Atlanta Sexual Assault Lawyer
Atlanta Sexual Assault Attorney Overview
- Your Voice Matters. Your Rights Matter.
- Filing a Sexual Assault Claim in Atlanta, GA
- The Hardest Cases Need the Strongest Advocates
- Understanding the Rights of Sexual Assault Victims in Georgia
- The Difference Between Criminal Charges and a Civil Lawsuit
- Civil Lawsuits in Sexual Assault Cases
- What Compensation Is Available in a Sexual Assault Case?
- Why Work with a Sexual Assault Lawyer in Atlanta?
- Who Can Be Held Liable for Sexual Assault Damages?
- Negligent Security in Sexual Assault Claims
- How Long Do I Have to File a Sexual Assault Claim in Georgia?
- Contact the Atlanta Sexual Assault Lawyer of Bey & Associates
Your Voice Matters. Your Rights Matter.
A criminal court can punish the person who hurt you. It can’t pay your therapy bills or replace the wages you lost. A civil claim can.
That’s the part too many survivors are never told. Whether or not anyone was ever charged, whether or not there was ever a conviction, Georgia law gives you a separate path to hold an attacker accountable and recover for what was taken from you. The choice of walking is yours alone, on your timeline and no one else’s.
When you’re ready, an Atlanta sexual assault lawyer at Bey & Associates is here to listen and to fight. The first conversation is free and confidential.
Filing a Sexual Assault Claim in Atlanta, GA
Filing a civil lawsuit with the help of an Atlanta sexual assault lawyer can bring forth some positive outcomes for survivors. A personal injury claim aims to:
- Achieve justice for survivors.
- Send a powerful message that perpetrators of sexual violence will be held accountable for their actions.
- Provide survivors with financial compensation to cover medical treatment, mental health care costs, lost wages, and more.
- Bar an abuser from the opportunity to inflict harm from a position of power, leadership, or close access to potential victims.
- Shed light on the prevalence of sexual assault cases and sex crimes that go unreported in Atlanta.
- Force property owners to take measures to secure areas in which rape crimes were once allowed to happen.
- Give a choice and a voice to those who were sexually assaulted and may feel powerless over their futures.
Atlanta Personal Injury Practice Areas
Medical Malpractice
Every time we enter the doors to a hospital, doctor's office, or other medical facility, we expect safe, competent care. When that doesn't happen, you deserve answers.
Car Accidents
A car wreck can change your life in the blink of an eye. If you’ve been seriously injured because of another driver’s negligence, you need help now.
Truck Accidents
Large truck and commercial truck accidents are some of the most devastating accidents we see across the United States and in Georgia.
Wrongful Death
The unexpected loss of a loved one is one of the most traumatic experiences a family can go through. When the death should have been prevented, the loss devastating.
Work Injuries
If you’ve been seriously injured while on the job, you’re likely already aware that your employer doesn’t make providing for your family a simple task.
Nursing Home Abuse
Even if you’re confident you’ve found a safe environment for them, it’s important to remember that there are negligent care facilities that abuse their residents.
Understanding the Rights of Sexual Assault Victims in Georgia
The numbers in Georgia are staggering. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s 2024 report:
- A rape was committed every two hours and 37 minutes
- A human sex trafficking act was committed every day
- A total of 3,353 rapes were reported in total
As grim as these numbers are, they capture only a fraction of the truth. Thousands of assaults never land on a police report.
The criminal system can only do so much. Civil law gives you something it can’t: a case that belongs to you. If someone forced an unwanted sexual act on you in Georgia, you don’t have to carry it in silence, and you don’t have to carry it alone.
The Difference Between Criminal Charges and a Civil Lawsuit
Criminal and civil are two separate areas of the law.
Criminal law punishes people for breaking laws established by federal, state, and municipal governments. Crimes are punishable with fines, jail time, and other penalties. If a person commits a sex crime like rape, they can be tried in court and punished if they are convicted. To convict someone of a crime, you must be able to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Civil law handles matters between individuals or groups, typically when one party acts in a way that causes harm to the other party. A civil lawsuit helps injury victims recover financial compensation for their losses.
