St. Louis Sexual Assault Lawyer

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Are you struggling with injuries after you were sexually assaulted in St. Louis, MO? You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering–even if your attacker isn’t facing criminal charges. A skilled St. Louis sexual assault lawyer can help you fight for justice.

Since 2002, our lawyers have recovered over $70 million in compensation for injured clients in Missouri and Illinois involved in slip and fall accidents, product liability claims, truck accidents, brain injuries in St. Louis, dog bite claims, and more. You can depend on us to fight for the maximum compensation available for your injuries.

Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers offers a free initial consultation to all potential clients, so contact us today at (314) 400-0000 to learn more about your legal rights and options.

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How Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your Sexual Assault Claim in St. Louis

Sexual assault is a frightening crime that can leave a victim suffering for a lifetime. It’s also a civil offense in the state of Missouri. If someone attacked you or was responsible for allowing your attack, you may have a valid claim for compensation under personal injury laws.

Money may be the last thing on your mind. However, the legal process can help you get justice and preserve your financial security. Our St. Louis personal injury lawyers will handle every aspect of your case so that you can focus on what’s most important: recovering physically and emotionally.

We’ve already recovered some of the largest verdicts in Missouri history, earning us recognition as Super Lawyers and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates. Let us help you.

When you choose Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers, our lawyers will:

Carefully evaluate the circumstances surrounding your assault
Investigate to find out whose actions played a role in allowing the assault to happen
Locate and analyze police reports, medical records, video footage, and all relevant evidence
Hire experts and specialists to assess the fair value of your personal injury claim
Negotiate with insurance companies and defense attorneys to maximize your financial award

You deserve to hold the responsible parties accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our St. Louis personal injury attorneys have more than 30 years of experience helping victims of sexual abuse fight back.

Give us a call today to schedule a free case review and learn more about how we can help you through this challenging time.

How Common is Sexual Assault in St. Louis?

Statistics show that an American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds. One out of every six women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape during her lifetime. However, only 25 out of every 1,000 perpetrators end up serving time in prison.

In St. Louis, crime data shows that there were 265 rapes per 100,000 residents in 2019. As of June 2021, there were an estimated 2,516 registered sex offenders living in St. Louis.

About 80% of all rapes and sexual assault go unreported–meaning that these figures are likely much higher.

What is My St. Louis Sexual Assault Case Worth?

After a sexual assault, you may feel that no amount of money can compensate for your harm. However, a personal injury case can help hold your attacker accountable and provide much-needed money for your medical treatment and therapy.

Factors that are important to the overall value of your compensation award include:

The nature of your physical injuries
Whether you’ll suffer a permanent physical disability
The impact of your emotional trauma on your daily life and family
The nature of the defendant’s actions
The cost of your medical treatment, psychological counseling, and lost wages

Experts and specialists can play an important role in calculating the value of your personal injury claim. At Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ll hire experts who can offer insight into the physical and emotional toll you’ve suffered. Our legal team might consult with doctors, therapists, and even vocational rehabilitation specialists to understand the impact of the assault on your life and your future.

Are you interested in learning more about what your personal injury case is worth? Call our St. Louis sexual assault attorneys at Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers today to learn more about how we can help you through this difficult time.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Sexual Assault?

Missouri personal injury laws divide compensatory damages into either economic damages or non-economic damages. Both types of damages form an important part of your personal injury settlement. Our lawyers are committed to fighting for every dollar you deserve.

Economic damages provide reimbursement for the expenses you incur because of your injuries. Examples of economic damages include:

Past and future medical expenses
Your lost wages and income
Diminished future earning capacity
Rehabilitation
Disability
Psychological counseling and therapies
Property damage

Non-economic damages compensate victims for their emotional and physical pain, including:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Diminished quality of life
Disfigurement and scarring
PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other emotional trauma
Loss of consortium

Punitive damages may also be available in sexual assault cases, depending on the defendant’s actions. These damages are designed to punish the at-fault party for egregious conduct.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Sexual Assault Injuries

Victims of sexual assault often suffer a wide range of physical injuries and emotional traumas.

At Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we help sexual assault victims who have sustained:

Cuts, bruises, and lacerations
Soft tissue damage
Brain injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Facial injuries
Head and neck injuries
Injuries caused by foreign objects or the use of force
Sexually transmitted diseases
Back injuries
Broken bones
Injuries to the genitals
Unwanted pregnancy
Catastrophic injuries
Wrongful death

Many victims are left struggling with PTSD, depression, and anxiety for years after an attack. Our lawyers would be happy to review your case for free, so call today or fill out our online contact form for a free case evaluation.

How Do I Prove Negligence in a Missouri Sexual Assault Lawsuit?

In Missouri, sexual assault is both a criminal offense and a civil tort. You may have grounds for filing a sexual assault lawsuit in civil court if you were hurt because of someone else’s negligent or wrongful actions.

Your attacker may be liable for your damages. However, you may also have a lawsuit against third parties whose acts or omissions allowed the sexual assault to occur.

Examples of potentially responsible parties include:

Property owners
Colleges and universities
Landlords
Your attacker’s employer
Businesses, including bars, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, etc.
Schools and day care centers
Government agencies
Clergy

Claims against third parties are usually based on negligence. A person is negligent when they fail to act reasonably under the circumstances.

To recover compensation based on negligence, it’s necessary to establish:

A legal duty of care existed
The party breached that duty
The breach caused the attack to happen
You suffered damages

Often, civil sexual assault cases are based on negligent security. Property owners have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe. That includes installing adequate security to prevent foreseeable crimes from happening.

Depending upon the circumstances, adequate security might include:

Hiring security guards
Installing security cameras
Installing locked fences and gates
Providing adequate lighting in parking lots, alleys, and other areas

What constitutes “adequate security” will vary depending on the circumstances. Businesses located in neighborhoods where criminal activity has happened in the past will be required to take more extreme steps to keep people safe.

Employers can also be held liable for the negligent acts of their employees. If your attacker was working at the time, the employer may be financially responsible–especially if the employer knew the employee had a history of committing violent acts.

The Burden of Proof in Civil Lawsuits

You may be able to hold your attacker financially responsible even if law enforcement in Saint Louis, Missouri, fails to convict on criminal charges. The burden of proof in a criminal defense case is “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

In civil cases, the standard is lower. You’ll only have to prove that your attacker caused your injuries by a “preponderance of the evidence.” In other words, you’ll have to show that it’s more likely than not true that your attacker assaulted and injured you.

How Long Do I Have to File a Sexual Assault Lawsuit in Missouri?

Missouri personal injury laws give victims five years to file a lawsuit for damages. Once five years have passed after the attack, you’ll lose your right to compensation if you haven’t already filed your lawsuit.

If you were injured, it’s always a good idea to hire a local lawyer to offer legal advice. You don’t have to rely on the lawyer directory alone. If you were a victim of unwanted sexual touching, call to learn more about our practice areas today.

Contact a St. Louis Sexual Assault Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Are you suffering after being sexually assaulted in St. Louis? Our attorneys at Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers have served Saint Louis, MO, for over 30 years. Call an experienced St. Louis sexual assault lawyer to schedule a free consultation today.

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