Against an all girls religious high school for negligent supervision of a teacher who engaged in sexual conduct with a student on school property
Construction worker suffered serious brain injury after falling 20 feet due to lack of required fall protection
Against a University for Child Sexual Abuse
Against a psychiatric hospital for their failure to prevent a woman in their care from being sexually assaulted.
Against a religious organization because of their negligent supervision of a pedophile priest who sexually abused a child
Against a correctional facility for negligently supervising a guard that physically and sexually abused an inmate in their care
Against child protective services for their failures in preventing the sexual abuse of a child within their care and custody
Defective punch press machinery work accident case.
Dock worker run over by a forklift at a cruise ship terminal causing catastrophic injuries
Nail gun defect case that cause permanent injuries to a worker
Nail gun accident where nail gun discharged sideways resulting in a nail hitting user’s eye
DUI accident, bar alcohol liability & medical malpractice case in Philadelphia (January 2014)
Surgical infection, medical malpractice case in Philadelphia
Drugstore sidewalk fall accident, hip fracture with surgery, filed in Philadelphia
A union carpenter fell through an interior mobile scaffold while at work, suffering bilateral calcaneal fractures
A construction worker fell 20 feet because he was not provided with fall protection
A construction accident involving a union roofer who was working without fall protection and fell from a roof resulting in a permanent paraplegic injury
On the job injury to a union carpenter who fell through an interior mobile scaffold, suffering bilateral calcaneal fractures
A construction accident on the job involving a union roofer who was working without fall protection and fell from a roof resulting in permanent paraplegic injury
Factory supervisor’s hand was crushed at work due to faulty equipment/machine.
Worker sustained severe burn injuries as a result of an electrical explosion.
Chemical exposure causing burn and inhalation injuries to three union carpenters.
Work accident resulting in an above the knee amputation of the worker’s leg
Philadelphia Kimmel Center construction collapse causing catastrophic injuries
Parking garage collapse at an Atlantic City, New Jersey hotel, killing 4 and injuring 30 (largest construction accident settlement in U.S. history)
Stadium demolition accident which occurred when a front loader fell through a ceiling (Philadelphia, PA)
Forklift accident at marine terminal in New Jersey
Crane accident resulting in leg amputation and other injuries during casino construction (Philadelphia, PA)
Construction worker killed when he came into contact with an uncapped, live electrical wire
Injuries incurred in a workplace accident where plaintiff sustained severe burn injuries as a result of an electrical explosion
The electrocution death of a union electrician on the job, when electrical switch gear malfunctioned
Wrongful death of a union carpenter who died on the job after falling through temporary decking at a local bridge
Wrongful death of a tow truck driver who died on the job when he was accidentally run over by his own tow truck
Wrongful death by electrocution of a union electrician on the job, when electrical switchgear malfunctioned
Slip and fall at an airport
Fatal shooting of a tenant at an apartment complex
A woman violently attacked by bar security personnel without provocation
A horrific incident where a woman was killed after her apartment complex was demolished while she remained in the building
Slip and fall case where client suffered serious personal injuries from a fall
A car accident resulting in serious personal injuries to the plaintiff
A tragic case where a man suffered serious permanent injuries when a tree fell onto his car while he was driving along a public road in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
A car crash where the motor vehicle accident resulted in two passengers being killed and another injured, after a restaurant served too much alcohol to the driver of their vehicle
The on the job injury to a union carpenter who fell through an interior mobile scaffold while at work, suffering bilateral calcaneal fractures
Injuries on the job incurred by a factory supervisor when his hand was crushed at work due to faulty equipment
Injuries incurred in a workplace accident on the job where plaintiff sustained severe burn injuries as a result of an electrical explosion
An inadvertent release of dangerous chemicals at a local oil company, causing on the job burn and inhalation injuries to three union carpenters
Construction worker suffered serious brain injury after falling 20 feet due to lack of required fall protection
A construction accident on the job where union laborer was killed while working on the fourth floor of a building because there was no fall protection
Against an all girls religious high school for negligent supervision of a teacher who engaged in sexual conduct with a student on school property
Student sexually harassed and assaulted by high school teacher
Molestation case against sitting state court judge who admitted to the abuse, resigned from the bench and was then disbarred
negligent care of elderly man resulting in hip fractures after fall from hospital bed
negligent transection of common hepatic duct during surgery
71 year old man died due to an undiagnosed e-coli infection
Man died following improper diagnosis and treatment of endocarditis
A construction accident on the job involving union roofer who was working without fall protection and fell from a roof resulting in permanent paraplegic injury
A construction accident on the job involving union roofer who fell from a roof because there was no fall protection and suffered quadriplegia
Nail gun accident where nail gun discharged sideways resulting in a nail hitting user’s eye
Defective punch press machinery work accident case.
