Award Believed to be the Largest Sexual Abuse Verdict to an Individual Victim in New York State History
Barket Epstein Kearon Aldea & LoTurco today announced that Supreme Court, Nassau County, has awarded more than $218 million to a client who was sexually abused by her stepfather over a period of several years.
This case is believed to be the largest sexual abuse verdict of its kind in New York State history.
The award followed an inquest concerning the client’s claims. Based on a conservative estimate of weekly abuse occurring over the duration of the abuse, the conduct occurred approximately 250 times.
In advocating for his client, Alexander Klein urged the court to recognize each incident as an individual tragedy rather than allowing the repeated nature of the abuse to reduce the significance of any single act.
“My theme for the inquest was the old cautionary saying from war: a single death is a tragedy, while a million deaths is a statistic,” Mr. Klein said. “We urged the Court to guard against that temptation to let the horror of an event get obscured by volume, and to recognize that each instance of abuse was its own standalone tragedy. The award reflects the Court’s clear appreciation of that point, and the incredible and lasting harm suffered by my client.”
The award is intended to compensate the survivor for the extensive harm resulting from the abuse, including the physical, emotional, and psychological injuries she endured, as well as to award punitive damages against the defendant. To protect her privacy, the survivor’s name and identifying information have not been disclosed.
“This was a courageous client who endured years of unimaginable abuse,” Mr. Klein said. “We are grateful that the Court recognized the individual significance of each act and the full magnitude of the harm inflicted.”