Category: Blog

You may have grown up in the Catholic Church, or you turned to the church for guidance and peace as a young adult. Sadly, you were taken advantage of and sexually abused by a clergy member. Now, you’re traumatized, dealing with the aftermath, and wondering where to turn.

When you’re struggling to deal with clergy sex abuse, it’s important to know how other NYC victims are fighting back. Knowing what to expect from your claim and what you can do about your abuse claim can help you fight back and get not just closure, but also justice for your suffering. 

New York’s Child Victims Act

The first concern you may have about your sex abuse claim is the time limits and restrictions on your claim. Until recently, child victims of sexual abuse had few legal options and a short time period to file a lawsuit. 

Now, the New York Child Victims Act gives you more options than before to file your lawsuit. Now, you can file a claim until you turn fifty-five years old. If you’re over fifty-five, you may still be able to file a claim during the one-year window after the act’s passing, which gives you and your sexual abuse lawyer more time to act.

Criminal Charges and Civil Claims

You’ll also need to consider whether you can press charges and the effect on your claim. For example, if you’ve discovered your child was sexually abused by a clergy member, you may be planning to press charges against the responsible party. You can do so until the abused party turns twenty-eight years old.

However, you won’t get compensation through a criminal case. This trial is meant to punish the wrongdoer and get justice for you, but you’ll need to pursue compensation through a civil lawsuit. Fortunately, you can do both. Once the criminal trial is complete, you and your sex abuse attorney can pursue compensation, and you can even use that evidence for your claim. 

Compensation for Clergy Sex Abuse 

When you’re sexually abused by a clergy member, you may be eligible for compensation that covers your expenses and suffering that resulted from the abuse. These losses, also called damages, may be economic and non-economic in nature. That means both your financial and emotional losses should be considered. 

Your non-economic damages can be more difficult to calculate, however. You may need a lawyer’s help to get the resources you need for your claim. They’ll be able to calculate your claim’s worth based on the severity of your suffering and the impact the abuse has had on your future and overall well-being. 

Talk to Your NYC Clergy Sex Abuse Lawyer for Guidance

Many New Yorkers have suffered through clergy sex abuse. It’s a painful, traumatic experience, and fighting back as a NYC victim can be tough. Fortunately, you have options to recover compensation for your losses. 

Your lawyers at Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP can guide you through your claim. Although we can’t prevent past abuse from happening, we can help you seek the maximum compensation available for your claim and a better future for you. 

Ready to fight back with a New York City clergy sex abuse lawyer? Give us a call for a free claim consultation by calling 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) or by completing the online contact form below. 

Many children have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of once-trusted adults—whether that’s a family member, a person in the clergy, or a teacher. If you were a child who was victimized by an adult in your life, you may not have gotten the justice, closure, and compensation you deserve. 

New York has passed new laws to help children who were sexually abused, but what is the New York Child Victims Act? Below are just a few ways this act has made it easier for child victims to seek restitution from their abusers.

Criminal Time Limits

Criminal cases must be filed within a short time frame, and that time frame made it difficult for many abusers to be penalized for their actions. Now, it’s easier for you to seek justice for your losses. 

Now, you have more time to press charges against your abuser. Your time limits now start at twenty-three years old, rather than when you turn eighteen. That means that, if someone committed felony child sex abuse against you, you have time to file until you’re twenty-eight. 

You Have More Time to Sue

Many people may have missed the window for a criminal trial, but they may still hold their abuser accountable for their actions. Now, you’ll be able to sue until you are fifty-five years old. That gives you more time to prepare a civil lawsuit, which your New York child sexual abuse lawyer can help with. 

Even if some time has passed since your abuse, reach out to an attorney for the help you need. Your lawyer can help you understand your time limits, and they can help you act within those times. 

Notice of Claim Requirements 

In past cases, many people were delayed or unable to file a lawsuit because of the notice of claim requirements. These requirements stated that you had to notify certain groups that you were planning to file a lawsuit against them. 

These notices prevented many people from suing at all. Now, you don’t have to worry about those requirements. The New York Child Victims Act removes the notice of claim requirements, which means you can focus right away on your lawsuit. 

Talk to Your NYC Lawyer about the New York Child Victims Act

If you suffered child sexual abuse, your New York abuse claim may be easier to file than ever. The New York Child Victims Act can help you seek the compensation you need for your financial losses and your emotional and mental suffering. 

However, that doesn’t mean your claim will be easy. Instead, you may struggle to understand the laws that could affect your claim. Worse, the responsible party may fight back, trying to keep you from the compensation you’re owed. 

Your attorney from Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP can help with this, starting with a free consultation. During your free consult, we can discuss your claim and the options you have to file a lawsuit. To get started, give us a call at 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) or fill out the following online contact form. 

