Lawyers for Victims of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault (January Update)

We Are Victims’ Rights Lawyers Representing Victims of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault Nationwide

Last Updated: 01-11-2026

Attorney Lynette S. Byrd
Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault Team Lead
Former DOJ Attorney

No one deserves to be victimized. If you are a victim of sexual harassment, you deserve so much better. Though you may have called the National Sexual Assault Hotline, even in this situation, knowing where to turn for help can be difficult.

We represent victims of unwanted sexual contact nationwide. Our sexual abuse lawyers rely on extensive experience to help our clients expose their abusers and hold them accountable. Our team includes former FBI investigators who use their expertise to effectively uncover the evidence needed to assert our client’s legal rights.

If you are a victim, we can help you and will do so at no out-of-pocket cost. The key is to get started, and we strongly encourage sexual assault victims to contact us for a free consultation as soon as possible.

Update for December 12, 2025 for Sexual Assault Victims

According to reports, the New Orleans Archdiocese has agreed to pay $230 million to settle claims of clergy sexual abuse, while the Archdiocese of New York has agreed to set up a $300 million fund to compensate victims. These are just two of numerous clergy sexual abuse cases we have seen in recent years. If you or someone you love is a victim, we can help, and we strongly encourage you to contact us for a free and confidential consultation.

Sexual Abuse Victims: Previous Updates

November 28, 2025 – According to reports, “[h]undreds of child sex-abuse claims against New York City’s juvenile detention facilities were set to be revived after the City Council tweaked a law Tuesday that allows survivors to pursue damages.” The law allows approximately 450 juvenile detainees who had run out of time to pursue their claims to continue seeking justice in court.

In other news, the Archdiocese of Chicago is reportedly facing a trio of lawsuits alleging that the church, “ke[pt] two priests in the ministry for decades, despite warnings and complaints of sexual abuse of children.” As CBS News goes on to explain, “[a]ccording to [one of] the lawsuit[s], the Archdiocese . . . was aware of sexual misconduct reports from more than 20 people against [one of the priests] dating back to the 1960s. Instead of removing him from the ministry, the lawsuit claims the Archdiocese repeatedly reassigned Holihan to new parishes and schools for decades.”

November 14, 2025 – According to reports, a 17-year-old plaintiff in California will receive an $8 million settlement in a lawsuit in which she alleged that she was sexually abused by a staff member at her high school when she was 15. Reports indicate that after the incident, the staff member was charged with multiple sex crimes, “including sexual assault, showing pornography to a minor, and lewd act upon a child.”

A megachurch pastor in Chicago is reportedly facing sex abuse allegations from a man who alleges he was molested as a boy, and Manchester United are reportedly facing a lawsuit involving allegations that a former staff member sexually assaulted a youth at the club. The BBC reports that the club is fighting the lawsuit, “despite the club’s participation in [a review] which documented multiple allegations of abuse by the caretaker and confirmed internal disciplinary action against him in 1989.”

Do you have questions about seeking justice for sexual abuse? If so, we strongly encourage you to contact us for a free and confidential consultation.

October 31, 2025 – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has reportedly approved an $828 million settlement with 414 plaintiffs who filed lawsuits alleging that they were sexually abused by county workers in incidents dating back to 1959. Reports indicate that the settlement involves claims of sexual assault perpetrated by employees of the Los Angeles Probation and Children and Family Services departments, among others.

If you were sexually abused by county workers anywhere in the country, you may be entitled to financial compensation for the long-term consequences of your victimization. If you would like to speak with an attorney about your legal rights, we strongly encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.

October 24, 2025 – According to reports, “Victor Valley Union High School District has agreed to a $12.5 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by eight victims over child sexual abuse committed by a then-counselor at a Victorville junior high school decades ago.” Reports indicate that the alleged incidents leading to the lawsuit occurred in 2002, and the then-counselor accused of sexual abuse was sentenced to 102 years in prison in 2005.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: These types of cases are far too common. Victims who come forward play an important role in protecting others who might otherwise experience similar abuse, and they will have grounds to pursue claims for significant financial compensation in many cases.

