Church Sex Abuse Lawsuits

On this page, we will look at church sex abuse lawsuits. We will explain the legal claims and theories behind these cases and we will also look at the average settlement payout in sex abuse lawsuits against churches.

Our clergy sex abuse lawyers are currently accepting sexual abuse cases against churches across the country. If you were the victim of sexual abuse by a priest, pastor, or other church member, contact us today to see if you have a case.

Sexual Abuse Within Churches

The sad reality of child sexual abuse by ministers, priests, and other church officials has gained widespread public attention and increased scrutiny over the last decade. This current of awareness has been fueled by a series of very high profile scandals involving sexual abuse and cover-ups—particularly within the Catholic Church.

What usually happens is that a priest, pastor or other clergy member start sexually abusing young children within their congregation. Usually, the abuse victims are children that have been entrusted to the care of the church for religious or learning activities such as bible study, summer camps, Sunday school, etc. When reports or complaints about the abuse are received, the Church tends to suppress them or, in some cases, actively cover up the abuse.

When a child is sexually abused by a priest, minister, or other church authority figure, the psychological consequences can be profound and lifelong. Survivors of clergy abuse carry deep emotional scars that can disrupt their lives in lasting ways. However, growing awareness of this crisis has empowered many victims to come forward and seek justice. Changes in the law have also strengthened their ability to hold abusive clergy—and the institutions that enabled them—accountable.

Suing Churches for Sex Abuse

Until recently, victims of clergy sexual abuse had few legal options for seeking justice. Criminal charges were often unpredictable, depending on the willingness of state authorities to investigate and prosecute. Civil lawsuits were also frequently out of reach because the statute of limitations deadline often expired long before the victims were ready to come forward. Another problem was that the law made it difficult to hold the Church itself liable for the individual acts of its clergy.

Today, the legal landscape has changed significantly. Many states have revised their laws to extend or eliminate the statute of limitations for civil sexual abuse claims. States like New York and New Jersey have completely removed these time restrictions, allowing survivors to file lawsuits regardless of when the abuse occurred. Around 32 states have passed new laws or amended existing laws extending the deadline for filing civil lawsuits based on child sexual abuse. Some states, like Maryland, have gone a step further and totally eliminated any statute of limitations deadlines on these cases.

The law has also begun to change somewhat in favor of holding churches financially responsible for sexual abuse. This has mainly been in response to mounting evidence showing that church authorities not only knew about sexual abuse but actively worked to conceal it. As a result, churches themselves have become viable defendants in civil lawsuits.

While much of the public focus has been on sexual abuse claims within the Roman Catholic Church—given the sheer volume of cases—the issue of clergy abuse extends beyond Catholic institutions. Religious organizations of various denominations have also faced allegations, demonstrating that this crisis is not confined to a single faith or institution.

Damages in Church Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Victims who successfully file sex abuse lawsuits against a church or religious organization are entitled to financial compensation for the harm they have suffered. These civil damages can cover various aspects of their losses, including:

• Pain & Suffering: Emotional and psychological trauma are among the most significant consequences of clergy abuse. As a result, pain and suffering damages typically make up a substantial portion of settlements or verdicts.
• Medical Expenses: Survivors can seek compensation for both past and future medical costs related to the abuse. This often includes lifelong mental health counseling, therapy, and other necessary treatments.
• Lost Income: If a victim can demonstrate that the abuse and its lasting effects negatively impacted their career or earning potential, they may be entitled to compensation for lost wages or diminished future earnings.
• Punitive Damages: In some states, victims may also be awarded punitive damages, which are intended to punish the defendant and deter similar misconduct in the future.

These damages help provide survivors with the financial resources they need for healing and recovery while holding religious institutions accountable for their negligence or misconduct.

Churches Have Paid Billions in Settlement Compensation

In the last 15 years, churches and religious organizations in the U.S. have paid victims of clergy sexual abuse nearly $4 billion in settlement compensation. Most of this has been paid by the Catholic Church, but the Mormon Church (LDS) and others have also paid millions in compensation.

Catholic churches across the country have been forced to file for bankruptcy to deal with mounting liabilities from sexual abuse claims. It is important to understand, however, that if a Catholic Diocese files bankruptcy, it does NOT mean that victims will not get compensation. It just means that the settlement process will be administered by the bankruptcy court. The Archdiocese of Los Angles filed for bankruptcy and still has almost $1 billion in compensation to sex abuse victims.

State Investigations Into Church Sex Abuse

Officials (usually the state Attorney General office) in many states have recently conducted formal investigations in allegations of sexual abuse and institutional cover-up within church organizations. Most of these investigations have focused on sexual abuse and cover-up within the Catholic Church.

The end result of most of these investigations is usually a lengthy investigation report detailing various findings regarding sexual abuse within the church dating back several decades. These AG investigation reports usually contain a list of names of priests and other clergy against whom “credible accusations” of child sexual abuse have been made.

Settlement Value of Church Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Filing a civil lawsuit for clergy sexual abuse can be an emotionally challenging process for victims. Before moving forward, many survivors want to understand how much compensation they might receive and their likelihood of success.

Lawsuits involving sexual abuse by priests or church officials generally have high potential value. This is driven by a number of factors, but it starts with the fact that most churches have a lot of financial resources and they often have liability insurance policies to cover settlements also.

Strong clergy sex abuse cases typically have a settlement value of $250,000 to $350,000. However, depending on the circumstances, settlements can be significantly higher, sometimes reaching into the millions. The average settlement can be misleading, as older cases past the statute of limitations often settle for much lower amounts.

One advantage of clergy sex abuse lawsuits is that they tend to settle more frequently than other types of cases. If the victim has credible evidence of abuse, most churches prefer to resolve the matter quietly rather than risk negative publicity. As a result, these cases rarely go to trial.

Contact Our Church Sex Abuse Lawyers

If you are considering filing a civil sex abuse lawsuit against a church, contact us at 888-322-3010 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.