When you take your children to the doctor, you expect them to get the best care possible. Their pediatrician should have their best interests in mind. Sadly, many children have suffered because of Dr. Reginald Archibald of Rockefeller University Hospital. 

The hospital has since come forward with a statement admitting to Archibald’s abuse, and now, it’s easier to seek compensation and closure for your suffering. However, it can be tough to do without legal experience.

If you suffered because of Dr. Archibald’s predatory actions, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. Your sexual abuse attorney can help you seek justice for your losses. 

Responsibility for Abuse Claims on Dr. Archibald 

Dr. Reginald Archibald died in 2007, which left many victims of child sexual abuse concerned about their ability to seek restitution. Dr. Archibald is no longer able to stand trial, leaving many people feeling that they had no grounds to sue. 

However, responsibility for your suffering may not fall solely on the doctor. Instead of giving up on your claim, talk to your New York sex abuse lawyer about suing the hospital in which you were abused as a child.

The hospital staff turned a blind eye to his actions, ignoring the abuse you suffered. Although hospital leadership has since released a statement and investigation into Archibald’s crimes, the hospital can be held liable.

Compensation for Child Sexual Abuse Victims

If you’ve been injured by Reginald Archibald, you may be due compensation for the suffering you were put through by your pediatrician. However, because of your age at the time and the nature of the claim, you might not think you’re due many funds. Worse, you might think your time is up, and you won’t be able to sue.

New York’s Child Victims Act makes it easier for you to seek compensation for your suffering. You can sue until you’re fifty-five. Even if you’re over fifty-five, you still have a one-year time limit to file your claim, regardless of your age.

That’s where a NYC child sexual abuse attorney can be crucial. The hospital should be held responsible for your suffering, and new laws make keeping them accountable easier than before. If you believe you may be due compensation for your losses, talk to a sex abuse lawyer about getting justice for the suffering you’ve experienced. 

Talk to a Child Sexual Abuse Lawyer in New York City

If your life was impacted by the actions of Dr. Reginald Archibald, you may now be eligible for compensation that covers the financial and emotional suffering you’ve experienced as a result. Although Dr. Archibald has since died, you may still be eligible for compensation due to his actions. 

If you’re not sure where to start with a lawsuit, reach out for a lawyer at Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP. Sex abuse victims of Dr. Archibald can now seek justice, and we’re here to help you do that. When you’re ready to get started, reach out for a free consultation by calling 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) or by completing the online form below. 

In New York, many people have recently come forward to fight for legal changes to the way sex abuse is handled in civil lawsuits. If you were abused by a priest or other clergy member, you may now be eligible to take action. 

Many people who suffered through sex abuse by the New York clergy are now asking, “Can I sue?” As laws change over time, answers to questions like these aren’t always straightforward. Fortunately, the right attorney can help you file a claim and seek out compensation for sexual abuse.

Changes to New York Sex Abuse Law

If you’ve been abused by a priest in New York, you may have new opportunities to file a claim and seek compensation for your suffering. Recently, lawmakers passed the New York’s Child Victims Act, which gives abuse victims renewed opportunities to file claims. 

Originally, filing a claim required filing a notice of claim with the responsible party, which has barred many people from filing a lawsuit in the past. This notice of claim requirement has been completely eliminated. 

Victims of child sexual abuse also had a short time limit to file their claims. Now, though, victims under fifty-five are able to file their claims, and for one year following the act’s passing, those over fifty-five are also able to file lawsuits against their abusers. 

Proving Your Claim

Many people, especially those whose suffering happened decades ago, may be concerned about proving that they were abused by a priest. You may worry that your claim won’t be heard if you don’t have physical evidence of your abuse. 

However, there are other ways to prove your claim in a sexual abuse case. In these cases, your testimony will be a key part of the case. It may also help your claim if there was a criminal trial, or if other victims of your abuser have come forward to share similar stories.

Keep in mind, too, that civil lawsuits don’t require the same burden of proof that criminal trials have. Although a criminal case requires proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, a civil lawsuit requires you to prove that they more likely than not committed the sexual abuse. Your New York clergy abuse lawyer can help you build your claim and prove that. 

Contact a Lawyer on Suing for Sex Abuse

If you’ve suffered sexual abuse by a member of the New York clergy, you may have grounds to sue them for your suffering. Unfortunately, that isn’t easy. Not only are you dealing with the emotional trauma of your experience, but you’re also facing new laws, which can be confusing and difficult to follow. 

At Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP, we understand that a child sexual abuse claim can be a difficult, complicated claim. Although these new laws can help you, it’s not easy to face your claim on your own. Our attorneys from our firm can offer you a free consultation, so we can talk about your options for compensation before you file a claim. Get started by calling 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) or by filling out the online form below.