If you were sexually abused or assaulted in Lancaster or the Antelope Valley, California civil law may allow a lawsuit for money damages against the person who caused the harm and, often, the school, church, employer or other organization that failed to prevent it. These cases are filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court at the Antelope Valley Courthouse.
Looking into this at all can be hard, and there is no right moment or right way to start. This page explains, in plain terms, how California civil law treats sexual abuse and sexual assault, what deadlines may apply, and how a case from this part of Los Angeles County moves through the local court. Nothing here asks you to describe what happened.
Civil Sexual Abuse Claims in Lancaster and the Antelope Valley
A civil claim is a lawsuit the survivor brings, not a case the government brings. In a civil case, the survivor is the plaintiff (the person who brings the lawsuit), decides whether and when to file, and can settle or stop. A civil claim does not depend on a prosecutor's decision, an arrest, or a conviction. The page on civil vs. criminal cases explains the two systems side by side.
Justice for Survivors handles civil claims for survivors across the Antelope Valley, including Lancaster, Palmdale and the surrounding communities. Cases arising here are typically filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Antelope Valley Courthouse, 42011 4th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534, close to home rather than in downtown Los Angeles.
Who Can File a Civil Sexual Abuse Lawsuit in California
California law gives a civil claim to several groups of people. The rules differ mainly by the survivor's age when the abuse occurred.
- Adult survivors. A person sexually assaulted at age 18 or older may bring a claim under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 340.16, which covers a list of crimes defined in the Penal Code, as well as attempts and assaults with intent to commit them.
- Survivors of childhood sexual abuse. A person abused before age 18 may bring a claim under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 340.1.
- Minors, through a parent or guardian. A parent or guardian can generally bring the claim on the child's behalf.
A claim is not limited to the individual who committed the abuse. Section 340.1 expressly reaches any person or entity that owed the survivor a duty of care, if a wrongful or negligent act by that person or entity was a legal cause of the abuse. That can include an employer, a school district, a religious organization, a youth program or a government agency. The usual legal theories are negligent hiring, supervision, retention and failure to protect.
Both statutes state that no criminal prosecution or conviction is required.
California's Statutes of Limitations for Sexual Abuse Civil Claims
A statute of limitations is the deadline for filing a lawsuit. Which deadline applies depends mainly on when the abuse happened and how old the survivor was at the time.
Childhood sexual abuse (CCP § 340.1)
For abuse occurring on or after January 1, 2024, California now has no time limit for filing. That change did not revive older claims.
For abuse that occurred on or before December 31, 2023, the deadline is the law as it stood on that date, set by AB 218 (2019): generally, until the survivor's 40th birthday, or within five years of discovering (or reasonably discovering) that a psychological injury or illness in adulthood was caused by the abuse, whichever is later.
AB 218 also opened a three-year revival window for expired claims. That window closed on December 31, 2022. Survivors 40 or older at filing must also have certificates of merit, sworn statements from the attorney and a licensed mental health practitioner, filed with the case.
Adult sexual assault (CCP § 340.16)
For assault at age 18 or older, the deadline is generally the later of 10 years from the last act, or three years from when the survivor discovered or reasonably should have discovered that an injury resulted from it.
Separately, § 340.16(b)(3) revives adult claims for conduct on or after January 1, 2009 that would otherwise be barred only because the deadline expired. Those claims may be filed until December 31, 2026. The window does not revive a claim already litigated to a final decision, or settled in a written agreement, before January 1, 2023.
Public-entity defendants
When a defendant is a public entity, the Government Claims Act (Cal. Gov. Code § 910 et seq.) often requires a written claim to be presented to the entity before suit, on a much shorter timeline. Childhood sexual abuse claims under § 340.1 are a significant exception: they are exempt from that claim-presentation requirement against local public entities, such as school districts and counties, and a local entity cannot substitute its own procedure. Claims against the State of California follow different rules, and the § 340.1 exemption there reaches only conduct on or after January 1, 2024.
No page can say whether a particular claim is timely. That depends on dates and facts a confidential review can sort through.