Adult survivors who experienced clergy sexual abuse as children, and parents taking legal action on behalf of their traumatized children, must request specific damages when seeking justice. When asking the courts to grant compensation for the long-term practical consequences of clergy abuse, plaintiffs must request a specific amount of compensation and justify that amount based on the practical consequences of what occurred.
Frequently, families pursuing clergy sexual abuse litigation specifically request compensation for medical care costs and also ongoing therapy expenses. A loss of earning potential due to trauma can contribute to the compensation requested as well.
Childhood abuse affects adult finances
When a child experiences sexual abuse, the trauma they experience irrevocably changes the course of their life. Sexual trauma has an association with decreased academic performance, which can limit opportunities for higher education.
Trauma can also affect interpersonal relationships and the ability to maintain long-term, gainful employment. Research indicates that the long-term mental health, career prospects and earning potential of those who experience childhood abuse can all decline substantially.
The prior grades and career ambitions of a person who survived clergy abuse can play a role in determining what compensation they may request when filing a lawsuit against an abuser or the religious organization that shielded them previously. Plaintiffs can include lost income and earning potential in their lawsuits, along with medical and mental health care costs.
Working with a lawyer who handles complicated clergy abuse lawsuits can help people request an appropriate amount of compensation based on the abuse that occurred and the long-term impact it generated. Families and survivors can potentially request compensation for the long-term reduction in earning potential caused by childhood sexual abuse by a trusted member of the clergy.