The Maclaren Hall Sexual Abuse Settlement Process
What to Expect During the Maclaren Hall Sexual Abuse Compensation Process: From Filing to Settlement
MacLaren Hall, a children’s center, was a state-run adolescent group in California that came in news after reports of child sexual abuse. This accusation of sexual abuses went unheard or neglected for over 40 years until it was shut down in 2003.
Hundreds of former residents of the child center care, since its closure, came out with claims of sexual exploitation they experienced while their stay at the group home. If you were one of those who was abused sexually at the center at the MacLaren Hall than our sexual abuse attorney can be of a help for you in seeking a compensation that you deserve against the crime.
Our law firm is ready to guide you and provide with the information that is needed to gain a better understanding of past settlements and potentiality of what you may recover via a lawsuit.
Eligibility Requirements
The limitations for these types of lawsuits can be quite complicated, & this is a reason that you should talk to an experienced lawyer for a consultation. If you are a victim of the MacLaren Hall abuse than you may be eligible to seek eligible to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for the harm you underwent as a child at the children’s home. To being the process, you can fill out the sexual abuse form available with us.
Our attorney’s will work with these details to prepare your case for trail and will fight for your rights ensuring a compensation you deserve for the harm that you faced. In the process, your Attorney will do most of the work of collecting evidences on your behalf which include negligence and harm
The proof of negligence will depend on who committed the sexual abuse, if the abuser was an employee or staff member of the MacLaren hall, your attorney will have to show that they were unfit for the position to work with children. On the other hand, if the perpetrator was another juvenile resident of the same hall than he will have to prove that necessary precautions to keep the residents’ safe were not taken.
In total, it will be necessary to prove that the sexual abuse occurred and the MacLaren Hall knew or should have known about the incident occurring within its premise. This can be done via medical bills and future medical expenses that is needed to take care of the health conditions that developed as a result of the abuse.
Filing Your Claim
Filing a claim for the abuses you faced at the MacLaren Hall can be a complex and emotional process. Filing a claim or lawsuit may require certain things from you and they can be:
- You or your loved one should have been a resident of the MacLaren Hall
- You will have to provide detailed information about your experiences at the institution
- The experiences may include witness statements, medical records and evidences to support your case.
Interestingly, the California Legislature in 2019 passed the California Child Victims Act that came into effect on January 1, 2020. The new law provides a ‘Lookback’ window of three years that enables victims of the childhood sexual abuse residing in the MacLaren Hall to take legal action against the offenders and other responsible parties. The victims of childhood sexual abuse can take legal action until they reach the age of 40.
In addition, the law also recognizes that the child victims of sexual abuse may not be able to understand the crime that was committed against them until later half in the life, which allows a permanent exception to the statute of limitations. And, in such cases, the law allows the legal action five years from the date when they discovered the abuse or reaches age 40, whichever is later.
The Compensation Process
In case, you were a resident of MacLaren Hall who was abused sexually then you may be entitled to financial compensation. But if you are asking about the compensation that you may get after filing a lawsuit in the case than we can say that every case is unique in itself and would have their own set of circumstances. Thus, the compensation you can get for your claim can vary case-to-case depending on the evidences you provide and other complex legal issues. However, there can be three different kinds of damages that you can purse in the civil action against MacLaren Hall and they are economic damages, non-economic damages and punitive
Out of this the economic and non-economic damage is allowed under the California law to compensate the victims’ harms and losses. On the other hand, the punitive damages can be carried on to punish the defendant or offender for their wrongful conduct against you.
- Economic Damages: The economic damages are calculated objectively and may include medical bills, therapy, mental health counselling, loss of wages and loss of earning capacity.
- Non-economic Damages: These are subjective to damages that cannot be calculated objectively and it may include emotional distress, pain & sufferings, inconvenience, loss of society and humiliation.
- Punitive Damages: Such damages are awarded when fraudulent, oppressive or malicious acts take place. These damages are meant to punish the offenders.
If you have a question of what can be the average value you can get in case against MacLaren Hall that we can just say that it is a complicated question to answer as every abuse case has its own set of standards like age of the victim, types and degree of abuse and its impact on the victim’s life.
Conclusion
The MacLaren Hall lawsuit is an important case shedding light in the issue of child sexual abuse in the institutions which were created or are created for the purpose of looking after them and their well-being. If you have been a victim of the sexual abuse while being housed at the MacLaren Hall than this is a time to stand up and speak against your abuser or abusers accountable and get them punished.
To being with, you can contact us today to schedule a confidential consultation. Our team of attorneys’ will work tirelessly to get you file a lawsuit seeking a compensation.