What happened to you was not your fault. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse or sexual assault—or you are seeking justice for someone you love—you deserve to be heard, believed, and treated with dignity. You also deserve to know that you have powerful options, including the right to hold accountable not only an individual abuser, but the institutions whose failures allowed the abuse to happen.
At Gilman & Bedigian, we represent survivors in sexual abuse litigation with compassion, discretion, and determination. We understand the courage it takes to come forward, and we never lose sight of it. Whether the abuse happened recently or many years ago, whether you have told no one or everyone, we are here to listen, to answer your questions, and to help you understand your rights—entirely at your own pace.
You are not alone. If you need confidential support, the National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) is available 24/7, free and confidential, at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Speaking with us is also free and fully confidential.
When you are ready, we are here. Call 1-800-529-6162 (phones answered 24/7) or request a free, confidential consultation online. There is no fee unless we win your case.
Institutional Sexual Abuse Litigation
Sexual abuse rarely happens in isolation. Again and again, survivors learn that an organization knew—or should have known—about the danger and failed to act. Institutional accountability is at the heart of our sexual abuse litigation: holding responsible the schools, organizations, and institutions whose negligence created the opportunity for abuse and whose silence too often allowed it to continue.
This focus matters because the institution is frequently where meaningful accountability lies. It is often the only way to expose what an organization knew, to access the resources needed to support a survivor's recovery, and to force the systemic changes that protect others. A civil claim cannot undo what happened—but it can hold the powerful accountable and give survivors a measure of justice on their own terms.
A civil claim is also separate from any criminal case. You can pursue civil justice even if no criminal charges were filed, even if a criminal case ended without a conviction, and even if the abuse happened years or decades ago. Civil cases use a lower standard of proof and are brought by the survivor, for the survivor.
Where Institutional Abuse Happens
We help survivors pursue accountability across a range of institutional settings, including:
School Abuse
Abuse by teachers, coaches, staff, or other students in K-12 schools, universities, private schools, and daycares—often involving failures of screening, supervision, mandatory reporting, and a school's special duty to protect students. (See our dedicated school sexual abuse page.)
Religious Organizations
Abuse within religious institutions and faith-based programs, frequently involving the exploitation of trust and, in too many cases, institutional efforts to conceal abuse or move an abuser rather than stop them.
Youth Organizations
Abuse within scouting, camps, mentoring programs, and other youth-serving organizations—often involving a failure to follow youth-protection policies designed to prevent exactly this harm. (See our dedicated youth-organization abuse page.)
Sports Organizations
Abuse within youth and elite sports—by coaches, trainers, and officials—where the power dynamics of competition and the access afforded to adults can be exploited, and where governing bodies may have failed to enact or enforce safeguards.
We also represent survivors abused in other settings, including foster care, residential and juvenile facilities, medical settings, the workplace, rideshare and hospitality settings, and care facilities. If your situation is not listed here, please reach out—we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
Not sure whether your situation fits? It costs nothing to ask. Call 1-800-529-6162 or request a confidential consultation.
How Institutions Fail—and How They Are Held Accountable
Institutions can be held legally responsible for sexual abuse through several theories, depending on the facts:
- Negligent hiring, supervision, and retention — failing to screen, supervise, or remove someone who posed a danger.
- Failure to protect — disregarding a known or foreseeable risk to those in the institution's care.
- Failure to report — ignoring mandatory-reporting obligations or suppressing complaints.
- Grooming that went unaddressed — failing to recognize and interrupt the patterns by which abusers build trust, isolate a victim, and test boundaries, despite warning signs that responsible adults should have seen.
- Cover-ups and institutional indifference — choosing to protect the institution's reputation over the people it served, by burying complaints, quietly transferring an abuser, or pressuring survivors into silence.
Exposing what an institution knew, and when, is central to these cases—and it is the work we do.
Understanding Delayed Disclosure
One of the most important and widely misunderstood aspects of sexual abuse is that survivors often do not disclose what happened until long after the fact—frequently not until adulthood, and sometimes only after decades. This is not a weakness in a survivor's account; it is one of the most well-documented realities of abuse. Shame, fear, trauma, manipulation by the abuser, and the betrayal of a trusted institution all contribute to delayed disclosure.
The law has increasingly come to recognize this reality. Many states have reformed their statutes of limitations to give survivors of childhood sexual abuse far more time to come forward, and some have opened temporary "revival" or "lookback" windows that allow previously time-barred claims to be brought. These laws vary significantly by state and continue to change.
Because of this, the single most important thing a survivor should know is not to assume it is too late. Even survivors who were once told that too much time had passed may now have options under reformed laws. The only way to know is to ask.
Don't assume your time has passed. Let us check for you, confidentially and at no cost. Call 1-800-529-6162 or contact us online.
Survivor Rights and Confidentiality
Coming forward is deeply personal, and survivors often worry about privacy and about losing control of their own story. Protecting both is central to how we work.
You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect throughout the legal process. You have the right to confidentiality: your consultation with us is private, and in many cases survivors can pursue a claim while protecting their identity—for example, by filing under a pseudonym such as "Jane Doe" or "John Doe," subject to court approval. You have the right to set the pace: you are never obligated to do anything you are not ready to do, and you remain in control of the decisions that affect your life.
For many survivors, being believed and seeing an institution held accountable matters as much as any financial recovery. We honor that. Our role is to advocate for what you need and to carry the legal burden so you can focus on healing.
