Sexual assault lawsuit filed against Bill Cosby

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Sexual Abuse, on Thursday, December 18, 2014

Massachusetts residents who have been following the sexual assault allegations involving Bill Cosby may be interested to learn about a lawsuit that was recently filed against the actor. On Dec. 2, a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by the comedian in 1974 filed a lawsuit against him in Los Angeles Superior Court. Although 20 women have made public allegations that Cosby assaulted them, the civil claim marks the first legal action that has been taken against him. Cosby, now 77 years old, will have to answer to claims that he assaulted a 55-year-old woman when she was 15. The sexual abuse incident allegedly took place after Cosby invited the victim and her 16-year-old friend to the Playboy Mansion. Cosby is accused of forcing the woman to perform a sexual act without her consent. An attorney who has handled similar cases says that civil lawsuits can be filed against perpetrators of child sexual abuse decades after the incidents take place. In these types of cases, the normal statute of limitations is waived for the victims because they were children when the incidents occurred. Often, victims of child sexual abuse do not discover the root cause of their psychological injuries until many years have passed since they were abused. A person who would like to file a civil claim against an alleged abuser them might want to consult an attorney regarding their options. After looking into the details of the case, an attorney may be able to help the individual determine how the statute of limitations relates to their claim. In some situations, sexual abuse victims may be entitled to pursue compensation through a civil action many years after they were abused. Source: USA Today, “How does the Bill Cosby lawsuit change things?“, Ann Oldenburg, December 03, 2014