Coming forward about childhood sexual abuse takes courage, whether it happened last year or decades ago. If it happened to you or to your child in Thurston County, Washington law gives you a path to hold both the abuser and any institution that enabled the abuse financially accountable.
A Thurston County child sexual abuse lawyer at Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer can help you understand your rights and exercise them to the fullest extent of the law. Call today for a free consultation. We take these cases on contingency, so there’s nothing to pay upfront and no fee unless we win.
Why You Should Choose Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Case
Sexual abuse claims in Thurston County aren’t a side practice area for our firm; it’s a core part of what we do. Over the years, our attorneys have built a track record of taking on schools, churches, youth organizations, and other institutions that looked the other way while children in their care were being hurt.
A few things set our Thurston County, WA, firm apart:
- We’ve secured more than $1 billion in results for clients, a portion of which came from institutional abuse cases specifically.
- Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers have both recognized members of our legal team for their work.
- We bring in outside medical and psychological experts who can explain, in terms a judge or jury understands, exactly how abuse shapes a survivor’s life long after it ends.
- Every case is handled on contingency, meaning you never pay us out of pocket, and we only get paid if you do.
- We’ve spent decades specifically litigating sexual abuse claims, not general personal injury cases that occasionally touch on abuse.
If you’re ready to talk, reach out for a free, confidential consultation with a Thurston County child sexual abuse attorney.
How An Attorney Helps Handle a Child Sexual Abuse Case in Thurston County
Most survivors have the same two questions: is it too late, and can I really do this? The answers become clearer when you work with attorneys who have done this work before.
Once you decide to move forward, your attorney takes on the parts of the process that would otherwise fall on you:
- Investigating what happened, including how, where, and under whose supervision.
- Determining which institutions, if any, may share legal responsibility alongside the person who abused you.
- Tracking down internal records, personnel files, and prior complaints that an institution has little incentive to hand over on its own.
- Looking for a pattern, since a single failure to act on a warning sign often turns out to be one of several.
- Bringing in medical and psychological professionals to document the abuse’s lasting impact.
- Dealing directly with defense attorneys and insurance companies, so you’re not negotiating your own trauma.
- Carrying the case through to resolution, whether that’s a settlement or a trial.
Contact an experienced attorney for help initiating legal action today.
What Are the Rights of Child Sexual Abuse Survivors in Washington?
Washington law treats the criminal and civil systems as separate routes to accountability. You don’t need police involvement, an active investigation, or a conviction to file a civil claim. Likewise, a prosecutor declining to pursue criminal charges doesn’t close the door on your right to sue.
The civil system exists so survivors can seek accountability on their own terms, whether or not the criminal justice system ever gets involved. State lawmakers have also recently rewritten the rules around how long survivors have to come forward, which expands your rights to pursue justice and financial compensation.
Where Does Child Sexual Abuse Happen, and Who’s Liable?
Abuse happens wherever adults are given unsupervised access to children. In most of those settings, an institution is supposed to be standing guard. When that institution ignores red flags or complaints about potential abuse, it opens itself up to liability alongside the individual abuser.
Settings where this kind of institutional failure comes up again and again include:
- Public and private K-12 schools
- Churches, parishes, and other religious institutions
- Youth sports leagues and athletic programs
- Daycares and childcare facilities
- Overnight and day camps
- Foster care placements and agencies
- Therapy practices and healthcare settings
- Scouting and other community youth groups
- Universities and colleges
Naming the right institutional defendant is often what makes a case about more than one person’s wrongdoing. It also unlocks additional compensation to account for your damages and emotional losses.
What Compensation Can Survivors Recover in an Abuse Claim?
Washington law recognizes that child sexual abuse survivors experience a wide range of damages. Depending on your case, you might be entitled to economic and non-economic compensation for:
- Past and future medical bills
- Therapy and long-term mental health care
- Income you’ve lost, or will lose, because of the abuse’s effects
- Reduced ability to earn in the future
- Documented emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of the life experiences the abuse took from you
Every survivor’s losses look different, which is why we build each damages claim around your specific history and what you need to move forward.
How Long Do I Have To File a Sex Abuse Lawsuit?
Washington recently extended the time survivors have to take legal action. If the abuse happened before June 6, 2024, you generally have three years to sue, and that clock starts either when the abuse occurred or when you connected your injuries to it, whichever comes later.
If the abuse happened on or after June 6, 2024, there’s no statute of limitations at all. You can file whenever you’re ready.
You should still contact an attorney as soon as possible for help with your claim, even if the statute of limitations may give you more time.
Contact an Experienced Thurston County Child Sexual Abuse Lawyer for Help
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse deserve legal representation from attorneys who take their claims seriously and have the resources to pursue accountability. Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer is prepared to advocate for you and your family throughout this process.
Contact our office today to schedule a free, confidential consultation and learn more about your legal options, with no upfront costs and no attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.