Helped Clients Recover Over $25 Billion. Since 1979.
Helped Clients Recover Over $25 Billion. Since 1979.
Sexual abuse can cause lifelong trauma—but you are not alone, and you are not powerless. At The Schenk Law Firm, we represent survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and sex trafficking in some of the most challenging and often overlooked environments: California schools, rideshare platforms like Uber and Lyft, and hotels or businesses that knowingly facilitate trafficking or fail to intervene. We bring a trauma-informed, survivor-centered approach to every case and work to hold individuals and institutions accountable for enabling or turning a blind eye to abuse.
If you’ve experienced sexual abuse, you are not alone—and chances are, you may not have been the only victim. Abusers often harm multiple people, and institutions that fail to protect victims often do so repeatedly. Filing a civil lawsuit not only allows you to hold the perpetrator and enabling institutions accountable, but it can also help protect others from future harm.
At The Schenk Law Firm, we work with survivors to seek justice on their own terms. A civil lawsuit gives you a voice, the ability to demand accountability, and the opportunity to access compensation for the harm you’ve endured.
A successful civil sexual abuse lawsuit can result in financial compensation—not as a price tag on your trauma, but as a resource to support your healing and recovery. Compensation may cover:
While no amount of money can undo what happened, it can help you move forward with greater stability and access to the care you need.
It’s important to understand the difference between civil and criminal legal actions:
Civil lawsuits don’t result in a criminal conviction—but they can hold perpetrators and institutions publicly accountable and lead to significant financial recovery for survivors and their families.
At The Schenk Law Firm, we understand that taking legal action is deeply personal and often re-traumatizing. That’s why we work with care and confidentiality at every step:
California schools—both public and private—have faced a surge of lawsuits from survivors who were sexually abused by teachers, coaches, staff, or fellow students. Many of these cases became possible because of Assembly Bill 218 (AB 218), a landmark law that expanded the legal rights of childhood sexual abuse survivors.
What Is AB 218?
Signed into law in October 2019 and effective January 1, 2020, AB 218 changed how and when survivors of childhood sexual abuse can seek justice in civil court.
Key Legal Protections Under AB 218:
According to the New York Times, thousands of lawsuits have already been filed across California under AB 218, with school districts facing up to $3 billion in claims.—many against school districts, youth programs, churches, and juvenile detention centers. If you were abused in a school or youth setting, you may still have time to act, depending on your age or when you discovered the trauma.
Sexual assault during rideshare trips has become a major public safety concern in recent years. Uber and Lyft’s own safety reports confirm a persistent problem despite safety pledges and technology upgrades.
We work with expert clinicians to document the full psychological and physical impact of abuse, including:
| Claim Type | Filing Deadline | Key Extensions |
|---|---|---|
| Childhood sexual abuse | Age 40 or 5 years from trauma discovery | AB 218 retroactively extended limits |
| Adult sexual assault (e.g., rideshare) | 10 years from assault or 3 years from discovery | CCP § 340.16 (California Code of Civil Procedure) |
You don’t need to suffer in silence. Whether you were harmed as a child in school or recently during a rideshare trip, The Schenk Law Firm is here to help. We listen. We believe. We fight.