Compensation and Accountability
No amount of compensation can erase what a survivor has endured. But a civil claim can provide real and necessary support, and it can force accountability that nothing else can. Depending on the circumstances, available damages may include the cost of therapy, counseling, and mental health treatment, now and in the future; related medical expenses; lost income and reduced earning, educational, or career capacity; compensation for pain, suffering, and emotional distress; compensation for the lasting impact on a survivor's life and relationships; and, in certain cases involving especially egregious conduct or institutional cover-ups, punitive damages. We will explain how the law in your jurisdiction applies—always honestly and without pressure.
What to Expect When You Reach Out
We know that contacting a law firm about something this personal can feel daunting, so here is what working with us looks like. Your first conversation is free, confidential, and pressure-free. We listen. We answer your questions. We explain your options in plain language, including whether the law in your situation may allow a claim and what holding the responsible institution accountable could involve. If we believe we can help, we explain the next steps; if we don't, we tell you honestly and, where we can, point you toward other resources.
If you move forward, we handle the investigation—seeking the institution's records, policies, prior complaints, and personnel files to uncover what it knew and when—and we deal with the institution and its lawyers and insurers so you don't have to. We protect your privacy wherever possible, you remain in control of the decisions that affect your life, and you set the pace throughout. Our role is to carry the legal burden so you can focus on healing.
Why Survivors Trust Gilman & Bedigian
Choosing a firm to stand beside you in something this personal is a significant decision. Survivors come to Gilman & Bedigian because of how we treat them and because of what we are able to do.
We lead with compassion. We are a team of experienced trial attorneys, founded by Charles Gilman and Briggs Bedigian, and we approach every survivor with respect, patience, and an unwavering commitment to their dignity and privacy. We believe survivors, we listen carefully, and we move at the pace that is right for you.
We also have the experience and resources to take on powerful institutions—and a track record of doing exactly that. We have recovered more than $800 million for injured victims and families, and we are known as trial attorneys willing and able to take major institutions to court. Our results include some of the largest medical malpractice and birth injury verdicts in Maryland and Pennsylvania history—among them a $182 million verdict and a $55 million verdict against Johns Hopkins Hospital—demonstrating our willingness to stand up to large, well-funded organizations and win. Our work has been recognized by the American Association for Justice, Super Lawyers, and an A-rating from the Better Business Bureau. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; each case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts.
With offices in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas, we handle serious cases nationwide in cooperation with local counsel. And because we work on a contingency-fee basis, there is no fee unless we win your case.
When you are ready, reach out. Call 1-800-529-6162 (answered 24/7) or request a free, confidential consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sexual Abuse Litigation
Can I sue an institution, not just the individual abuser?
Yes, and often the institution is the central focus. Schools, religious organizations, youth and sports programs, and other institutions can be held responsible when their negligence—such as failing to screen, supervise, protect, or report—allowed abuse to occur. Reaching the institution is frequently where civil law makes the greatest difference.
Can I still pursue a claim if the abuse happened years ago?
Possibly. Many states have expanded their deadlines or opened temporary windows that allow older childhood sexual abuse claims to be brought. These laws vary by state and change frequently, so the only way to know is to ask—even if you were told before that it was too late.
Do I need to have reported the abuse to the police?
No. A civil claim does not require a police report, criminal charges, or a conviction. Many survivors never report to law enforcement, for many valid reasons. A civil claim is separate from the criminal system and proceeds on its own.
Will my name be made public?
Not necessarily. In many cases, survivors can pursue a claim while protecting their identity, such as by filing under a pseudonym, subject to court approval. Your consultation with us is always confidential.
Why do survivors often wait years to come forward?
Delayed disclosure is one of the most well-documented realities of sexual abuse. Shame, fear, trauma, manipulation, and the betrayal of a trusted institution all contribute. The law increasingly recognizes this, which is why many states have expanded the time survivors have to file.
What can a civil claim provide?
Depending on the circumstances, a claim may provide compensation for therapy and mental health treatment, medical costs, lost income or educational and career impact, and pain and suffering—and, in certain cases, punitive damages. Just as importantly, it can provide accountability and help protect others.
How much does it cost to hire a sexual abuse attorney?
Gilman & Bedigian handles these cases on a contingency-fee basis. There are no upfront costs, and you owe no attorney's fee unless we win your case. Your consultation is free and completely confidential.
What if I'm not sure I'm ready?
That is completely understandable. There is no obligation in reaching out, and we will never pressure you. You can ask questions, learn your options, and decide what feels right for you, whenever you are ready.
You Deserve to Be Heard. We Are Ready to Listen.
Coming forward takes courage, and there is no "right" timeline for healing or for seeking justice. Whatever you have been through, and whenever it happened, you deserve to be treated with compassion and respect—and you deserve advocates who will stand with you and hold the responsible institutions accountable.
Gilman & Bedigian is here when you are ready. We will listen, explain your options clearly, and tell you honestly how we can help. There is no cost to begin, no obligation, and no pressure.
Speak With a Compassionate Attorney Today
- Free, fully confidential consultation
- Survivor-centered, trauma-informed approach
- Experienced trial attorneys who take on powerful institutions
- No fee unless we win your case
When you are ready, contact Gilman & Bedigian. Call 1-800-529-6162 (answered 24/7) or request your free, confidential consultation.
Confidential support is also always available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), 24/7.
