Filing Time Limits for Sexual Abuse Litigation
Fortunately, the statutes of limitations for sexual abuse lawsuits are plaintiff-friendly compared to those in many other states. Someone who is subjected to sexual abuse while under the age of 18 on or after January 1, 2024, has no statutory filing deadline whatsoever on their right to sue their abuser for damages, although plaintiffs over the age of 40 when they file suit will need to have their legal representative include a certificate of merit with their complaint.
For people who were sexually abused before turning 18 prior to January 1, 2024, the effective deadline for filing suit over that abuse is either the prospective plaintiff’s 40th birthday or five years after they discovered they were psychologically harmed by the abuse they experienced. Finally, the deadline for claims over sexual abuse committed against someone over the age of 18 is either 10 years from the date of the assault or three years from the discovery of psychological injury from it. Our lawyers could go over what deadlines may apply to a specific sexual abuse lawsuit in Bakersfield during a confidential consultation.
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