Dallas Sexual Assault Attorney for Civil Claims

If you were sexually assaulted, you don’t have to convince us. We believe you. The work from here is figuring out who else is responsible. That might be an employer, a property owner, a bar that kept serving, or an institution that looked the other way. Each one is a different kind of civil case, and we handle all of them.

A fierce, female-owned plaintiffs’ firm that has been trying cases in Dallas since 2019.

Sexual assault is not one kind of civil case

A civil sexual assault case is separate from a criminal case. Criminal court decides whether the person who assaulted you is punished. A civil case asks who else is legally responsible and what they owe you. You can bring a civil claim whether or not anyone was ever arrested, charged, or convicted.

In most of these cases, the defendant is a company or an institution rather than the person who assaulted you. A parking garage with broken lights and no security. A bar that kept serving someone who was already visibly drunk. A hospital that kept a therapist on staff after complaints. Texas law treats each of those as a different legal theory, with a different defendant and a different set of facts you have to prove.

That distinction decides which cases get taken and which get turned away. Firms that run every sexual assault case as a negligent security claim against a property owner miss the ones that don’t fit that shape. Carter Law Group represents survivors across the full range of these claims: workplace sexual assault, premises, dram shop, homeowner insurance, institutional, trafficking, and emerging claims involving AI-generated imagery. We also try cases. The firm has tried four to verdict in the last two calendar years.

Situations that can support a civil claim

Sexual assault usually happens somewhere that somebody else had a duty to keep safe. These are the situations we see most often, and the kind of defendant each one points to.

Sexual assault in the workplace

Workplace sexual assault can be brought under personal injury theories instead of the employment process. That matters, because employment claims are subject to damages caps and personal injury claims are not.

Parking lots, garages, and hotels

When a property owner fails to provide adequate security and someone is assaulted on the property, that is a premises liability case. The defendant is the owner or operator of the property.

Apartment complexes and housing

Broken gates, dead cameras, and unlit walkways come up constantly in these cases. The claim runs against the complex or the management company for security they should have provided.

A bar or restaurant that over-served

Texas dram shop law allows a civil claim against an establishment that over-served alcohol to a customer who then committed a sexual assault. The defendant is the bar or restaurant.

An assault at someone else's home

When the assailant is a guest rather than the homeowner, the homeowner’s insurance policy may cover the claim. Policies typically exclude intentional acts by the homeowner, and a third-party assailant is a different situation.

Churches, schools, teams, and clinics

Institutional cases involve an assault by someone acting for an organization that enabled it or failed to stop it. Religious organizations, schools, youth sports programs, and healthcare settings all fall here.

Hotels, transport, and trafficking

Businesses that enabled or profited from sex trafficking can be sued civilly. That includes hotels, transportation providers, and online platforms that looked past what was happening.

AI imagery and predator platforms

An emerging area led by Senior Attorney Kassi Yukevich, covering claims tied to AI-generated explicit imagery and platforms that gave predators access to minors. The case law is young and we are watching it closely.

If any of that sounds like what happened to you, tell us. The consultation is free and there is no obligation.

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CALL (214) 390-4173

What to do while you decide about a civil case

You don’t have to have made a decision about a lawsuit to start protecting your options. A few things help, and none of them require you to talk to police, tell your family, or commit to anything.

01.

Take care of your safety and health

Medical care comes first, and it matters later too. A hospital or clinic visit creates a record with a date on it. Many hospitals can perform a sexual assault forensic exam, and having one done does not obligate you to file a police report. If you are not safe where you are, organizations like Genesis Women’s Shelter here in Dallas can help with that part long before anyone talks about a lawsuit.

02.

Write down what you remember

Memory for traumatic events does not come back in order. Write down what you have as you have it, with dates where you can. Where you were. Who was around. What the lighting was like. Whether a door that should have been locked was open. Details that feel meaningless now are often the ones that establish what a property owner or an employer already knew.

03.

Save anything that shows who knew

Texts, emails, HR complaints, incident reports, work schedules, badge records, receipts, and photos of the location. In a civil case, the question is usually what the company knew and when. Records showing a prior complaint, a broken lock, or a camera that had not worked in months carry real weight. Do not delete anything, including messages that feel embarrassing to keep.

04.

Be careful about what you sign

An employer, a property manager, or an insurance company may come to you early with a settlement, a release, or a severance agreement. Those documents often close the door on claims nobody has identified yet, including claims worth far more than what is being offered. Have a lawyer read anything like that before you sign it.

05.

Know that a criminal case is optional

You do not need a police report, an arrest, or a conviction to bring a civil claim. The two systems run separately and use different standards of proof. A criminal case can help a civil one, but the absence of a criminal case does not end yours.

06.

