W&L Taking Cases of California Workplace Sexual Assault

Weitz & Luxenberg is now accepting previously time-barred cases of sexual assault in private businesses, thanks to the passage of AB 250 in California. This new law allows a temporary lookback window for adult assault survivors who were limited by California’s 10-year statute of limitations from pursuing justice.

We are seeking to help people who were touched by a coworker, customer, or other person affiliated with your employer without their consent. You may qualify to file a lawsuit if there was a cover-up (or attempted cover-up) of a prior allegation of sexual assault, harassment, or sexual abuse.

W&L’s Jared Scotto is leading the litigation out of the firm’s New York office. In the field, he is supported by a team of attorneys from our Los Angeles, California office.

Encouraging CA Victims of Sexual Assault to File Lawsuits

W&L is filing sexual assault lawsuits on behalf of people who were 18 years of age, or older, when they were forced to endure inappropriate physical contact while working in a private sector establishment in California.

This includes retail establishments. One example is being attacked at a department store or clothing store. Your workplace is also eligible if you were sexually assaulted at a bank, restaurant, private hospital, or Fortune 500 company.

“Through California’s AB 250, we are now able to seek justice on behalf of the many women and men who were sexually assaulted at their job. We are particularly concerned about instances involving institutional concealment. If your boss, corporate heads, or other executives covered up such reprehensible actions, they need to be held fully accountable,” insists Mr. Scotto.

This bill does not apply to government entities. However, individuals and institutions as a whole can be defendants. “Any cases of sexual abuse are absolutely inexcusable,” emphasizes Mr. Scotto.

Providing Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault

The new California law is designed to support survivors of sexual assault by giving them the opportunity to hold all of the offending parties accountable. This includes the actual perpetrators of the sexual crime, as well as any person or company that tries to cover up these assaults that inflicted such harm. ⁽¹⁾

This bill is meant to sound the alert that perpetrators — and all the institutions that facilitated or allowed that abuse to happen — “will no longer be shielded. The culture of secrecy and protection ends here.” ⁽²⁾

Sexual Assault Harm Last for Years

Survivors of sexual assault can suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The violation and accompanying injuries remain for years, often long after the physical assault occurred. Survivors typically need time to process the events that occurred and deal with their trauma. ⁽³⁾

Other damaging effects often begin with suffering from sexual harassment and that leads to sexual assault. These include physical problems, such as poor sleep, headaches, gastric issues and weight loss or gain. ⁽⁴⁾

Survivors often are also faced with retaliation in the workplace, affecting their financial status. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “Of the 27,291 sexual harassment charges filed, 43.5% were concurrently filed with a retaliation charge.” ⁽⁵⁾

Deadlines Stopped Survivors Getting What They Deserve

Before the passage of AB 250, adult survivors of sexual assault in California had only 10 years from the last physical act — or 3 years from the moment they discovered the lasting injury — to pursue any legal action. This was the statute of limitations for the crime. Coming forward and sharing your story can take time, time the court system didn’t permit. ⁽⁶⁾

Survivors had a limited window to file a claim and seek damages from their offenders and anyone who covered up the crimes. Even then, the statute only applied to claims against people who covered up a sexual assault. That window did not apply to the actual individuals who did the actual the sexual assault. ⁽⁷⁾

Extending the CA Sexual Assault Statute of Limitations

AB 250 means survivors of sexual assault can seek damages from the perpetrator of the sexual crime itself. You can also seek damages from any person or company involved in the cover up or attempted cover up of the assault. ⁽⁸⁾

It extends the statute of limitations for these sexual assault claims until December 31, 2027. The bill also revives any related claims including, but not limited to, wrongful termination. ⁽⁹⁾

Standing Up for Victims of Sexual Assault

Weitz & Luxenberg has a long-standing history of fighting on behalf of people who were harmed by others. This includes being sexually assaulted. Anyone who was violated in such a way deserves to be heard — and compensated for what you suffered — no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.

Statutes of limitations can deny survivors this opportunity. Too often, victims of such horrific crimes were traumatized, not just sexually but also emotionally and physically. They often don’t know how to begin to take legal action.

Weitz & Luxenberg is here to help. We can offer the legal support necessary to hold the offending parties accountable. Such contemptible actions should not be allowed to go unchecked.

W&L has secured billions of dollars on behalf of our client. We invite you to reach out to us today. Call W&L at (917) LAWYERS or complete our online form. There is no charge for a consultation, and your privacy will be respected.