Sexual abuse is never acceptable, no matter how it happens or who it targets, but it can sometimes be hard even for close friends and family members of abuse victims to notice anything is wrong. Unfortunately, this is an especially big problem when older people are subjected to sexual abuse since many of them have cognitive disadvantages that make it hard for them to report their abuse and may even make people doubt that what they are reporting is true.
If you or someone you love has been sexually abused in a nursing home, by an in-home caregiver, or under any other circumstances, support is available from a Reading elder sexual abuse lawyer. Your compassionate sexual abuse attorney will listen to what you say, provide custom-tailored guidance about your legal options, and work tirelessly to ensure that any civil litigation you pursue has the best possible resolution for you.
The standard statute of limitations applies to adult victims of sexual abuse, meaning most people generally have two years after initially sustaining an injury to file suit against the person or people at fault.
However, the standard statute of limitations may be extended for elderly abuse victims who are dealing with severe cognitive decline. As a Reading elder sexual abuse attorney can further explain, the two-year filing period can be paused if a prospective plaintiff is unable to represent themselves in court due to mental deficiency, which may be particularly relevant to cases involving sexual abuse of elderly nursing home residents.
In elder sexual abuse cases and sexual abuse claims in general, the person who directly abused or assaulted the plaintiff is not the only person who could hold civil liability for the plaintiff’s injuries. For example, in the scenario mentioned above where a cognitively disabled nursing home resident is being abused, civil fault may lie with the individual staff member abusing that resident and the facility administrators and owners who failed to properly supervise their employees and address credible reports of sexual misconduct.
Acting against multiple people can be key to maximizing financial recovery for the immense harm mistreatment of this nature can cause. An elder sexual abuse lawyer in Reading can help demand compensation for economic damages like medical expenses and non-economic harm like physical pain, psychological trauma, and a decline in quality of life.
No one wants to imagine the possibility that an elderly family member might be subjected to sexual abuse. While this kind of scenario is rare, it unfortunately happens, and if it affects someone close to you, it may fall to you to take legal action on their behalf.
A Reading elder sexual abuse lawyer can provide the support you need through the legal process to recover fair compensation for you and your loved ones. Call today to learn more.