For a 67-year-old New Jersey man who suffered serious injury in a motor vehicle accident on the Atlantic City Expressway
For a child who was sexually abused by a clergy member
Union carpenter sustained serious shoulder injuries when he fell after stepping on another contractor’s debris (March 2015)
Against a Christian Board School and other defendants that allowed horrific acts of sexual and physical violence against the young children in their care.
The on the job injury to a union carpenter who fell through an interior mobile scaffold while at work, suffering bilateral calcaneal fractures
Wrongful death by electrocution of a union electrician on the job, when electrical switchgear malfunctioned
Man who was killed when his car fell off of a 3 floor parking garage due to defective vehicle barrier protection system
The collapse of a parking garage at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City that injured over 30 construction workers on the job and killed 4 men working on the project (largest construction accident settlement in U.S. history).
Against a fraternity for negligently serving alcohol which resulted in a stabbing assault of two frat party attendees
A workplace accident on the job resulting in below-the-knee amputation of the plaintiff’s right leg
An on the job injury where an union carpenter fell on a construction site and was injured because of defective fall protection equipment
A car crash resulting in a passenger suffering permanent quadriplegic injuries
We’re a very sports-oriented culture. Whether it’s watching professional sports on tv or participating in school sports; our children are exposed to sports early on. Parents have many options for their children to excel in a specific sport. Day camps, overnight camps, clinics and lessons are available all year round for almost all youth sports. Parents however, need to be aware of the rampant child sexual abuse that occurs in youth sports, which can be committed by any adult who works with children, including coaches, assistants, volunteers, trainers, medical staff, and gym or facility owners. The abuse can also come from other children. Often times this is done through bullying and/or hazing that adults running the program are fully aware oftentimes.
Sadly, in recent years, we have seen an explosion in the number of cases across the country. The numbers of criminal cases and civil lawsuits have risen drastically in the last 5 to 10 years. Bringing these kinds of lawsuits for our clients, we see that no industry, no profession, is safe. Child sex abuse can and does occur in practically every situation.
Recently, there has been a large scale investigation into gymnastics in the U.S. Over 300 people, the majority of them women, have reported being sexually abused as a child by a coach, gym owner or other adult associated with a gym. The allegations span the course of decades and involve reports of a cover up by the national gymnastics governing body. Investigation shows that abusers were allowed to move quietly from gym to gym.
In addition, there was the Penn State Jerry Sandusky case in Pennsylvania. Sandusky, a former member of the coaching staff at Penn State, was convicted of sexually abusing young boys over a period of decades. He was given access to the sports facilities at the college where at least one act of rape in the 1990s was witnessed by a school employee who reportedly told his supervisors. However, the reports were effectively swept under the rug, and Sandusky claimed additional victims through his nonprofit organization for at-risk youth.
The allegations in the gymnastics child sex abuse investigation mirror the epidemic of sex abuse in large institutions like schools or religious institutions like the Catholic Church, where large numbers of priests have been accused of abusing children while church officials turned a blind eye, or in the most egregious cases, actively suppressed reports of abuse. Many of the case have been validated across the country. In Pennsylvania alone, there have been multiple grand jury investigations into allegations of widespread abuse, hundreds of children across the state abused by dozens of priests. Dozens of lawsuits have followed.
The reality is that child sex abuse occurs in sports, just as often as it does in churches or schools. It’s only now getting media attention, and as a result, we can certainly expect to see more cases emerge in the future.
Victims have rights in both the criminal and civil justice systems, which are entirely separate and distinct from one another. Criminal case and civil lawsuits can be filed independently of each other. For instance, even if a criminal case fails, a civil lawsuit can still be successful.
