What helps us understand your situation?
- The product, drug, or device involved, if known
- Where and approximately when the injury happened
- The injury, diagnosis, and treatment involved
An initial inquiry is different from proving a lawsuit. Ask our team what information is needed for your situation.
A sexual abuse lawsuit is a civil claim a survivor brings for money damages against the abuser and, often, an institution that failed to protect them, such as a church, school, employer or rideshare company.
These cases are separate from any criminal case. Many involve abuse in childhood by clergy, teachers, doctors or youth leaders, and some states have opened special filing windows for older claims.
In November 2026, the Archdiocese of New York signed an $800 million settlement with about 1,300 survivors. Whether you have a claim depends on what happened, who was responsible, and your state's filing deadline.
Latest Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Updates
October 24, 2026: New York Archdiocese Agrees to $800 Million Settlement
The Associated Press reported that the Archdiocese of New York and attorneys for about 1,300 claimants agreed to an $800 million settlement. The claimants said they were sexually abused by clergy [1].
Archbishop Ronald Hicks announced on November 5, 2026 that both sides had signed, making the settlement official [2]. The total pool is $804.25 million, with about $619 million paid first and the rest due next year.
July 1, 2026: JPML Lists Three Sexual Assault MDLs
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation pending-docket report listed MDL 3084 for Uber, MDL 3166 for Roblox and MDL 3171 for Lyft [3]. The Uber and Lyft cases involve passenger sexual assault, and Roblox involves child sexual exploitation.
What Is Sexual Abuse?
According to the CDC, sexual violence is "sexual activity when consent is not obtained or freely given" [4]. It affects every community, both sexes and all ages. Child sexual abuse is a form of sexual violence.
A civil suit can name the abuser, an institution responsible for its agents' conduct [5], or both. It is separate from any criminal case; the survivor must prove the claim more likely than not [6].
Who May Be Affected?
The CDC says the perpetrator of sexual violence is usually someone the survivor knows. That can be a friend, current or former partner, coworker, neighbor or family member. It can occur in person, online or through technology.
Many claims involve religious organizations, such as Baptist churches, the Mormon church and Catholic convents, or abuse by medical professionals such as Dr. Reginald Archibald and Dr. Victor Perry.
Other claims involve passenger assaults on Lyft and Uber rides, child exploitation on online platforms such as Roblox, teachers and coaches such as George Harris Jr., and campus cases such as the UC Berkeley harassment lawsuit.
Some survivors file decades later, under state laws that extended filing deadlines for childhood abuse. Whether you may qualify depends on your own facts and needs an individual legal review.
Reported Injuries or Damages
Survivors allege sexual abuse or assault in their claims. Separately, the CDC says consequences can be physical, such as bruising, genital injuries, sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.
The CDC also lists psychological consequences, such as depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. They may be chronic, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Trauma may affect employment and earning power.
The CDC says nearly half of women and more than 1 in 6 men experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetimes.
The National Center for Victims of Crime cites researcher David Finkelhor, who reports that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse [7].
RAINN estimates 443,634 rapes and sexual assaults each year against people age 12 and older [8]. These are counts of incidents, not individual victims.
Evidence to Preserve
Records that may matter in a sexual abuse claim include:
- Medical and counseling records
- Police or agency reports
- Messages, emails, social media or app records
- Photographs
- Names and dates of the places, organizations or people involved
- Employment or school records
- A private written timeline made by the survivor
Write the timeline in your own words, with names, places and dates as you remember them. Save original files and do not delete messages, emails or app records, even if they are painful to read.
Filing Deadlines
Filing deadlines for sexual abuse claims come from state law. They depend on where you live and on when the abuse and your awareness of the harm happened.
Some states have changed or opened filing windows for childhood abuse claims. AP reports that a 2019 New York law lets child sexual abuse survivors sue until age 55. People who had turned 55 had until August 2021.
A missed deadline can bar a claim even when the facts are strong. Ask a lawyer soon which date applies to your situation.
Potential Compensation
Possible categories of damages include medical and counseling costs, lost income or earning capacity, and pain, suffering and emotional distress.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed in 2024 to pay $880 million to 1,000 abuse victims. The Archdiocese of San Francisco agreed in June 2026 to a $395 million settlement over about 500 lawsuits.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans agreed to pay at least $230 million to abuse victims with a federal judge's approval in December 2025.
Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Potential compensation depends on the facts of each claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Common Is Sexual Violence in the United States?
Sexual violence is common in the United States. The CDC says more than 1 in 5 women and 1 in 31 men in the United States experienced completed or attempted rape.
What Does Sexual Violence Cost Survivors?
Sexual violence can cost survivors a great deal. CDC estimates put the lifetime cost of rape at over $159,000 per survivor. The figure includes medical care, lost productivity from work and criminal justice costs, which are the kinds of losses a civil claim can seek to recover.
Are Most Cases of Sexual Violence Reported?
Many cases of sexual violence are not reported. The CDC says many cases are unreported, so the numbers understate the problem. A survivor does not need a police report or criminal charges to bring a civil claim, though reports can help as evidence.
How Many Children Are Sexually Abused Each Year?
Children sexually abused each year number at least 56,575, RAINN reports, citing federal Child Maltreatment 2022 data. Some states, such as New York, let survivors of childhood abuse sue well into adulthood.