Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Maryland

Providing Legal Services to Victims Seeking Justice

Sexual abuse can have lasting consequences on your emotional, mental, and physical state. It has likely also affected you and your family financially since seeking treatment and taking time off work as needed is costly. You should not have to pay the price for someone else’s appalling decision to victimize you or your child. Instead of dealing with the aftermath of sexual abuse alone, consider taking legal action through a civil lawsuit.
When you come to Andreozzi + Foote for help seeking justice, you can talk to compassionate attorneys about your legal options as a survivor of sexual abuse. Our legal team will provide support to help you and your family start healing from any sex crimes you or your child suffered. Contact our law firm for a free consultation with a Maryland sexual abuse attorney who can help.

Important information for victims of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore Sexual Abuse Survivors.

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office released a shocking report outlining the sexual abuse of over 600 victims by 158 priests.

If you would like to learn more about the investigation of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the change in Maryland law, or other information abuse victims should know, please watch attorney Ben Andreozzi talk about this report.

In this video, Maryland sexual abuse attorney Ben Andreozzi answers vital questions many Maryland sexual abuse survivors may be asking themselves about the recent changes in the law.

Who can I sue under Maryland’s new law?
Is there a limit on how much compensation I can receive under the new law?
When should I come forward?

If you would like to learn more about the change in Maryland law, the investigation of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, or information abuse victims should know, please watch this video.

Contact Our Maryland Sexual Abuse Attorneys Today

If you’re the victim of sexual abuse, you know it’s one of the most traumatizing events a person could experience. The potential physical scars are only the beginning — as emotional trauma can last for decades. However, changes to Maryland law have made it simpler to hold sexual predators accountable.

How Is Sexual Abuse Defined in Maryland?

Child sexual abuse is unfortunately common, but children aren’t the only victims of sexual abuse. Adults can also be sexual abuse victims, since sexual abuse is defined as unwanted sexual contact that the offender forces on the victim. This could be by physical force, threats, or intimidation from either a stranger or someone the victim knows and trusts.
Some examples of sex abuse against children and adults include:

Unwanted fondling
Rape
Indecent exposure
Forced oral sex
Talking to a minor about sexual topics
Exposing a minor to pornography
Masturbating in front of someone without consent
Taking naked pictures of someone without consent

In general, any sexual behavior that makes the victim feel uncomfortable and powerless may be described as sexual abuse, whether or not physical touch occurred. If you believe you or a loved one are a victim of sexual abuse, contact our law firm to talk to a sexual abuse lawyer about your legal rights.

How Can You Prove Sexual Abuse?

Sexual offenses are notoriously hard to prove, since there are often no witnesses around. In addition, many abuse victims don’t immediately realize that what happened to them was wrong, so they only seek justice years after the sexual offense.

If this is the case for you or your child, it’s important not to give up on the idea of ensuring sex offenders are held accountable for their crimes. We urge you to contact sexual abuse lawyers in Maryland to discuss your legal options as a survivor of sexual assault.

When you hire our legal team to work on your civil lawsuit, we will review the details of the sexual offenses and determine how to move forward within the Maryland legal system. Our lawyers will let you know what evidence would strengthen your civil lawsuit.

Depending on the nature of the sexual offense, compelling evidence in civil cases involving sexual assault could include:

Testimony from the victim
Testimony from other victims of the accused
Testimony from anyone who witnessed the crime or its effects on the victim
Statements from expert witnesses
Medical records showing proof of a physical injury from the sexual offense
Photos or videos that support the victim’s claims
Emails, texts, or voicemails that align with the victim’s description of events
Police reports

If you don’t have evidence proving that sexual abuse occurred, don’t give up on your goal of seeking justice. Our lawyers can gather the evidence necessary to show that the person who sexually abused you or your child should be held liable.

It’s important to note that civil cases are different from criminal cases, as they have unique goals and steps within the legal system. If you didn’t pursue a criminal case against the sex offender, or if they were found not guilty, you can still seek justice through a civil case for monetary compensation.

