Middletown Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Anyone can be affected by sexual violence; in most instances, the violence is performed by someone the victim knows and trusts. Sexual abuse may occur when the victim is sleeping, running an errand, working, attending school, or doing any other activity. Most sexual abuse cases typically occur near or at a victim’s house. Here are places where sexual abuse injuries usually happen, according to the Bureau of justice statistics:

• 8% on school property
• 10% in an enclosed public area like a garage or parking lot
• 12% near or at a relative’s home
• 15% in an open public space
• 55% near or at the victim’s home

Simply put, any person or entity responsible for sexual abuse can be held responsible for the victim’s abuse. Of course, the perpetrator of the abuse can be sued for that person’s intentional act of committing the abuse. In those cases, trouble often arises in whether that perpetrator can pay monetary damages for any judgment a victim receives. In other words, sometimes if the person who is responsible for the abuse has no insurance, assets, or money, then getting a judgment against that person does not mean the victim will actually ever receive a dime!

Experienced sexual abuse attorneys will also investigate to determine whether any other person or entity may be responsible for the victim’s injuries. Although an employer, for example, is not responsible for the intentional acts of his employee, if they knew or should have known that their employee may sexually abuse or hurt a person with whom the employee encounters during the course of employment, then that employer may be held responsible, too.

Oftentimes, employers have insurance, assets, and money to cover a money judgment. Therefore, the law allows a victim of sexual assault to sue the employer, too, if there are grounds to believe that the employer is also responsible.