October 17, 2025 – According to reports, Harvest Best Academy, a charter school in Minneapolis, has agreed to settle a former student’s sex abuse lawsuit for $150,000. The Sahan Journal reports that, “[t]he lawsuit was filed against Harvest Best Academy in 2020, after multiple children reported that the teacher, Aaron Hjermstad, had sexually abused them. Hjermstad has since been criminally convicted of sexually abusing 16 minors, including the one who filed the lawsuit.”

Sadly, these types of cases are not uncommon. If you or your child has been sexually abused by a teacher, our lawyers can help you come forward. Contact us for a free and confidential consultation.

October 10, 2025 – According to reports, a former student who is now in his 60s has been awarded $5 million for sexual assault he endured at Delbarton School, a Catholic prep school in New Jersey, in 1976. While this case has several notable aspects, one of the most notable aspects is the fact that it involves events that allegedly transpired nearly 50 years ago.

If you experienced sexual assault as a child, it may not be too late to seek justice. To discuss your legal rights with an experienced lawyer for free, contact us for a confidential consultation today.

October 3, 2025 – As we have discussed in previous updates, among the many types of sex abuse lawsuits our firm is currently accepting are lawsuits involving claims of sexual assaults committed by Uber drivers. Thousands of these lawsuits have been consolidated into a national multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceeding—and this MDL proceeding has been growing rapidly in recent months. While there were 2,583 lawsuits pending in the Uber MDL as of September 2, the number of pending claims has increased to 2,721 as of October 1, 2025.

This is an extraordinary—and frankly shocking—number of sexual assault lawsuits. While Uber argues that the number of sexual assault allegations it is facing pales in comparison to the total number of rides its drivers have provided, the reality is that this is beside the point. Sexual assault is never okay; and, if a company shares responsibility for victims’ assaults, it can (and should) be held accountable.

September 26, 2025 – This week we have seen articles discussing sex abuse lawsuits filed by plaintiffs including church members, Michael Jackson’s accusers, and members of an Olympic sailing team. Unfortunately, these types of stories are all too common. The reality is that sex abuse is a pervasive issue in nearly all aspects of our society, and victims can—and do—come from all walks of life.

September 19, 2025 – In the national Uber sexual assault litigation, the judge recently ruled that the rideshare company’s lawyers will not be able to question plaintiffs about their prior sexual activity unless their lawyers “open the door” during questioning. We don’t expect that many plaintiffs’ lawyers will. In sexual assault cases, plaintiffs’ prior sexual activity is completely irrelevant to whether they have been victimized, and there is no reason to expose victims to more emotional trauma than they have already been forced to endure.

September 12, 2025 – According to reports, the Roman Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans has recently guaranteed $230 million to settle allegations of clergy sexual abuse. This represents an increase of $50 million from its prior guarantee—which attorneys had largely encouraged existing plaintiffs to reject. While this is a substantial increase, we will have to wait and see whether it is enough to convince existing plaintiffs to resolve their claims and start the process of moving on.

If you or your child is a victim of clergy sexual abuse and you haven’t filed a lawsuit, it will be worth talking to a lawyer about your legal rights. Even if the current litigation settles, victims who haven’t yet come forward will still be able to take legal action. To learn more, contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation today.

September 5, 2025 – Along with handling sex abuse cases against businesses and individuals, we are also accepting cases involving claims against the Mormon Church. The Mormon Church has faced numerous allegations of perpetrating, ignoring, and covering up sex abuse in recent years, and it has been held liable for billions of dollars in financial compensation owed to victims and their families.

We are accepting cases on behalf of child victims and their families as well as adult survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by religious leaders, church officials, church members, and others. If you need to know more about filing a lawsuit against the church, contact us for a 100% free and confidential consultation today.

August 29, 2025 – Among the many types of sexual abuse cases our law firm is handling are sexual abuse cases involving claims against Uber and Lyft. Uber in particular has come under scrutiny for allegedly downplaying both the volume and the severity of sexual abuse reports from riders. If you need to know more about filing a sexual abuse lawsuit against Uber, this page contains some important information.

