Victims of sexual assault have the right to request criminal investigations into the people who harmed them. They also have the right to request civil representation.
A Seattle sexual assault lawyer can help survivors like you demand financial support from an abuser, compensating for the cost of any services you need to retake control of your life and restore your health.
Our Seattle personal injury lawyers have over 55 years of combined experience. Since 2001, we’ve helped thousands of clients secure over $100 million in damages. When you meet with our team, it’s not a consultation, it’s a conversation. We want to help you get the answers and justice you deserve.
You can book your sexual assault consultation with Premier Law Group today.
How to Define Sexual Assault
The phrase “sexual assault” encompasses a wide range of behaviors, all of which see one or more parties touch another without the recipient’s consent. Some examples of criminal sexual assault include:
- Nonconsensual penetration of someone’s mouth, anus, or vagina
- Nonconsensual touching of skin, clothing, or other materials in a sexual manner
- Nonconsensual verbal abuse, including catcalling or verbal descriptions of nonconsensual sexual acts
If you think you may have been sexually assaulted, call 911. You have the right to report the person who assaulted you and have them face criminal charges.
Why File a Sexual Assault Claim in Civil Court?
If the state can take legal action against someone accused of sexual assault, why should you work with a Seattle sexual assault lawyer to file a civil claim?
Criminal cases can see the person you accuse face considerable fines, jail time, and social consequences for their misconduct. However, you don’t receive any personal support from this process, even if the courts convict the defendant. If you need help paying for medical care, a civil claim allows you to demand damages based on your losses.
When Can You File a Civil Sexual Assault Claim?
If you want to file a civil claim accusing someone of assault, you need to bring forward enough evidence to prove to Washington’s civil courts that you endured nonconsensual contact.
The burden of proof you need to meet in the civil system isn’t as high as it is in criminal court, but you can still ask a Seattle sexual assault attorney to help you find enough data to make your claim. You also need to pre-estimate the value of the losses you sustained due to someone else’s behavior.
As long as you compile all of this information in a court-approved format and file your claim before your statute of limitations expires, you should have the right to demand that a liable party meet you in civil court. While you can negotiate for the settlement you deserve, you may feel more comfortable letting your case go to trial.
When Should You Contact a Seattle Sexual Assault Lawyer?
Washington’s personal injury statute of limitations controls the amount of time you have to file a claim against the person who sexually assaulted you. According to Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2), you have three years to finalize your paperwork.
We recommend you get in touch with an experienced sexual assault attorney in Seattle well before the third anniversary of your assault comes around. The faster you can secure legal representation, the easier it will be to keep some distance between you and the party who assaulted you.
You can also more easily access time-sensitive data, like biological evidence and witness statements, if you begin working with an attorney sooner rather than later. Fortunately, your case consultation with Premier Law Group comes free of charge, and it does not lock you into any kind of legal action.
For a FREE legal consultation with a sexual assault lawyer serving Seattle, call (206) 285-1743
GET A FREE CASE EVALUATION
What Compensation Can You Ask for When Filing a Sexual Assault Claim?
When you outline the value of your sexual assault claim, you need to account for the value of all of the losses you sustained. These can include:
- Your emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced quality of life
- Essential medical treatments
- Injury care and long-term treatment
- Lost wages or sources of income
- Property damage and restoration, as necessary
Do You Have to Negotiate With the Person Who Assaulted You?
You are under no obligation to meet with your abuser to discuss your right to a settlement. You can ask an attorney to stand between you and your abuser throughout the course of your case. While filing a personal injury claim gives you the right to negotiate for support, you can waive that right and take your case to trial.
You can discuss how you’d like to approach your case and what distance you want between yourself and an abuser after you schedule your free sexual assault case consultation.
Let’s Hold Abusers Accountable for Your Recovery
No abuser should hold sway over how you live your life. You deserve the opportunity to pursue justice. You specifically deserve the opportunity to pursue justice as safely as possible.
That’s why our team recommends that you collaborate with a sexual assault attorney in Seattle, WA, to hold an abuser accountable for your recent assault.
Premier Law Group creates space between you and an abuser while fighting for your right to loss-based compensation. We will take pains to keep you safe while making it clear to a civil judge and other parties that a liable party:
- Actively put you in harm’s way, violating the duty of care they owed you
- Caused you economic and physical harm
Do you have questions about how our sexual assault services work? Are you ready to pursue a case? If so, you can book your sexual assault case consultation with Premier Law Group right now.
Jason at premier law group is truly an outstanding individual. Our particular case was not something that their firm usually sees but they were more than willing to help us and give us all of the information they had available. I can't recommend them enough.