February 25, 2019 — The New York State Assembly and State Senate has voted to dramatically extended the statute of limitations for sex abuse victims to file lawsuits.
Lawmakers unanimously approved changes to the Child Victims Act so the law will allow sex abuse victims to file lawsuits and criminal charges until they reach the age of 55.
The new law has also opened up a 1-year “look-back window” of opportunity for victims to revive old lawsuits if they had previously been frozen out by the older statute of limitations.
Before the changes, lawsuits were limited to victims under 23 years old, which was one of the most restrictive limitations in the U.S. — only Alabama and Mississippi had similarly strict rules, according to advocates.
Prosecutors can bring criminal charges until a victim of sex abuse is 28 years old, and victims could file lawsuits in civil court until age 55.
Groups including the Boy Scouts of America and the American Insurance Association quietly paid lobbyists to oppose the bill. New York’s Catholic Conference also forcefully opposed the bill. The state’s Catholic bishops later supported the Child Victims Act so long as it applied equally to public and private institutions.
Do I have a New York Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting sexual abuse induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been sexually abused, molested, raped or assaulted in New York, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Sexual Abuse Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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