San Jose Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Sexual abuse is a traumatic and life-altering experience that leaves deep emotional, physical, and psychological scars. Survivors often carry the weight of this trauma for years, if not a lifetime.

If you or a loved one has endured sexual abuse in San Jose, it’s important to know that help is available. Wilshire Law Firm’s San Jose sexual abuse lawyers are dedicated to standing up for survivors like you, fighting aggressively to seek the justice and compensation you deserve. We understand the immense courage it takes to come forward, and we are here to support you with compassion, confidentiality, and relentless advocacy.

At Wilshire Law Firm, we believe in the power of justice to heal. While no legal action can undo the harm, pursuing a civil lawsuit against your abuser and any negligent institutions involved can help you reclaim control of your life.

Our powerhouse legal team, recognized for excellence and driven by a commitment to justice, will be by your side every step of the way. Win With Wilshire and take the first step toward recovery.

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Why Take Legal Action?

Taking legal action against a sex offender is about seeking the compensation you deserve for your deep losses – resources that can help you recover. It’s also about broader justice and societal change that can prevent future harm.

Survivors who take legal action against their abusers and any negligent parties involved send a powerful message that these crimes will not go unanswered. Here are a few key reasons why pursuing legal action is essential:

• Recovering compensation: Survivors have the right to seek financial recovery for the hardships they’ve endured, including medical treatment, therapy, lost wages, and emotional distress.
• Holding the responsible parties accountable: Sexual abuse lawsuits hold not only the abuser accountable but also any negligent organizations or individuals that enabled the abuse, helping to prevent similar situations from happening again.
• Restoring control and dignity: By pursuing legal action, survivors can reclaim their voice and their sense of power.

At Wilshire Law Firm, our mission is to secure your maximum compensation so you can move forward with strength, confidence, and dignity.

Understanding Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse involves unwanted sexual activity, coercion, or exploitation, often by someone in a position of trust or authority. It is a deeply traumatizing form of abuse that can scar anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background.

Sexual abuse takes many forms, from rape, assault, trafficking, and other physical acts, to non-physical aggressions such as manipulation or online exploitation. Victims of sexual abuse often suffer long-term or lifelong emotional and psychological trauma that may affect every aspect of their lives.

Forms of Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse manifests in different ways, including but not limited to:

• Unwanted physical contact: Any form of non-consensual sexual touching, such as groping or fondling.
• Sexual assault or rape: Forcing someone into sexual acts, including intercourse, without their consent.
• Exploitation: Taking advantage of vulnerable individuals, like minors or those with disabilities, for sexual purposes.
• Voyeurism: Secretly watching someone in a private setting or forcing someone to witness sexual acts.
• Online sexual abuse: Grooming or pressuring someone into sexual behavior or conversations via digital platforms.

The Prevalence of Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is, tragically, more common than many people realize. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC):

• One in four girls and one in six boys experience sexual abuse before the age of 18.
• Approximately one in five women and one in 71 men in the United States will experience rape in their lifetime.
• Over 60% of sexual assaults are never reported to law enforcement, often due to fear, shame, or a lack of trust in the system.

These statistics underscore the widespread nature of sexual abuse and the profound impact it has on individuals and society. Survivors often carry the trauma with them for years, affecting their mental health, relationships, and overall well-being.

Wilshire Law Firm’s devotion to our clients and our ability to secure major settlements and verdicts are a couple of reasons why Best Lawyers Magazine has named us “Best Law Firm” for five consecutive years in row.

Read about our nationally recoginzed efforts in combatting child sexual abuse, which has seen a troubling increase in recent years.

Wilshire Law Firm founder Bobby Saadian, Esq. explained our firm’s approach to taking on disheartening child sexual abuse cases to Best Lawyers Magazine.

“We demand compensation from the perpetrator and anyone else who participated by not keeping that child safe,” Saadian said.

Common Types of Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse takes many forms, and survivors can experience it in different settings and circumstances. Understanding the various types of sexual abuse is essential to recognizing its prevalence and taking steps toward justice.