Ask about your deadline early
Texas deadlines for these claims are not all the same, and the one that applies depends on the legal theory. Some are short. Finding out where you stand takes one conversation, and that is easier than discovering later that a window already closed.

What happens after you contact Carter Law Group

01.

You tell us what happened, once

Start with the intake form on clgtrial.com. It is the fastest way to get your situation in front of an attorney, and it means you tell the story once instead of repeating it to three different people. Walk-ins and phone calls get routed to the same form so nothing gets lost.

02.

Amy reviews it personally

Amy Carter reviews every lead the firm receives, every morning. She decides which cases we take. On the ones we accept, she conducts the first detailed interview herself, walks you through what the process looks like, and sets expectations before anything else starts.

03.

We identify the theory and the defendant

This is where these cases are won or lost. We look at where the assault happened, who controlled that space, what they knew, and which claims the facts actually support. Some cases support more than one. An assault in a workplace parking garage can be an employment claim and a premises claim at the same time.

04.

Investigation and pre-litigation

Heather Davis runs the pre-litigation side. That means pulling records, building the demand, and handling mediation with the other side. A meaningful number of cases resolve at this stage, and we prepare each one as though it will not.

05.

Filing suit and litigation

If the defendant will not resolve the case fairly, Senior Attorney Kassi Yukevich takes it into litigation. She trained at Harvard Law and handles the firm’s federal court work. This is the phase most firms in this space are not built to take on.

06.

Trial, when it comes to that

We build every case for a jury from the first week. That changes how defendants negotiate, including in the cases that settle. If yours has to be tried, you will have a team that has done it before.

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Deadlines that apply to these claims in Texas

Texas does not apply one deadline to every sexual assault claim. The limitations period depends on the legal theory the case runs under and on how old you were when the assault happened.

Most personal injury claims in Texas carry a two-year deadline. Claims arising out of sexual assault can have longer windows under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 16.0045, and the longest of those apply to assaults committed against children. If you were a minor at the time, the clock generally does not start until you turn 18.

If part of your case runs through employment law, the timeline gets much shorter. A charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission generally has to be filed within 300 days of the conduct, and the Texas Workforce Commission window is 180 days. Miss those and the employment side of the case can be gone even while the personal injury side is still alive. This is one more reason the workplace cases get structured carefully at the start.

None of this is something you should have to sort out on your own, and none of it is a reason to assume you are too late. Ask. One call tells you which clock you are on.

What it costs to bring one of these cases

The sexual assault cases we take run on contingency. No consultation fee, no retainer, no hourly billing, and no out-of-pocket costs at any stage. We advance the cost of investigators, experts, records, and filing fees, and we recover them out of the result. If we do not win, you owe us nothing. The firm does take some work on a billable basis for clients who want it that way, but that is not how this practice runs.

  • Free consultation for every case type, with no obligation
  • No retainer and no hourly bills on a contingency case
  • We front the litigation costs, including experts and investigators
  • Nothing comes out of your pocket unless we win or settle the case
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Why survivors choose Carter Law Group in Dallas

A female-owned firm, top to bottom

Amy Carter owns the firm. Every attorney here is a woman, and most of our staff is too. Clients tell us that is why they picked up the phone, and that includes the men we represent. If it matters to you, you will not have to explain why.

We treat this as more than one kind of case

Most firms handling civil sexual assault run it as a single premises theory against a property owner. We work the full range, and we connect it to the employment side when the assault happened at work. Cases with more than one theory are the ones we built this firm to take.

We believe you before you prove anything

Our intake and interview process does not ask you to convince us first. You will not be cross-examined by your own lawyer. That is what a trauma-informed practice means here, and it is why the words “We Believe You” are on this page at all.

The attorneys who would handle your case

Sexual assault work at Carter Law Group runs through three attorneys. Heather’s interest in these cases is what pulled the firm into the practice area in the first place.

Amy Carter, Managing Shareholder and Chief Executive Officer

Amy reviews every lead and conducts the first interview on every case the firm accepts. She has tried cases to verdict in courts across the country, including federal courts in Texas and Louisiana.

Heather V. Davis, Partner and Chief Operating Officer

Heather’s work on sexual assault cases is what moved the firm into this practice. She runs pre-litigation, including records, demand letters, and mediation, and she is the firm’s lead voice on Dallas civil litigation in the press.

Kassi Yukevich, Senior Attorney, Litigation

Kassi runs litigation and leads the firm’s emerging AI-related sexual assault work. She trained at Harvard Law, served as counsel in the United States Senate, and volunteers extensively with Genesis Women’s Shelter.