You do not need to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a civil case. You only need to prove your case by a “preponderance of evidence”—a standard that simply means you must prove that your claim is more likely valid than not. This lower burden of proof can allow victims to win lawsuits, even when criminal law does not successfully convict the attacker of the crime.
Civil Lawsuits in Sexual Assault Cases
Criminal proceedings may punish the perpetrator for violating a law, but they do not address the victim’s resulting damages.
Survivors of rape and abuse suffer unimaginable trauma and lasting physical, mental, emotional, and financial devastation. Many individuals are left with physical injuries, anxiety, emotional suffering, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A person may suffer the long-term effects of a sexually transmitted disease. The financial burden of dealing with these injuries is difficult to fathom.
A civil lawsuit works to right these wrongs and allow the victim to achieve the highest healing possible.
At Bey & Associates, we understand that not every person has a reason to trust our legal system. The thought of seeking justice through the law may be unimaginable to some. Our sexual assault lawyers are respectful of the decision to file a lawsuit; it is yours and yours alone to make—only when and if you feel it is the right choice for you.
If you want to speak with a sexual assault lawyer about your questions and concerns, we will meet completely free and confidentially.
What Compensation Is Available in a Sexual Assault Case?
“Damages” refers to the monetary compensation given to the injured party to address the wrongs they sustained. In sexual assault claims, damages may include:
Compensatory Damages
- Hospital and medical bills
- Lost income due to missed work
- Cost of treating sexually transmitted diseases
- Mental health care costs
- Pain and suffering
- Physical scarring
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are a form of punishment rather than a means to compensate for specific losses. A court will only award punitive damages in rare cases of extreme wrongdoing. These damages are never applied alone, only in addition to compensatory damages. The goal is to stop harmful behavior and deter other parties from engaging in similar actions.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Sexual Assault Damages?
Your Atlanta sexual assault lawyer will work with you to hold the at-fault party accountable, no matter if it is a single individual or a large organization.
Parties that may be listed as defendants in sexual assault lawsuits include:
- Individual attackers, whether it be a stranger, employer, trusted friend, human trafficker, romantic partner, relative, or acquaintance.
- Nursing homes or other medical care facilities.
- Schools, universities, or daycares.
- Religious organizations.
Negligent Security in Sexual Assault Claims
If the attack happened on someone else’s property, premises liability law may allow you to file a claim against a negligent property owner.
For example, if an apartment complex is not equipped with adequate security measures like cameras, working locks, and gates, a landlord or premises owner may be held liable for an assault that happens on the property. Your Atlanta sexual assault attorney from Bey & Associates will help you gather evidence.
One caveat: Georgia holds the property owner liable if they had prior notice of a hazard (such as a sexual predator) on their premises or if the hazard existed long enough that they should have known. However, this also applies to invitees who have been injured. If you had equal knowledge of the hazard and took the risk of being there anyway, your claim could fail.
Depending on where the victim was assaulted, a lawyer may be able to prove negligence on the part of a property or business owner. This includes gas stations, nightclubs, apartment complexes, bars, restaurants, and other public establishments.
How Long Do I Have to File a Sexual Assault Claim in Georgia?
Georgia puts time limits on these cases, and they aren’t simple. Here’s the general shape of them, though only a lawyer can tell you which one fits your situation.
If you were an adult when the assault happened, you generally have two years from the date of the assault to file a civil claim. In some cases that clock may not start until you grasp the full harm that was done. Even so, never assume you have extra time.
If the abuse happened when you were a child, the rules are different and, in some cases, far more forgiving. As a general matter, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse can file until they turn 23. There’s also a discovery rule: if you came to understand the abuse and its harm later in life, you may have two years from that point to act.
Here’s something many survivors should know: If you were under 16 when the abuse occurred, and it happened on or after July 1, 2012, Georgia sets no deadline for suing the individual abuser. However, claims against an institution that enabled the abuse follow stricter rules.
Because there is so much that rides on these distinctions, don’t count yourself out. Even if you assume your window has closed, it may not have. A lawyer can check.
When you’re ready, an Atlanta sexual assault attorney on our team will sit down with you and walk through your options.
Find the Help You Need Near You
With locations from coast to coast, it’s easy to get support in your area. Choose your location, reach out, and we’ll take it from there.