Teacher at University Childcare Center Arrested Under Suspicion of Child Sex Abuse – UCLA Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit Lawyers

Child sex abuse is, without a doubt, one of the most horrible crimes that someone could commit. Still, this abuse is relatively common – especially in schools and childcare centers. So, what exactly is child sex abuse? Child sex abuse is an umbrella term referring to any sort of sexual contact with a child. This is because a child can never consent to sexual contact. Child sexual abuse can include the following: groping, fondling, touching (including forcing the child to touch the attacker), kissing, exposing oneself to the child, penetrating the child with an object, rape, and attempted rape, for example. Although some children may be too young to really understand that the abuse is occurring (and may also not have the words to communicate to a parent or another adult), some children that are victimized can be afraid to speak up because of threats.

Child sex abuse can lead to significant harm, including physical harm and mental/emotional harm. This can include the following:

• Sexually transmitted infections
• Injuries to genitals
• Injuries to reproductive organs
• Pregnancy
• Fractures, lacerations, scrapes, bruises, etc.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic
• Fear
• Increased risk of addiction
• Increased risk of self-harm (including suicide)

In fact, many victims of child sex abuse can experience the consequences of their abuse long into adulthood. They may suffer from a mistrust of authority, inability to form normal relationships (with family, friends, and others), and the inability to hold down a job, for example. In many cases, victims may suffer from repressed memories and may suffer some of the consequences of the abuse even if they do not remember the abuse.

Can I sue for child sex abuse suffered? Yes, you could sue for child sex abuse. Whether you are a parent of the victim or the victim (who is now an adult), you could potentially pursue a claim. In fact, in the situation explained above, victims and parents may have the right to sue UCLA. In case of child sex abuse, the establishment can be held accountable and sued because they have a duty to ensure that children remain safe while under their care.

This means that these establishment have to ensure that children under their care are not at risk of suffering harm – more specifically, at the hands of employees. During the hiring process, these establishments must subject all prospective employees to background checks. Once hired, they must ensure that they are subject to training and supervision. Of course, they must also maintain clear policies and procedures in place to ensure that employees know how to respond when suspected child abuse or neglect is occurring. For example, in the UCLA incident, it was staff that reported the suspected child abuse, leading to the university police arresting the teacher, the teacher being placed on leave, and the investigation starting.

Unfortunately, the negligence of establishments often contribute to child sex abuse. In fact, some establishments actually cover up abuse – essentially allowing it to continue to happen within their premises.

For more information about whether you could sue for child sex abuse that you suffered when you were a minor or that your child suffered, do not hestiate to contact the experts here at our law firm. Our legal team is ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to understand the legal options available to you.

Claimants pursuing child sex abuse lawsuits may be entitled to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost pay, pain and suffering, punitive damages, treble damages, and legal costs. Of course, it is the specific details of the case that determine the type of compensation awarded and, of course, case value. This may include the type of abuse suffered, the total times that the abuse occurred (the number of incidents), the harm caused by the abuse, the permanency of the harm, and more.

How much compensation can I recover? Child sex abuse claims can be high value cases. They can be worth anywhere from $250,000 to $5 million. In fact, in the past, there have been multi-million-dollar settlements (approximately $20 million) for child sex abuse class action lawsuits.

Will I be awarded treble damages? Treble damages are reserved for cases where the child sex abuse was covered up. If the case is covered up, then victims may be eligible to recover up to three times the total damages awarded. So in some cases, the total damages may actually triple.

Should I expect to be awarded punitive damages? Punitive damages are awarded as a form of punishment towards the defendant, usually awarded in the case of gross negligence.

Here at our law firm, our legal team is committed to getting our clients justice for the child sex abuse that they suffered. Our lawyers are ready to fight for your rights and help you recover the maximum settlement available for your claim. No matter whether our experts have to negotiate a settlement or take your claim to trial to reach a verdict, you can trust that we will not rest until you are fairly compensated.

UCLA is a government entity, so the statute of limitations is short. In fact, victims of sex abuse (even those who were minors at the time of their abuse) have only six months to file their claims. Depending on the initial response (or lack or response) from the university, then claimants can either have another six months or two years to file.

When there is no government entity involved, victims of child sex abuse have until the age of forty or five years from the discovery of the harm caused by the abuse to sue. In addition, it is important to note that a new law has removed the deadline to sue to any child sex abuse that occurred after January 1, 2024.

Of course, these deadlines apply to parents pursuing claims on their children’s behalf.

If you are unsure of the specific length of time that you have to file your claim, please do not hesitate to reach out to our experts as soon as possible.

Did your child suffer sexual abuse while attending a childcare facility at UCLA? If so, you could sue the university and recover compensation. We urge you to seek legal assistance as soon as possible to learn more about your rights and how you can get justice. To ensure that our expert legal team remains as accessible as possible to all, we offer free legal services. These include free consultations and free second opinions. Whether you are interested in beginning your claim or redirecting your claim after beginning it elsewhere, we can help you. Our Zero-Fee Guarantee ensures that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront costs. In addition, we work on a strict contingency structure, so our clients will not be required to pay anything if they do not win their claims.

We understand that this is a very difficult time for you and your family, and we are committed to making the legal process as simple as possible. If you are ready to speak with our lawyers, contact us today.