Indiana Sex Abuse Attorneys
Video Transcript | Greg Laker: My name is Greg Laker. I’m a lawyer and a partner at the firm of CohenMalad, LLP. I am the chair of our firm’s personal injury practice group.
Why do sexual assault victims wait before they call an attorney? Because sexual assault is one of the hardest, most deeply humiliating, painful things that have ever happened in their life. If they could, they would choose just to take that memory, lock it away in the back of their mind, and not deal with it.
Many of our clients experience problems like lost jobs, failed relationships, problems with drugs and alcohol. Only after years of having problem after problem do they put two and two together and realize that the reason for those problems, the reason that their life has turned to shambles, is because of that sexual trauma that occurred years earlier.
By the time that they call a lawyer, unfortunately, many times, the statute of limitations may have expired. Many lawyers in Indiana are unaware that there is a different statute of limitations for sexual assault cases than there are, for example, in a car crash case.
The statute of limitations in a sexual assault case is typically as little as two years for adults. If the assault was perpetrated on a minor, the victim usually has up to seven years after their 18th birthday. However, there are many exceptions and limitations to this rule. Even if you were a minor at the time, don’t rely on having a seven‑year period of time. This is a very complex and difficult area of law. We strongly advise you to contact or firm or another lawyer that is also experienced in sexual assault cases, so you may have a clear understanding of the statute that applies to your specific case — even if you do not intend to pursue a lawsuit at that time.
We have also learned that many of our clients delayed calling a lawyer because they did their own Internet research and they concluded themselves that their statute of limitations had already expired. Do not be caught in that trap.
The simple truth is this. We’ve looked at Internet research and it isn’t always right. You need a lawyer that understands the complexities of the statute of limitations, how it applies to multiple states. Do not try to do this yourself. Hire a professional and allow us to investigate your claim.
At CohenMalad, LLP, there would be no charge to you to call us or to even set an appointment to allow us to do that investigation to see if, perhaps, a claim can still be brought.