In fact, you’re more likely to win a civil lawsuit than a criminal one because the burden of proof is lower, meaning you don’t have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the offender committed the crime. Contact us for a free case evaluation with caring attorneys in Maryland who can advise you on your next legal steps.

What Financial Compensation Can You Get from a Sexual Abuse Case?

Winning a civil court case can’t make up for the lifelong effects that victims of sexual abuse will face, but it can be a step toward closure and healing. When you’re compensated monetarily, you can rest assured that someone was held accountable for the sexual assault you endured. This is why you should consider hiring a sexual assault attorney to initiate a civil case in pursuit of damages.

Adult and child sex abuse survivors can pursue three types of damages through sex abuse lawsuits. The most common type of compensation includes economic damages, which are meant to make up for your monetary losses. If you or your child needed emergency medical treatment after a sexual assault, economic damages will pay for the medical bills. It can also pay for ongoing therapy, lost wages for any time you had to take off work, and other expenses your family has had due to a sexual assault against you or your child.

You can also seek non-economic damages to make up for non-monetary consequences of sexual abuse. These include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, mental anguish, or loss of consortium. Your Maryland sexual abuse attorney will consider the details of your case before determining which non-economic damages to pursue.

Some sexual assault victims also pursue punitive damages, which are meant to punish anyone involved with the sexual offense. If the person who committed adult or child sexual abuse against you or a loved one has valuable assets, your case could target them. However, many offenders do not have sufficient assets to be worth your time in civil court, so your lawyers might choose to bring a lawsuit against other parties involved.

For example, when medical practices, schools, or religious institutions hide sexual abuse or protect the abusers, attorneys can bring sex abuse lawsuits against them to get punitive damages for the victims.

If you’re a victim of childhood sexual abuse, unwanted sexual contact, sexual exploitation, sexual violence, or any other type of sex abuse, you deserve the chance to seek justice.

The Maryland sexual abuse attorneys at our law firm can review the details of your situation during a free case evaluation, so contact us today to learn more about your civil rights as a victim of sex abuse.

What Resources Are Available to Maryland Sexual Abuse Victims?

You don’t have to deal with the effects of sexual abuse alone. You have access to organizations and individuals dedicated to starting your path to healing and pursuing justice when you’re ready. Whether the rape or other form of sexual assault just took place or you recently realized you’re a victim of child sexual abuse, you should consider reporting the incident to the police after seeking any necessary medical treatment. Making a police report can lead to sexual assault charges and a possible prison sentence for the offender.

Of course, it’s not easy to go to the police with a sexual assault or child sexual abuse claim if you don’t have proof or if the incident took place years ago. So, it’s understandable if you don’t want to pursue criminal charges immediately. You can still get justice through a civil lawsuit when you hire a Maryland sexual abuse lawyer to handle your case, so contact us as soon as possible to learn your options.

Maryland sexual abuse victims also have access to organizations that can provide support and resources. Examples of help for victims of sexual assault or child sexual abuse include:

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
Heartly House, Inc.

You can reach out to any of these organizations today, or contact our Maryland law firm if you want caring sexual assault attorneys to help you make use of these and other resources. Call us to discuss your case today.

How Can Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Maryland Assist with Your Case?

If you or a family member are victims of sexual assault or child sexual abuse, you deserve the chance to pursue justice with the help of a skilled Maryland sexual abuse lawyer. When you contact us for a confidential consultation, you’ll meet with compassionate legal professionals who have successfully handled sex abuse lawsuits for victims of child sex abuse, rape, human trafficking, and other horrific crimes against children and adults.

If you’re ready to learn what kind of resources and financial compensation are available to you, contact Andreozzi + Foote to talk to a knowledgeable sexual abuse lawyer in Maryland. Call 866-311-8640 to schedule a free consultation with caring legal professionals who will guide you through your case as you pursue justice.