Child Sexual Abuse Survivors
Prior to 2016 adult survivors of child sexual abuse only had a year after their eighteenth birthday to sue the perpetrator for the harm the abuse caused. This effectively prohibited most victims from being able to hold their abuser accountable. Thankfully, because of the dedicated work of a group of survivors, the Tennessee legislature finally changed the law opening the door for adult survivors of child sexual abuse to stand up to their abuser and demand compensation for the injuries they suffered. While the opportunity is not unlimited, it is a vast improvement over the old way such compensation was addressed.
For individuals who were sexually abused before July 1, 2019, they have three (3) years from the date they discovered the causal connection between their abuse and the injury it caused to file suit. Merely remembering that you were sexually abused does not trigger the start of the three (3) year period, it is the realization of the injury and the knowledge that this injury was caused by the abuse that triggers the beginning of the three-year period.
For individuals who were sexually abused after July 1, 2019, they have the latter of fifteen (15) years after their eighteenth birthday or until age thirty-three (33) to file suit; or three (3) years from the date they discovered the causal connection between their abuse and the injury it caused within which to file suit.
If you are a survivor of child sexual abuse and want to know your rights, contact Susan Mackenzie today for a consultation.