Meet Our Attorneys

Notable Results

Obtained $8,000,000 jury verdict
in a products liability case

Obtained $1,048,100 jury verdict
in a racial discrimination case

Obtained $42,608,300 jury verdict
in a products liability case

Obtained $4.5 million settlement
on behalf of a young man who was injured as a result of a defective product

Obtained Confidential Seven-Figure Settlement
on behalf of women and families who were the victims of cybersecurity negligence

Obtained $625,000 settlement
on behalf of a young man who suffered injuries due to a defective product

Client Testimonials
Notable Results

What our clients say about working with us

Sarah Maverick

I have worked with these ladies on a professional project that to be honest, can be lengthy, time consuming, and at times annoying. These women are caring, professional, and strong. Anytime that I needed to converse in length or needed clarification or a question answered always spot on.

Heather has even taken calls on the weekend while we try to finalize details and both of our kids are vying for our attention. If you are a woman looking for representation by someone who understands women and will remind you both professionally and personally that you are not alone, you found them. But you are here so I suspect you are in love with them already.

Thanks ladies for being top notch and I appreciate everything.

Tammy Russell

Thank you all again so much for taking the time to go to bat for someone like me. I am so very much appreciative and grateful to have been connected with all 3 of you! You all listened to me when I felt lost and scared and when I thought there was no hope. I’m normally everyone’s rock but this time you were mine. Thank you for your ongoing patience and perseverance! You all have given me more confidence in fighting for what’s right more than ever. If I ever need help again….HOPEFULLY NOT….you all will get pinged! For anyone needing legal representation and button pushers….look no further! For anyone that has been wronged or hurt in any kind of way, don’t just brush it under the rug thinking nothing can be done. Step up people!! Fight for what’s right and for justice! I did! Contact them! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Erika H

I’m very blessed and appreciative to have found Carter Law Group and have them represent us in this stressful moment in life. Their compassion and careful handling of our case shows their professionalism.

They fought and gave my family and all involved justice. God bless them and give them the fortitude to continue to help the innocent. Thank you for representing us.

Sarah Heath

My experience with Carter Law Group was definitely Five-Star. From my initial consultation, I felt like I was truly heard, valued, and cared for during one of the most stressful events in my life. They stayed on top of all the details and fought alongside me for the best possible conclusion.

Heather, Amy, and Tonja helped me to impact positive change for others who will come after me.

Rhonda Craven

Carter Law Group was fantastic. They were very thorough and made me feel comfortable. I was glad I chose them to represent me. Thanks Amy!!

Tameca Harris

Carter Law Group was very professional and proficient with my case. I was very satisfied with the service.

Misty Farris

Amy and Heather are smart, hardworking, and passionate lawyers who care about their clients.

Questions we get about civil sexual assault cases

Who is the defendant in a civil sexual assault case?

Usually a business or an institution, not the person who assaulted you. The claim is against whoever had control over the situation and failed to handle it: the property owner who skipped security, the employer who ignored complaints, the bar that over-served, the organization that kept someone on staff after warning signs. Suing the assailant directly is possible, but most assailants have no money and no insurance, which is why these cases target the party that enabled the harm.

No. A civil case and a criminal case are separate. You can bring a civil claim with no police report, no arrest, and no conviction. If you did report, that record can help build the case, but it is not a requirement.

Possibly. The deadline depends on which legal theory applies and on how old you were at the time, and claims tied to sexual assault can carry longer windows than ordinary injury claims. If you were a minor when it happened, the clock generally does not start until you turn 18. Do not assume you are out of time before you ask.

It can be both, and the difference changes what your case is worth. Sexual harassment at work runs through the employment process and is subject to damages caps. A sexual assault at work can be brought under personal injury theories that are not capped. We look at both and structure the case around what the facts support. If your situation is closer to ongoing harassment, start with our workplace sexual assault and harassment page.

That is our job, not yours. Most people come to us knowing what happened but not who is legally on the hook for it. We work backwards from the setting: who owned the property, who employed the assailant, who ran the venue, who had notice of prior incidents. You do not need a legal theory before you call.

Most cases resolve before trial. When a case is tried, you would testify, and we prepare you for it thoroughly rather than putting you in a room cold. We will tell you honestly where your case is likely to land instead of promising you it will never get there.

Bring it with you. Releases and severance agreements vary a lot, and what they cover is not always what the other side says they cover. Have someone read the actual document before you assume your claim is gone.

Related claims your situation may involve

A single assault can support more than one claim at the same time. These are the pages people in your situation usually read next.

Where we represent survivors across Texas

Dallas County
Oak Cliff
Bishop Arts District
Collin County
Tarrant County
Johnson County
Grayson County
Plano
Frisco
Arlington
Irving
Garland
Richardson
Grapevine
Southlake
Denton

You don't have to have it figured out yet

If you were sexually assaulted, we believe you. You do not need to know which kind of case you have, who is legally responsible, or whether you want to file anything at all. Tell us what happened and we will tell you what your options look like.

Schedule a Free Consultation
CALL (214) 390-4173