still sue. A law that took effect on December 1, 2019 gave New Jersey survivors of sexual abuse or assault significantly more time to file civil lawsuits against their abusers and against the institutions that protected them. Under the law:

The law also revived certain claims that had previously expired under New Jersey’s old, much shorter filing deadlines, giving many survivors a renewed opportunity to pursue justice.

For some survivors, it can take year, even decades, to recognize the abuse for what it was and to understand the true extent of the damage it caused. New Jersey’s discovery rule accounts for this reality: our attorneys have used it to help survivors like the client in our $470,000 incest settlement above, where conscious repressed memory was invoked to toll the statute of limitations.

Because the specific deadline that applies to your case depends on your age, the date of the abuse, and when you discovered its connection to your injuries, the surest way to know where you stand is to speak with an attorney. Waiting too long can still risk losing access to witnesses and evidence, even under the extended deadlines.

Our sexual abuse attorneys also represent survivors abused by individuals connected to schools and universities, camps and youth programs, daycare centers, nursing homes and residential care facilities, foster care placements, and rideshare drivers. If there is abuse, contact our experienced New Jersey sexual abuse attorneys to discuss your legal options.

Coming forward after sexual abuse or assault is never easy, and there is no single right way to do it. The steps below can help protect your health, your evidence, and your legal options, but you should take them at whatever pace feels safe for you.

Get to Safety. If you are in immediate danger, remove yourself from the situation and, if needed, call 911.

Seek Medical Care. A medical exam can address injuries you may not immediately recognize and, where appropriate, document evidence such as through a forensic exam.

Preserve Evidence. If you are comfortable doing so, avoid washing or discarding clothing worn during the incident, and save any messages, photos, or other records connected to the abuser or the institution.

Document What You Remember. Write down names, dates, locations, and any witnesses as soon as you are able. Memories can fade, and a written record helps preserve details that may matter later.

Reporting to Law Enforcement Is Your Choice. You are not required to file a police report to bring a civil lawsuit, and a criminal case is not a prerequisite for civil compensation.

Avoid Speaking With the Institution or Its Insurer. If a school, employer, or religious organization, or their attorneys or insurance representatives, contacts you, do not give a statement or accept a settlement offer before speaking with an attorney.

Contact an Experienced New Jersey Sexual Abuse Attorney Promptly. Even with New Jersey’s extended filing deadlines, evidence and witness memories are strongest early. Our sexual abuse attorneys can advise you on the deadlines that apply to your case.

Liability in a sexual abuse case often extends well beyond the person who committed the abuse. Multiple parties may share responsibility, and identifying every potentially liable defendant is essential to maximizing a survivor’s recovery.

The individual who committed the abuse can be held civilly liable for the harm they caused, regardless of whether they are ever criminally charged or convicted.

Schools, religious organizations, hospitals, youth organizations, and employers can be held liable when they knew or should have known about an abuser’s conduct and failed to act. Common theories include negligent hiring, negligent supervision, negligent retention of an employee after warning signs emerged, and failure to report suspected abuse as required by law.

Landlords, hotels, and other property owners can be held liable under a negligent or inadequate security theory when foreseeable criminal conduct occurs on their premises because of insufficient locks, lighting, staffing, or screening.

Companies like Uber and Lyft can be held liable when they fail to conduct adequate background checks, ignore prior complaints about a driver, or fail to remove drivers with known histories of misconduct.

Our sexual abuse and assault attorneys conduct thorough investigations at the outset of every case, reviewing records, consulting with experts, and identifying every party whose negligence may have contributed to a survivor’s injury. Contact our firm to discuss who may be held accountable in your case.

Survivors of sexual abuse or assault in New Jersey may be entitled to recover compensation reflecting both the measurable financial costs of the abuse and the profound personal harm it caused.

Economic damages include quantifiable financial losses connected to the abuse, such as:

Non-economic damages compensate for losses that cannot be reduced to a dollar figure but are equally real, including:

In cases involving particularly egregious institutional conduct, such as a documented cover-up, survivors may also be entitled to seek punitive damages. Our sexual abuse attorneys can advise you on which forms of compensation may apply to your specific case.

It is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible in sexual abuse or assault cases. We understand how difficult it is to speak about the abuse, but we are here to listen, support you and believe you.  Mazie Slater offers free and confidential consultations to help you learn about your legal rights. If you or a loved one has been sexually abused or assaulted, contact a New Jersey Sexual Abuse Attorney today to learn how we can help you get the compensation that you deserve.