August 22, 2025 – This is the first of what we anticipate will be numerous weekly updates to this page. With each week’s update, we will provide information about pending cases as well as insights into what victims and their families need to know about taking legal action.

As you will see below, we handle sex abuse cases involving claims against all types of businesses and individuals. An important fact to know about sex abuse cases is that criminal proceedings generally do not result in awards of financial compensation for victims and their families. To seek just compensation, victims must hire a lawyer to file claims in civil court. Our lawyers handle these cases, and we are passionate about fighting for justice on behalf of our clients. Contact us to learn more in a free, no-obligation consultation.

How We Help Victims of Sexual Assault and Abuse

At Oberheiden Law Group, we help victims of sexual assault and sex abuse assert their legal rights. This involves filing lawsuits against their abusers—and potentially against the companies that are responsible for facilitating their abusers’ criminal conduct—in court.

As a victim of sexual assault or sexual abuse, filing a lawsuit allows you to achieve two important outcomes. If your sexual abuse civil claim is successful, this will mean that:

Your abuser will be held accountable regardless of the outcome of any criminal proceedings, and,
You will receive financial compensation for all of the physical and psychological effects and emotional distress of the assault, both now and in the future.

We know that coming forward as a sexual assault victim is not easy, and we understand that it can be difficult to put yourself through a public trial when the outcome is inherently uncertain. This is one reason—among many—why we put in countless hours before we take formal legal action on behalf of our clients. No matter what, we will help you understand your legal rights and make informed and confident decisions about your next steps in the criminal justice system. But we will only file a lawsuit on your behalf if we are confident that we have a strong chance of securing justice on your behalf.

Victims We Represent

Our clients include individuals who have been victimized in a wide range of circumstances. Each attorney in our sexual abuse and sexual assault practice has the experience required to effectively represent:

Victims of Sexual Assault and Abuse by Doctors

Sexual assault and abuse in the healthcare setting are alarmingly common. If you were sexually assaulted or sexually abused by a doctor, our attorneys and investigators can use their experience to make sure the doctor is held accountable for your post-traumatic stress disorder.

Victims of Sexual Assault and Abuse in Hospitals

Along with sexual assault and abuse by doctors, we handle sexual abuse cases involving other healthcare providers in the hospital setting as well. We also handle cases involving administrators, janitors, patients, and others. In these cases, the hospital that allowed the sexual assault or abuse to occur can be held accountable in addition to the attacker or abuser.

Victims of Sexual Assault and Abuse in the Workplace

We also handle sexual assault cases involving sexual assault and abuse perpetrated by victims’ bosses, CEOs, and other executives and company personnel. Here, too, not only can the perpetrator be held fully accountable, but in many cases, the company that allowed the assault or abuse to occur can be held accountable as well.

Victims of Sexual Assault and Abuse in Other Circumstances

While much of our practice involves representing individuals who have suffered sexual abuse from healthcare providers, bosses, and CEOs, we represent individuals who have been victimized in other circumstances as well. No matter what happens, if you have questions about asserting your legal rights as a victim of sexual assault or sexual abuse, we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.

What You Can Expect from the Victims’ Rights Lawyers at Oberheiden Law Group

If you contact Oberheiden Law Group, what can you expect? The short answer is that our sexual abuse attorneys will do everything possible to help you. We are 100% committed to fighting the sexual abuse claim of a victim, and we are passionate about using our experience and capabilities to help those who simply are not in a position to help themselves. When you choose our firm to represent you:

We Will Help You Make Informed and Confident Decisions – You are dealing with an extraordinarily difficult situation—one that no one should be forced to endure. Our sexual abuse attorney will guide you forward and help you make informed and confident decisions every step of the way.
We Will Deal with the Police for You – Our attorneys and investigators will deal with the police on your behalf. We can work with law enforcement no matter how long it has been since the attack.
We Will Work Diligently to Gather the Evidence We Need – From working with the police to conducting our own investigation and taking discovery, we will work diligently to gather the evidence we need to prove your legal rights.
We Will Carefully Calculate the Damages You Are Entitled to Recover – We will also carefully calculate the damages you are entitled to recover. Victims of sexual assault and abuse are entitled to compensation for both their losses to date and their losses in the future.
We Will Seek Justice on Your Behalf – With evidence in hand, we will seek justice on your behalf. Whether this means seeking an out-of-court resolution or exposing your attacker or abuser at trial, we will do everything we can to secure the outcome you deserve.

