You have been through something no one should ever have experienced, and right now, you may be looking for answers or simply a place to start.
Your sexual abuse lawyer in Los Angeles at Ryan Law Group is here to help you feel heard, protected, and informed at every step $100 million recovered for clients, your Los Angeles personal injury lawyer is ready to listen and help you explore your legal options when you feel ready to reach out.
Types of Sexual Abuse We Handle
Sexual abuse does not always look the same. It can be verbal, digital, physical, or even institutional, and each type can cause serious harm. Our team is here to help you understand how California recognizes these forms of abuse and how we can support your claim.
Non-Physical Forms of Abuse (Verbal, Visual, Covert)
Some forms of sexual abuse do not involve physical contact. Verbal abuse may include sexually explicit comments, name-calling, threats, or repeated unwanted advances. Visual abuse can involve flashing, exhibitionism, or sharing sexual images without consent. In many cases, this behavior takes place at work, school, or in digital spaces where survivors may feel unsafe or unable to report what happened.
Covert abuse includes actions like voyeurism, cyberstalking, or recording someone without their knowledge for sexual gratification. These experiences are often dismissed or minimized, but the impact is very real. Whether someone used their words, images, or technology to violate your boundaries, our team takes these cases seriously and will help you hold them accountable.
Physical and Institutional Sexual Abuse
Physical sexual abuse includes any unwanted contact such as touching, fondling, forced oral sex, rape, or any other sexual act performed without consent. It also includes physical restraint or coercion in situations where a survivor felt unable to say no. These cases often involve an abuse of power, where the victim is pressured into silence or compliance.
Institutional abuse occurs when someone in a position of authority, such as a teacher, religious leader, coach, or caretaker, uses that power to commit sexual abuse. These cases may involve complex systems of cover-up, grooming, or intimidation. No matter how long ago it happened or who was involved, we are here to help you pursue justice and reclaim your voice.
For a Free Legal Consultation With a Sexual Abuse Lawyer Serving Los Angeles, Call (310) 321-4800
Understanding Sexual Abuse as a Legal Injury
Sexual abuse causes real harm, and the legal system recognizes that harm in both criminal and civil courts. Your Los Angeles sexual abuse attorney with Ryan Law Group can help you understand how the law applies to your situation and what options may be available to you.
These cases are deeply personal, and we are here to walk with you through the legal side of something no one should ever have to carry.
What Counts as Sexual Abuse Under California Law
The California Penal Code § 243.4 defines sexual abuse as any nonconsensual touching of intimate parts done for sexual arousal, gratification, or abuse, especially when the person is unlawfully restrained or unable to give consent. This includes forced touching, threats, intimidation, or abuse of authority. It does not matter whether physical violence occurred.
If your control over your body were taken from you, the law treats it as a serious offense. Coercion can come in many forms, including manipulation, power imbalance, or repeated pressure. Your Los Angeles catastrophic injury lawyer can review what happened with care and help you understand how it may qualify for both criminal prosecution and civil compensation.
Why Sexual Abuse Is Also a Personal Injury
The impact of sexual abuse can change the way you function in daily life. Some survivors experience ongoing anxiety, fear, or emotional pain that interferes with their ability to feel safe or connect with others. Others may suffer physical symptoms, relationship struggles, or difficulty maintaining employment or education. Every experience is different, and every injury deserves to be taken seriously.
Civil law allows you to seek compensation for those kinds of injuries. That can include therapy bills, loss of income, and emotional distress. You do not need physical injuries to have a valid personal injury claim. What matters is the effect this has had on your life, and our firm is here to make sure your story is respected and your case is built with care.
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How Civil Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Work in California
Civil lawsuits give survivors the chance to hold individuals, institutions, or both accountable for the harm they caused. If you have questions about what happens in a personal injury trial, your sexual abuse lawyer in Los Angeles with Ryan Law Group can walk you through the process step by step.
Who Can Be Held Accountable in a Civil Suit
California law allows survivors to file lawsuits not only against the person who caused the harm but also against organizations that enabled or ignored it. Under California Government Code § 815.2, schools, churches, youth programs, and employers may be held liable if their employees, staff, or volunteers committed abuse while acting within the scope of their duties.
These claims often involve a failure to supervise, report, or respond to known risks. When an institution allows abuse to happen or creates a system where it can continue, it may be considered legally responsible. Holding an institution accountable is never easy, but it can be one of the most powerful steps a survivor takes.
Our team at Ryan Law Group has experience handling complex cases involving public and private entities, including those with extensive resources and legal protections. We help you gather documentation, identify patterns, and pursue claims that focus on truth and repair. You deserve support from a legal team that listens and fights for justice in a way that respects your experience.
