Proudly Serving Alberta. Book a FREE call with us.

Preszler Injury Lawyers Alberta
Preszler Injury Lawyers

Institutional Abuse Lawyers Cochrane

Get legal answers now. Speak to our lawyers.

Speak with our Cochrane institutional abuse lawyers and get legal answers to your institutional abuse questions.

Table of Contents

Many survivors of institutional abuse suffer in silence. For numerous, profoundly personal reasons, people who have been targeted and abused by a sexual predator often find it difficult to come forward and speak about their experiences.

By speaking out against a sexual predator and pursuing justice for the wrongs committed against them, survivors of institutional abuse may be able to reclaim control of their narrative, find emotional closure, and recover financial compensation. In doing so, they could hold an abusive criminal and other contributorily negligent parties accountable for their wrongdoings.

The consequences of being sexually abused vary from individual to individual. Many survivors of institutional abuse experience adverse repercussions that are physical, psychological, and economic in nature.

According to the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services, one in three residents of the province was sexually abused before the age of eighteen. Those who were the targets of abuse as children or adolescents are likely to experience even greater trauma for years or even decades after the fact.

Many survivors of childhood institutional abuse also develop unhealthy, self-destructive coping mechanisms as a way of dealing with their pain. In fact, institutional abuse survivors are 26 times more likely to develop substance use disorders than those who have not been victims of abuse.

Just as the physical and psychological effects of enduring institutional abuse can be long, pervasive, and long-lasting, so can the financial insecurity that often plagues survivors. This is especially true for children or teenage targets who were unable to complete their education because of their traumatizing experiences with abuse. The criminal actions of an institutional abuser could make it impossible for their targets to pursue higher education or vocational training, thereby reducing their future earning capabilities.

In certain cases, in addition to the abusers themselves, other parties or entities could be considered liable for damages incurred by institutional abuse survivors. This can happen in cases of systemic or institutional abuse, wherein an organization fails to adequately protect the young or vulnerable people in their care from being abused by a sexual predator. For example, if the governing body of a school, religious organization, or other organization fails to identify and reprimand institutional abusers among their staff or personnel, the organization itself might be responsible for compensating the targets they failed to protect through their negligence.

If you are a survivor of institutional abuse, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages. By working with our Cochrane institutional abuse lawyers, you may be able to hold the responsible parties accountable for their misconduct. To learn more about working with our institutional abuse lawyers serving Cochrane, contact us today and schedule a free initial consultation.

Call When You Are Ready

Our Cochrane institutional abuse lawyers offer a safe, supportive, and confidential setting for survivors in the local community wherein they can receive personalized, case-specific legal advice during their free initial consultation. To schedule your no-obligation initial consultation and learn about options you might be entitled to pursue, contact our institutional abuse lawyers serving Cochrane today.

Notable Achievements

Awards and Recognitions

Proud to be one of Canada’s oldest personal injury law firms. The firm was founded in 1959 and has now grown to numerous offices across Canada. We have cumulatively secured over $1 billion for thousands of Canadians and are proud to maintain a high standard for our professional services without compromising on care or compassion.

Preszler Injury Lawyers Best Law Firms 2025Preszler Injury Lawyers Best Lawyers 2025Preszler Injury Lawyers BBB Business Review

Commonly Asked institutional abuse Questions

Here are our most asked questions on institutional abuse claims.

Institutional abuse cases typically involve the following steps:

  • Investigate the claim and get the right parties;
  • File a lawsuit;
  • Develop your case through documents and experts;
  • Participating in discovery to provide a chance for the lawyers to ask the parties questions about the case;
  • Participate in Mediation. Mediation provides a chance to resolve your case without going to court; and
  • Go to trial. Most cases settle, but if the parties cannot reach an agreement, asking a court to assess the case is the solution.

Records about the victim and the perpetrator are both important to confirm what happened and the impact the abuse had on the victim. We strongly recommend expert reports from a psychiatrist, a vocational expert, and an economist to fully prove the case.

Unfortunately, perpetrators seek out work with children. Therefore, institutions must be vigilant in training and monitoring staff and taking any allegations very seriously. Leaders of organizations may be hesitant to expose these types of allegations and fully investigate claims as it will hurt the institution. This concern to protect the organization may lead to this same staff continuing to abuse the same victim or others.

Abuse is physical or sexual violence. Institutional abuse is when organizations fail to train or monitor their staff, and abuse is allowed to continue and spread. Organizations may also fail to investigate allegations of abuse, which allows abusers to continue their crimes.

Any victim of institutional abuse can sue. The limitation period has been changed to remove strict limitation periods when bringing their claims, so you may be able to bring a lawsuit for abuse that happened decades ago.

Both the individual abuser and the organization that put them in a position of trust may be liable to pay victims damages. Most organizations have insurance in place for specific periods, so the insurer who covered the period when the abuse happened ultimately pays for the compensation.

Lawyers can help investigate your claim and confirm the right entities to sue. Determining the governance of religious and other organizations is not always obvious. Lawyers hire experts to explain the impact of the trauma on your life and career. Telling your story is essential to getting a strong result.

The limitation act changed, so there is no time limit for bringing your claim. The government recognized that assault victims often repress memories, and it would be unfair to prevent victims from bringing their claims before they remember what happened.

Compensation, or damages, are determined by dividing your case up into segments known as heads of damage. When abuse causes a student to leave school or alters their career, these claims can be quite significant. The typical heads of damage for abuse claims include:

  • Pain and suffering;
  • Past wage loss, including interest;
  • Future wage loss;
  • Out-of-pocket expenses; and
  • Expected future care.

Yes. Lawyers can bring an application to the court and get an order to proceed with the lawsuit, but only list your initials.

Any more questions?

If you still haven’t found the answer you’re looking for, book a free call with our legal team.

We’re here to help.

INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT IN Cochrane?

Book a FREE Call
With Our Lawyers Now

Our legal team is available 24/7

During this free call, you’ll find out if you have a claim worth pursuing. Don’t delay and call now.

1-888-494-7191