Drug-Facilitated Sexual Abuse

This type of abuse occurs when someone is incapacitated through the use of drugs or alcohol, impairing their ability to consent to sexual activity. In some cases, substances such as “date rape” drugs are administered without the victim’s knowledge, leading to situations where they are unable to defend themselves. It’s a serious and often underreported crime that leaves survivors feeling vulnerable and powerless.

Abuse by Authority Figures

Individuals in positions of authority—whether doctors, teachers, clergy, or coaches—sometimes exploit their power to manipulate and abuse others. Survivors in these situations may feel particularly powerless to come forward, fearing repercussions or being met with doubt or disbelief.

Sexual abuse by persons of authority is especially harmful because it violates the trust survivors place in authority figures, whether in schools, religious institutions, medical facilities, or other settings.

Wilshire Law Firm recently settled a sexual abuse lawsuit against a California school district for $3 million after three weeks of trial. Our firm took the school district to trial after its legal team made a top settlement offer of just $25,000.

Unwanted Touching or Sexual Contact

Sexual abuse also includes any non-consensual touching or physical contact that is sexual in nature. This might involve groping, fondling, or any other form of contact that violates the survivor’s autonomy. Survivors often feel trapped in situations where they are subjected to this kind of abuse, especially if it happens in environments like the workplace or within close relationships.

Online Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse online is rampant in this era of instant digital communication. Predators can use social media or other digital platforms to condition, coerce, or exploit individuals, including minors, into inappropriate sexual conversations or actions. Online sexual abuse can be just as harmful as physical abuse, leading to emotional trauma and long-term psychological effects.

Sexual abuse can happen anywhere—schools, workplaces, medical facilities, or even within the family unit. At Wilshire Law Firm, our San Jose sexual abuse lawyers are well-versed in handling cases that involve various forms of abuse, and we’re dedicated to holding perpetrators accountable, no matter where the abuse occurred.

Emotional and Psychological Impacts of Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse leaves survivors with deep emotional wounds that can affect their mental health and personal relationships for years, if not a lifetime. While the physical consequences of abuse are often visible, the psychological and emotional damage is sometimes harder to detect but just as severe.

Survivors of sexual abuse frequently experience a range of emotional and mental health challenges, including:

• Depression and anxiety: Many survivors develop chronic feelings of sadness, worthlessness, or fear as a result of the trauma they’ve experienced.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Survivors often relive the abuse through flashbacks, nightmares, or triggers that remind them of the traumatic event. PTSD can lead to isolation, avoidance of certain places or people, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
• Shame and guilt: Abusers often manipulate survivors into feeling responsible for the abuse, leading to feelings of guilt or self-blame. This misplaced guilt can prevent survivors from coming forward or seeking help.
• Difficulty trusting others: Sexual abuse shatters trust, especially when the abuser is someone in a position of power or authority. Survivors may struggle to form healthy relationships or trust others in their personal and professional lives.

These emotional and psychological impacts can have a long-lasting effect on a survivor’s ability to feel safe, confident, and in control of their life. Healing from sexual abuse takes time and requires the support of family, friends, therapists, and legal advocates.

Civil vs. Criminal Cases: Understanding Your Legal Options

When seeking justice for sexual abuse, survivors have two primary legal pathways: criminal cases and civil lawsuits. Each serves a different purpose, and understanding these distinctions can help you make an informed decision about how to proceed.

Criminal Cases

A criminal case is initiated when sexual abuse is reported to law enforcement. In these cases, the state prosecutes the perpetrator, aiming to convict and punish them for their crime. If found guilty, the abuser may face jail time, fines, probation, or registration as a sex offender. The primary goal of a criminal case is to hold the perpetrator accountable for breaking the law and to protect the public from future harm.

While criminal cases are an important aspect of justice, they do not provide compensation to the survivor.

Civil Lawsuits

A civil lawsuit, on the other hand, is filed by the survivor with the goal of seeking financial compensation for the harm they’ve suffered. Compensation the sexual abuse victim may seek includes medical expenses, therapy costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other related damages.

A civil case can be pursued even if no criminal charges are filed or if the perpetrator is acquitted in a criminal court.