Again, if you have any questions about your legal rights, we encourage you to contact us regardless of what happened, where it happened, and who was involved. We are more than happy to explain everything you need to know, even if you ultimately decide not to take legal action. We truly want to help you, and our attorneys can offer the advice and insights you need to feel confident in your next steps.

Dr. Nick Oberheiden

Founder

Attorney-at-Law

Lynette S. Byrd

Former DOJ Trial Attorney

Partner

Brian J. Kuester

Former U.S. Attorney

Hon. Kevin McCarthy

55th Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives (ret.)

Government Consultant

Mike Pompeo

Of Counsel

Former U.S. Secretary of State

John W. Sellers

Former Senior DOJ Trial Attorney

Linda Julin McNamara

Federal Appeals Attorney

Nicholas B. Johnson

Former Prosecutor

Roger Bach

Former Special Agent (DOJ)

Chris J. Quick

Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)

Michael S. Koslow

Former Supervisory Special Agent (DOD-OIG)

Ray Yuen

Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)

FAQs: Your Rights as a Victim of Sexual Assault or Sexual Abuse

Should I Hire a Lawyer as a Victim of Sexual Assault or Abuse?

Yes, if you are a victim of sexual assault or abuse, we strongly recommend that you speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. At Oberheiden Law Group, we start working for our clients as soon as they get in touch. From explaining your legal rights and helping you make informed decisions to seeking just compensation on your behalf, our lawyers can assist you throughout the coping and recovery process.

Is Financial Compensation Available to Victims of Sexual Assault?

Financial compensation is available to victims of sexual assault in many cases—including cases involving assaults and abuse perpetrated by bosses, CEOs, doctors, and other healthcare providers. Not only are sexual assault and sexual abuse criminal offenses, but they provide victims with clear civil rights as well. Our lawyers can file a civil lawsuit on your behalf, and we can seek financial compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and other long-term financial and non-financial losses.

What Proof is Needed in a Sexual Assault Case?

The proof needed in a sexual assault case depends on the specific circumstances involved. Once we learn about your case, then we can determine what evidence we need to prove your legal rights. Right now, the most important thing to know is that you should not make any assumptions about what your lawyer may or may not be able to prove in court.

Unlike criminal cases, in civil cases, the burden of proof is not “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Instead, the burden of proof is “beyond a preponderance of the evidence.” This means that victims can prove their legal rights in civil court even if their attacker or abuser has escaped criminal culpability. As a result, regardless of any criminal proceedings that have transpired to date, you still can—and should—talk to a lawyer about seeking the financial compensation you clearly deserve.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit for Sexual Assault or Abuse?

The statute of limitations for filing a sexual assault or sexual abuse lawsuit varies between states. Generally speaking, however, the limitations periods for these cases tend to be significantly longer than the limitations periods for other types of civil claims. While we strongly recommend speaking with a lawyer as soon as possible, we also recommend speaking with a lawyer no matter how long it has been since you were sexually assaulted or abused.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Lawyer?

We represent victims of sexual assault and abuse on a contingency-fee basis. This means that our legal representation costs nothing out of pocket. If we help you obtain financial compensation, our legal fees will be calculated as a percentage of the amount we help you recover.

Contact Us for a Free and Confidential Consultation Today

To speak with a victims’ rights lawyer at Oberheiden Law Group, contact us today. Call 888-680-1745 or send us a confidential message online to arrange a free consultation as soon as possible.

Further Information About Our Lawyers for Victims of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault Lawsuit Services

Disclaimer:
The content on this site is informational only and describes mere allegations. The content does not suggest evidence, proof, or guaranteed liability. The merits of each case depend on specific facts. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes in future cases. For more details, please see our FTC and general disclaimers. Oberheiden Law is the law firm in charge.