Oftentimes, victims of sex abuse believe that their only recourse is to file a criminal complaint. This is entirely untrue. Victims of sex abuse have civil legal rights against both the perpetrators of the abuse, as well as any entity which allowed the abuse to occur, either through negligence or intentional misconduct.
Negligence is usually defined as the failure to do something you should do. In the context of a child sex abuse case in sports, this usually involves failing to investigate a report of abuse or failing to train employees on protocol for handling reports of abuse. Negligence is also defined as doing something you should not do. Here are two examples of this kind of negligence in the context of a child sex abuse case involving sports: 1. forcing a coach to “retire” after reports of sex abuse, and 2. handling a report “in-house” and failing to contact law enforcement when required to do so under state or federal law.
Intentional misconduct is generally defined as taking actions that show a conscious or willful disregard for the rights and safety of another person. In sports sex abuse cases, this means doing things like “passing the trash,” i.e., giving good recommendations to a suspected abuser so the abuser can get a job elsewhere. It also involves doing things like strong-arming a victim or the victim’s parents into silence. For example, a child who shows real promise in baseball attends a camp where he is molested by an assistant coach. The parents, who are immigrants, confront the camp owner who threatens the parents with deportation if they file criminal charges. When the evidence shows that a sports facility engaged in this type of conduct, it can be held liable for punitive damages.
In sports abuse cases, a coach, gym, camp, etc. can be held liable in a civil lawsuit. If the evidence shows that an employee knew or otherwise should have known about the abuse but failed to take appropriate, reasonable action, the employer can be liable.
Individuals who file civil lawsuits in any child sex abuse case, including those that occur at sports facilities, have the right to ask a court to award financial compensation for any economic losses and pain and suffering. Economic losses include medical or psychological treatment bills.
Pain and suffering is the mental and emotional harm caused by the abuse. Children who are sexually abused often exhibit a wide range of mental and emotional harm, depending on the extent and length of the abuse. In many cases, the effects are felt well into adulthood. There is no magic formula to determine a financial compensation award for pain and suffering. Each case varies and depends on the evidence.
In many instances, these types of lawsuits can result in significant, positive change in the organization. A victim can demand a public apology or the implementation of procedures and protocols to prevent future abuse. For instance, a settlement agreement may require the sports facility to implement protocols for the reporting of acts of abuse and also provide mandatory training for all employees.
Related Child Sex Abuse Case Result: 6 figure recovery for a man who was sexually molested as a child by a judge. The criminal statute of limitations had expired, meaning the judge could not be prosecuted. However, a civil lawsuit against the judge resulted in a written admission of the abuse, resignation from the bench and subsequent disbarment. See Kelly v. Bradley (Case# 1:09-ev-00282-LDD).
Laffey, Bucci & Kent’s experienced attorneys are passionate about helping victims of sex abuse and assault. Our lawyers are rated as top lawyers in the field of personal injury.
Firm partner Brian Kent is a former sex crimes unit prosecutor who has been featured in local and national news about his expertise in the area of child molestation and sex abuse. Our law firm handles cases nationwide. Call for a free consultation.
Children should be safe to participate in sports without fear of being abused. Unfortunately, we live in a world where dangerous predators gravitate towards these programs to access victims. Children need a strong protector.
Jeffrey Laffey, Founding Partner
Yes, survivors of physical or sexual abuse by coaches or other individuals associated with youth sports organizations can take legal action against the responsible parties and the organizations that employed or supervised them. Youth sports organizations have a duty to protect the children participating in their programs, and when they fail to do so, they may be held liable for damages.
If you or your child has been a victim of abuse within a youth sports organization, it is essential to take the following steps:
In a youth sports organization abuse case, survivors may be eligible to recover various types of damages, including:
The attorneys at Laffey, Bucci & Kent have extensive experience representing survivors of abuse in youth sports organizations. As former prosecutors, our team has a unique understanding of the legal and procedural issues involved in these cases. We can help you:
With a national presence and a team of dedicated attorneys, Laffey, Bucci & Kent is prepared to advocate for your rights and help you achieve the best possible outcome in your youth sports organization abuse case.
“Blessed” Brian was the defender I needed for my case.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1100 Ludlow Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
(215) 399-9255