Civil cases allow survivors to sue not only the perpetrator but also any negligent parties, such as employers, institutions, or organizations, for enabling or failing to prevent the abuse. In this way, civil lawsuits not only provide survivors with a path to compensation but also help expose systemic failures that may have contributed to the abuse.

Wilshire Law Firm’s San Jose, sexual abuse attorneys, use the full power of our billion-dollar team to secure the maximum compensation available for our clients. We approach each case with relentless dedication, ensuring survivors have the resources they need to rebuild their lives.

Compensation for Survivors Through Civil Lawsuits

Survivors of sexual abuse have the right to seek compensation for the profound impact the abuse has had on their lives. Civil lawsuits can provide financial relief, allowing survivors to address the physical, emotional, and financial toll the abuse has caused. While no amount of money can erase the trauma, financial compensation can help survivors access the resources they need to heal and rebuild.

Here are some types of compensation available through a civil lawsuit:

• Medical expenses: Survivors can seek reimbursement for medical bills related to the abuse, including emergency care, surgeries, and ongoing treatments.
• Therapy and counseling costs: Sexual abuse often leads to long-term psychological and emotional trauma, and survivors can claim compensation for the costs of therapy, counseling, and mental health support.
• Lost wages and loss of earning capacity: If the survivor was unable to work due to the abuse or its aftermath, they can recover lost wages and seek compensation for any future loss of earning potential.
• Pain and suffering: Emotional and psychological trauma is a significant part of sexual abuse cases. Survivors can claim compensation for the anxiety, depression, PTSD, and emotional distress they’ve experienced.
• Punitive damages: In cases where the abuse was particularly egregious or the perpetrator acted with gross negligence, courts may award punitive damages. These are meant to punish the offender and deter similar behavior in the future.

The legal team at Wilshire Law Firm has a track record of winning substantial settlements and verdicts for survivors of sexual abuse. We understand the complexities of these cases and are committed to fighting aggressively on behalf of our clients to ensure they receive the maximum compensation available.

By pursuing a civil lawsuit, survivors not only secure the financial resources they need but also contribute to the fight for justice, helping to prevent future abuse by holding perpetrators and negligent institutions accountable.

Statute of Limitations in California

When it comes to filing a sexual abuse lawsuit, time is of the essence. Survivors must adhere to California’s statute of limitations, which sets specific deadlines for taking legal action.

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse now have more time to pursue justice thanks to Assembly Bill 218 (AB 218). This law extends the statute of limitations, allowing survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file a civil lawsuit until the age of 40 or within five years of discovering the abuse and its impact.

Additionally, AB 218 created a three-year “lookback window” that allows survivors whose claims were previously time-barred to file lawsuits regardless of when the abuse occurred. This window, however, is not permanent, so be sure to check with an experienced San Jose sexual abuse attorney to make sure your case is eligible.

For adult survivors, the statute of limitations generally allows ten years from the date of the abuse to file a civil lawsuit or three years from the discovery of the harm caused by the abuse, whichever comes later.

Every case is different, so be sure to consult with a dedicated San Jose sexual abuse attorney at Wilshire Law Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys will help you understand the legal limits that apply to your case. Don’t let time run out—contact us today to preserve your right to seek justice.

Contact Wilshire Law Firm for a Confidential Consultation

We know that taking the first step toward legal action may seem daunting. Sexual abuse is a sensitive issue, so it’s one we meet with compassion, respect, and confidentiality.

We offer a free, no-obligation consultation in a comfortable environment where you can discuss your case with one of our San Jose personal injury attorneys. You don’t have to face this journey alone—our team will stand by you every step of the way, offering the aggressive representation you need and the genuine caring support you deserve.

We understand the sensitive nature of sexual abuse cases and are committed to protecting your privacy throughout the entire legal process. We are here to listen and help you make a decision that works for you.

Call Wilshire Law Firm today at (408) 560-4642 or for a confidential consultation—together, we will fight for your rights and help you take the next step toward healing and justice.

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Wilshire Law Firm – San Jose Office

4340 Stevens Creek Blvd UNIT 287
San Jose, CA 95129

Ph: (408) 560-4642