New Jersey about to significantly extend the statute of limitations for sexual abuse cases

Victims of sexual abuse in New Jersey are anxiously waiting for Governor Murphy to sign a bill that was passed by the legislature and that would extend the two-year statute of limitations in civil cases for sexual-assault victims.

The bill which was passed on March 25 by both houses of the New Jersey State legislature significantly expands the statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases by giving victims until 55 year old to file a lawsuit if they were under 18 at the time of the abuse. (see the bill for details). The governor said he was supporting the bill.

The bill also offers a two-year window for any victim of sexual abuse in New Jersey who was previously blocked by the existing statute of limitations from bringing a case to bring one.

The decision of the New Jersey legislature follow the recent decision of New York State to expand its statute of limitations (see previous blog).

The New Jersey Catholic Church which has long been opposed to such legislation is now agreeing with the idea but asked the State to delay the implementation of the law so victims can first file claims through the church’s own victims’ compensation program rather than go to court.

If you are a victim of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church we would highly recommend that you consult a lawyer before making any type of agreement with the Catholic Church compensation program as you may obtained a much smaller amount than what you would obtain in a civil lawsuit.

Our compassionate sexual abuse lawyers offer free consultation for victims of sexual abuse In New York State and New Jersey. They recently obtained a 27.5 million settlement on behalf of 4 boys who were abused by a catechism teacher working for the Diocese of Brooklyn. This was the largest sexual abuse settlement ever in the country.