Victims of sexual abuse in juvenile mental health facilities, including psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, and inpatient behavioral health programs, deserve justice. Under Illinois law, victims and their families may be able to sue a juvenile institution for sexual abuse and seek the financial resources they will need for the future. Hiring a lawyer to take legal action on your behalf costs nothing out of pocket in this scenario.
In Illinois, all victims of sexual abuse have clear legal rights. While sexual abuse is a crime, and while abusers will often face prosecution in Illinois’s criminal courts, victims (or their parents or guardians) can also file civil lawsuits to seek financial compensation.
When sexual abuse occurs at a juvenile mental health facility, this will often involve suing the institution. Psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, facilities that run behavioral health programs, and other institutions can all be held liable for sexual assaults and other forms of sexual abuse occurring on their premises. If the facts support a claim, victims and their families may be able to sue a juvenile institution for sexual abuse and hold the facility accountable.
Victims and their families can sue a juvenile institution for sexual abuse in Illinois (and other states) on several legal grounds. Whether it has been hours, days, or years since the incident, if you or your child has been sexually abused, it may be possible to file a lawsuit and hold the institution accountable. Some examples of potential grounds for filing a lawsuit include:
Like all employers, juvenile institutions have a legal duty to make sound hiring decisions. If a juvenile mental health facility negligently hires someone who poses a risk to the institution’s residents or patients, this can serve as clear grounds for liability.
Juvenile institutions can also be held liable for failing to adequately supervise their employees. When juvenile institutions fail to adequately monitor their employees’ interactions with residents or patients, this can create serious risks and allow abuse to occur.
Along with sexual abuse committed by employees, juvenile institutions can also be held liable for sexual abuse committed by other residents or patients, or even third parties, in appropriate cases. In these situations, victims and their families may be able to file lawsuits based on negligent security.
Various other institutional failures can also serve as grounds to file a lawsuit following sexual abuse in a juvenile mental health treatment facility. Once you get in touch, our lawyers will assess all potential grounds for liability and advise you based on the specific circumstances of your case.
In all cases, victims and families who have grounds to sue a juvenile institution for sexual abuse can seek compensation for various financial and non-financial losses. While every case is unique, damages often include:
If you have grounds to sue a juvenile institution for sexual abuse, our lawyers can accurately calculate the damages you may be entitled to recover. Compensation for non-financial losses often exceeds compensation for financial losses, and future damages frequently account for a substantial portion of a victim’s claim. While financial compensation cannot undo what happened, it is one of the primary ways the civil justice system provides accountability and helps victims move forward.
If you believe you may be able to sue a juvenile institution for sexual abuse, contact us today to learn more about your legal rights and options.
Contact Coplan + Crane online or call (312) 982-0588 for a FREE case evaluation. Our Chicago juvenile sexual assault lawyers represent clients throughout Illinois, including Chicago, Oak Park, Rockford, and surrounding communities.
