Civil Justice for Victims of Crime in Spokane

Filing a Civil Lawsuit Against a Perpetrator or Their Enablers

What Is a Civil Lawsuit?

Regardless of the outcome of criminal prosecution, or even if there was no criminal prosecution, victims can file a civil suit against the offender as well as the organization or institution that enabled them.

A civil lawsuit is a private lawsuit initiated by the victim and is separate from a criminal trial. It is the only means by which the crime victim receives financial compensation for the trauma and emotional distress, lost income, medical bills, counseling, psychiatric expenses, and other expenses caused by sexual abuse or serious personal injury.

Civil Cases Help Victims Find Restitution

Civil litigation, while imperfect, can also be an empowering and effective means by which victims of crime have an opportunity to confront their wrongdoer, be heard, and obtain some recognition of the harm they have suffered through financial compensation.

While money can never wholly compensate someone for the loss of a loved one or the trauma of victimization, it can provide relief to a victim in knowing there was some form of accountability. Financial compensation can help crime victims rebuild their lives by creating opportunities to improve living environments, obtain assistance in childcare or schooling, or receive professional counseling that will decrease stress and allow the survivor to focus on personal recovery.

Civil Lawsuits Can Hold the Enabler Responsible

If an authority figure, an organization, or an institution aided and enabled a crime, they can also be held liable in a civil lawsuit. This exposure to civil liability is a powerful incentive for government administrators, businessmen, landlords, and other proprietors to enact security measures necessary to prevent future victimizations. Battery, assault, and sexual abuse claims may include other grounds for liability such as vicarious liability (e.g. an institutional defendant is responsible for the misconduct of its employees); negligence (e.g. where an institution failed to monitor a staff member who abused a child); and breach of fiduciary duty (e.g. where a parent or teacher has failed to protect the child or breached their position of trust).

You and your family do not have to wait for a criminal prosecution and do not have to remain silent. You have the right to hold your offender financially accountable for all the harm they have caused. In some circumstances, the civil justice system might be the only means of accountability or consequences.

Victims of violent crime may also qualify for the Washington State Crime Victim Compensation Program, which is run by Washington State's Department of Labor and Industries, and temporarily helps victims with certain expenses such as lost wages, emergency medical care, or counseling. Sweetser Law Office can help determine whether you are eligible for the program.