Rape and Sexual Abuse

Georgia Injury Lawyers

Violent Crime Victims - Rape - Sexual Assault

We know the repercussions of sexual assault last long after the incident. Many rape victims struggle with fears, depression, and strained relationships with friends and family. And there is the additional trauma of a criminal trial, requiring the person to relive the event in front of a roomful or strangers.

Goldstein & Hayes, PC, has a history of protecting the rights of clients who experienced a sexual assault because of the negligence of others. We pursue compensation from property owners who failed in a duty to reasonably protect our clients from harm.

Our Atlanta, Georgia sexual assault attorneys have represented clients statewide and in neighboring Southeastern states. These lawsuits typically fall into two categories:

• Failure to maintain premises: broken windows, flimsy locks and security doors or fences in disrepair enable sexual predators to gain entry to commit rapes, assaults and burglaries.
• Failure to provide adequate security: owners of apartment complexes, motels and hotels, parking garages, and other commercial properties are required to provide a safe atmosphere via proper lighting, security guards, security entrances, video surveillance and other measures.

Goldstein & Hayes, PC, aggressively pursues damages from the property owners who made the assault possible. We retain security experts to testify how the premises or security measures were inadequate to protect residents or visitors. The perpetrators of sex crimes rarely have personal assets worth pursuing, but if they do we will actively seek a judgment against that individual as well.

Our attorneys, Jim Goldstein and Jonathan Hayes, recently gained national attention following a landmark case before the Georgia Court of Appeals. The case (Banks v. Bouvé & Mohr, LLC)  involved a client who was raped in front of her two children after her attacker gained entry into her apartment through a missing windowpane. (She had repeatedly asked the building's owner to fix the broken windowpane.) After the assault, a police officer who also worked as a security guard at the apartment complex, was found to have destroyed evidence important to her case, the rape kit used by rape crises center personnel to examine the victim after the assault.

The trial court determined that the officer, acting as an agent of the apartment complex, intentionally destroyed the rape kit and the owners of the apartment complex were responsible for the spoliation. The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision against the apartment owner. The case established important legal precedent regarding sanctions against parties for the spoliation of evidence and the trial court’s power to use sanctions to “control the behavior of litigants before them to maintain the integrity of the judicial process.” Banks v. Bouvé & Mohr, LLC, 274 Ga. App. 758; 618 S.E.2d 650 (2005).

Our attorneys understand that a trust has already been broken, and we strive to be compassionate in our representation. Sexual assault victims are invited to a free consultation to discuss a possible claim for damages. We will never present false hopes, but give an honest appraisal of the case based on the available facts. If we take your case, you can be assured of thorough, aggressive pursuit of justice, and close communication throughout the case. We are fully prepared to negotiate settlements or take a case to trial, always according to the client's wishes.