East Lansing Sexual Abuse Lawyer

One of the worst offenses an individual can experience is sexual abuse. Taking on many forms, sexual abuse can leave the victim vulnerable to physical and emotional trauma that may take years or even decades to heal from. However, with the help of an East Lansing sexual abuse lawyer, you can take action to hold the responsible party liable for their horrible actions. 

At White Law PLLC, we have over 60 years of combined legal experience, and we make sure our clients are our highest priority. If you have suffered from this heinous crime, your East Lansing personal injury lawyer will fight relentlessly for your right to compensation from your abuser. Rebuild your confidence by taking the first step towards a brighter future, and call our office for a free and confidential consultation. 

Sexual Abuse Can Take Many Forms

Throughout Michigan and the rest of the United States, sexual abuse is considered by many to be one of the worst forms of assault an individual can endure. It can happen in nearly any setting or location, at any time, and be perpetrated by any type of offender. Under MCL-328-1931-LXXVI, the Michigan Legislature uses the term criminal sexual contact and codifies sexual abuse under several felony statutes, including:

• Criminal sexual contact in the first degree under §750.520b
• Criminal sexual contact in the second degree under §750.520c
• Criminal sexual contact in the third degree under §750.520d

While these are criminal statutes, your case would be a civil personal injury case seeking compensation for the damages you have suffered. Consulting with a sexual abuse lawyer in East Lansing, you would be able to describe the details of your case to see how we can help. You can be confident that regardless of the circumstances, we are here to fight for you and will treat you with respect, dignity, and compassion. 

The Differences Between Criminal and Civil Cases

Although the perpetrator of the crime against you may be charged criminally by the police and district attorney’s office, we can help you pursue compensation for the suffering you have endured. Whatever the outcome of the criminal charges, we may still be able to pursue a civil case against the offender. Even if the offender has been tried and exonerated or convicted, there may still be opportunities to hold them accountable for their actions. 

While criminal cases rely on guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, personal injury cases are held to a different standard. For sexual abuse personal injury cases, this standard is known as proving liability based on a preponderance of the evidence. This is outlined in the Michigan Rules of Evidence.

To understand this more clearly, when prosecutors try a criminal case, they must prove the facts beyond any reasonable doubt. In civil cases, a preponderance of the evidence means that the defendant more than likely was responsible for the negligence that resulted in the assault. To prove this, your sexual abuse lawyer in East Lansing can use your testimony and clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is more than likely at fault for your injuries and damages. 

The Civil Claims Procedure for Sexual Abuse Cases

Although significantly more traumatic than other personal injury cases, your sexual abuse claim will be subject to the same standards of negligence. Your sexual abuse attorney in East Lansing will need to prove the four elements of negligence. These elements include:

• Duty of care
• Breach of duty
• Causation
• Damages

While these elements will apply in virtually all personal injury cases, in the cases of sexual abuse, gross negligence may apply. As outlined in Michigan’s courts’ M Crim JI 16.18, gross negligence means the defendant willfully caused the damages incurred by you, the plaintiff. When it comes to sexual abuse, the offender did not cause harm out of carelessness but willfully intended to commit the harm you have endured. 

Damages and Other Statutes that Apply in Sexual Abuse Cases

Similarly to other personal injury cases, such as a truck accident, there are two main types of damages that you may pursue compensation for. These include economic and non-economic damages. To understand the differences, here is a short description of each type. 

Economic Damages

These are damages that have fixed financial values and are fairly easy to calculate. Your medical bills for physical injuries you received during the abuse or the costs to seek help from a mental health professional can be calculated by the financial costs to you. These will be totaled up and provide the basis for how we can value your claim. 

Non-Economic Damages 

Damages that you have suffered that do not have fixed financial values are considered non-economic damages. Some examples can include your pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and fears of certain people or places that remind you of the crime against you. For example, if you needed the help of an East Lansing clergy sexual abuse lawyer because you were assaulted by a priest, you may now have a fear of churches in general, which would qualify as non-economic damage. 

Statute of Limitations

Unlike other personal injury cases where the statute of limitations is only three years from the date of the accident, sexual abuse cases are different. Under MCL §600.5805, survivors of sexual abuse have up to 10 years to file legal action against their abuser. Your highly skilled and dedicated East Lansing sexual abuse lawyer can advise you of this difference as well as any other differences between your situation and more common personal injury cases. 

White Law PLLC Has the Compassion and Experience to Help You Find Justice

With our experience representing the victims of the highly publicized case against former Olympic trainer Larry Nassar, we have recovered over a billion dollars of compensation. From our case results, you can be confident we know how to treat our clients with the dignity and respect you deserve. Begin to put this awful experience behind you by retaining a top-rated East Lansing sexual abuse lawyer to represent your best interests. 

We pride ourselves on making our clients our highest priority. You can start to take back control and rebuild your life for a brighter future. Contact our law office today to schedule a risk-free, no-cost consultation and rest easier knowing we will do everything in our power to recover the compensation you deserve for what you have been through.