Why Civil Action Is Separate From Criminal Cases
Criminal charges focus on whether someone broke the law and what punishment the state should seek. Civil cases are about personal harm and the right to seek compensation. Even if a criminal case never moves forward, a survivor still can file a personal injury lawsuit.
Civil claims recognize the emotional, psychological, and financial impact of abuse and give survivors a chance to pursue justice on their own terms. This process does not require a conviction or even an arrest. It centers your experience and the harm you have carried.
A civil claim allows you to tell your story in court, request damages for what you endured, and start the process of rebuilding in a legal system that acknowledges your pain. Your Los Angeles sexual abuse lawyer will guide you through each step so you never feel lost or alone in the process.
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Who Can Be Held Accountable in a Civil Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
When abuse happens, it is often connected to a larger system that allows it to continue. A civil lawsuit gives you the opportunity to hold those institutions legally responsible.
Your Los Angeles sexual abuse attorney and our entire legal team at Ryan Law Group help survivors build strong claims that show how individuals and organizations may have contributed to the harm.
Liability Beyond the Abuser
Survivors can also bring claims against public and private entities when someone acting within their duties causes harm. This includes churches that reassigned clergy after complaints, schools that ignored reports, or businesses that failed to investigate misconduct. These claims focus on how policies, leadership decisions, or inaction created a setting where abuse was able to occur.
When an organization knew or should have known about the abuse, it may share legal responsibility. We work to uncover patterns, identify documentation, and build a case that shows how an institution failed to act. Each case is different, and we take time to review every detail carefully and respectfully.
How Civil Claims Help Survivors Reclaim Power
Filing a civil lawsuit allows you to explain what happened and how it has affected your life. Unlike criminal cases, civil claims focus on the survivor’s experience and the harm caused. This process can include emotional, physical, and financial losses that deserve recognition.
You may be able to seek compensation for therapy, medical expenses, missed work, or other effects of the abuse. The civil court system provides a space where your story is central and legal responsibility can be assigned. Our team is here to support you throughout the process and help you pursue the outcome that feels right for you.
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Your Rights Under California Law
California law gives survivors of sexual abuse several legal options to seek justice. Understanding the timeline and possible outcomes can help you decide how and when to move forward. Whether you are ready to file your lawsuit or just want to know how the process works, we are here to guide you with respect, empathy, and dignity.
How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?
The deadline to file a civil sexual abuse claim depends on your age at the time of the abuse and when you became aware of its impact. Survivors who were under 18 when the abuse occurred generally have until their 40th birthday or five years from the date they discovered the abuse to file a claim, as outlined in California Code of Civil Procedure § 340.1.
Adult survivors usually have ten years from the date of the last act or three years from the date they discovered the connection between the abuse and their injury per California Code of Civil Procedure § 340.16. These timelines are important, and we help survivors file on time while protecting their privacy and dignity.
Missing a deadline can mean losing the ability to file altogether, which is why it is important to understand what timeline applies to your situation. Factors like repressed memory, delayed disclosure, or recent emotional clarity can affect when the clock starts.
What Compensation May Be Available to You
Civil compensation often includes coverage for therapy, lost income, medical treatment, and pain and suffering in personal injury lawsuits. While outcomes vary, many survivors also want to understand the average personal injury settlement in LA and how courts calculate damages based on trauma, impact, and liability.
Some settlements focus on direct costs like medical bills, while others account for future care, emotional harm, and the loss of daily functioning. In certain cases, survivors may also be eligible for punitive damages, which are meant to penalize severe misconduct and prevent future harm.
These are awarded under California Civil Code § 3294 and are generally reserved for cases involving intentional abuse or institutional negligence. Every case is different, and the value is shaped by your specific injuries and how the abuse affected your life. We walk through these details carefully to help you understand what justice could look like for you.
Common Defenses in Civil Abuse Cases
It is natural to wonder what could stand in the way of a successful case. In many civil lawsuits, defendants may argue that the statute of limitations has passed, that the abuse did not happen, or that the accused person or institution was not legally responsible. These are some of the most common defenses against personal injury claims.
We build strong cases by focusing on what the evidence shows, how institutions responded, and what legal responsibility looks like in the context of abuse. Defendants may also attempt to discredit the survivor or argue that there was no duty of care owed. These arguments can feel personal, but they are legal strategies that we prepare for in advance.
Our work includes anticipating defenses, gathering records, and showing how harm occurred even in the absence of a criminal conviction. Civil cases focus on accountability and impact, and we help survivors stay centered in that process.
Speak With Your Sexual Abuse Attorney in Los Angeles Today
You deserve a safe space to share what happened and ask your questions at your own pace. Your Los Angeles sexual abuse lawyer from Ryan Law Group offers no-cost consultations and a trauma-informed process built on respect and confidentiality. To learn more or talk with someone you can trust, contact us when you feel ready.
Call or Text (310) 321-4800, or Complete a Free Case Evaluation Form
