Sexual abuse causes more than just emotional wounds. For many survivors, it also causes lasting financial difficulty. These losses may affect their ability to pay bills, get treatment, or go back to work. A civil lawsuit case can help survivors obtain the compensation necessary to move on in life.
The sex abuse lawyers at File Abuse Lawsuit help victims understand and claim both economic and non-economic damages. For survivors dealing with emotional trauma as well as financial difficulty, these damages are important. A successful case can help during recovery and lessen some of the burdens. Let us examine the economic and non-economic damages available to victims of sex abuse.
Economic Damages
Losses measurable in money are known as economic damages. These include abuse-related current and future expenses. Many times, victims face unexpected expenses they were unprepared for.
Common types of economic damages are:
- Medical Bills: Included are medication, physical therapy, surgeries, and other health treatments caused by the abuse.
- Mental Health Treatment: Long-term counseling and therapy are often required. These services can be expensive and ongoing.
- Lost Wages: Should victims be absent from work or have to quit their jobs due to the abuse, they may lose income.
- Loss of Earning Capacity: Should a survivor be unable to resume work or must work fewer hours, they could be entitled to compensation.
- Fringe Benefits: Losing a job can also mean losing health insurance, pension plans, or other company benefits.
Also taken into account are future losses. These long-term effects cover missed opportunities for career development and inability to return to their field of expertise. Experts might be called in to figure out what a survivor might have earned should the abuse never have occurred.
Sometimes, survivors have to quit working completely. This leads to out-of-pocket costs and a need for substitute income. Should one have to drop out of school due to trauma, their lifetime income might be lower. This is also part of the economic damage.
Documents and facts determine these damages. Therefore, the correct amount is estimated using pay stubs, medical records, and expert reports. Each case is different, but these items help build a strong claim for compensation.
Non-Economic Damages
Not all harm can be counted in dollars. Non-economic damages are just as important as economic damages. These cover the emotional and mental harm victims suffer.
Examples of non-economic harms include:
- Pain and Suffering: This refers to both physical and emotional agony caused by the abuse.
- Emotional Distress: Many survivors develop conditions like PTSD, anxiety, or depression. These conditions affect daily life and may last for years.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Survivors may lose interest in hobbies or relationships they once enjoyed.
- Reputational Damage: In some cases, survivors suffer public shame or damage to their social standing.
- Loss of Consortium: Should the victim’s capacity for personal relationships suffer from the abuse, they may be compensated.
It is common to experience mental health problems after abuse. Many times, survivors require ongoing treatment, and recovery is unique to each individual. These real emotional injuries should not be disregarded in a lawsuit.
Some survivors feel unsafe or withdrawn even after many years. They may struggle to trust others or feel comfortable in social settings. These effects, though hard to measure, can change a person’s life forever.
Experts such as psychologists may be asked to speak about the victim’s condition. Their evaluations can explain the emotional impact of the abuse. Courts typically rely on these expert findings when awarding non-economic damages.
These damages indicate what a survivor has lost emotionally, not financially. But they are no less essential than lost income or medical bills. Survivors deserve to be paid for all sorts of harm they suffered.
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