The Empire State’s Adult Survivor Act will expire in a little more than 3 months. That means that those who were over the age of 18 years old when they were sexually abused have precious little time to seek justice in civil court. Once the Act expires, abuse survivors will not be able to redress this injustice so it’s imperative that survivors act now.
The Adult Survivor Act was signed into law by NY Governor Kathy Hochul and went into effect on November 24, 2022. It was modeled on the now expired Child Victim’s Act.
Former President Donald Trump and actor Bill Cosby have already had sexual abuse lawsuits filed against them under the Adult Survivor Act. A wide range of businesses and institutions, such as universities and prisons, could also be held financially liable in civil cases if they are found to have enabled the conduct by lack of action or encouraging an environment for the assaults to occur.
According to the New York State Office of Court Administration, so far there have been about 130 civil cases filed under the ASA in the state. A deluge of individual civil lawsuits against state prisons are expected to come as well.
A wide range of businesses and institutions, such as universities, hospitals, and churches could also be held financially liable in civil cases if they are found to have enabled the conduct by lack of action or encouraging an environment for the assaults to occur.
If you or a loved one was sexually abused as an adult and you are ready to seek justice, contact me for a free initial consultation. I have decades of experience handling these cases, including high profile cases against Harvey Weinstein.
