Arkansas Sexual Assault Lawyers

Under Arkansas law, sexual assault includes any unwanted sexual contact or activity that occurs without consent. These violations can happen anywhere:

• Workplaces
• Educational settings
• Healthcare facilities
• Rideshare vehicles
• Hotel rooms
• Online platforms where predators groom victims

Many sex crime survivors don’t realize they have legal options beyond the criminal justice system. While criminal cases focus on punishing the sex offender, civil lawsuits allow you to seek compensation for the harm you’ve suffered. You can pursue a civil claim regardless of whether criminal charges were filed or what the outcome of a criminal case was.

The two systems serve different purposes:

• Criminal cases must prove guilt ‘beyond a reasonable doubt.’
• Civil cases use a lower standard of proof and focus on making you whole through financial compensation. This means you can win your civil case even if the criminal case didn’t result in a conviction.

Sexual assault can occur in any setting where perpetrators have access to victims and opportunities to abuse their power or trust. Our law firm has experience representing survivors in a wide range of situations:

Workplace Sexual Assault

Workplace sexual assault happens when supervisors, coworkers, or clients use their position or access to commit assault. Employers who don’t properly check employees’ backgrounds, ignore complaints, or create unsafe work environments can be held responsible.

Assault by Trusted Professionals

These assaults occur when doctors, therapists, clergy members, coaches, or other authority figures abuse their positions of trust. Cases often involve patterns of predatory behavior that institutions failed to stop.

Rideshare Assaults

Rideshare assaults involving Uber and Lyft drivers have become increasingly common as these services have grown.

College and University Sexual Assault

Sexual assaults can occur on campus, at fraternity or sorority houses, or during school-sponsored events. Universities have specific obligations under Title IX to protect students and address sexual violence and sexual harassment.

Assault Through Online Platforms

Sometimes predators use gaming platforms like Roblox, chat applications like Discord, or social media to groom and exploit victims, particularly minors.

Hotel and Hospitality Industry Assaults

Hotel and hospitality industry assaults occur when hotels fail to provide adequate security, give unauthorized persons access to rooms, or ignore warning signs about staff members or guests.

Assault Due to Negligent Security

When property owners, event venues, or businesses fail to implement reasonable security measures, assaults due to negligent security can happen.

Thousands of passengers across the country—including right here in Arkansas—have reported sexual assaults by Uber and Lyft drivers. Whether a driver picked you up on Markham Street in Little Rock or near the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, you trust that the company has done its due diligence. You expect they’ve thoroughly vetted the driver, checked their background, and created systems to keep you safe.

Rideshare companies have been criticized for inadequate background checks that fail to catch drivers with criminal histories. Some drivers have been deactivated from one platform only to start driving for another.

Under the law, Uber and Lyft have responsibilities to their passengers. When they fail in their duty to provide safe transportation, they can be held accountable. This includes liability for:

• Negligent hiring and retention of drivers with dangerous backgrounds
• Inadequate background screening processes
• Failure to properly investigate and act on passenger complaints
• Design choices that prioritize company interests over passenger safety
• Inadequate driver training and supervision

Our firm has handled rideshare assault cases, holding these corporate defendants accountable. We know how the companies operate, how they try to shift blame when passengers are sexually abused, and how to build cases that establish liability.

Gaming platforms and social media apps attract sexual predators who target children and other vulnerable victims. Platforms like Roblox and Discord give them easy access to potential victims and tools to groom them over time.

These cases often follow a disturbing pattern. A predator makes contact through a game or chat feature, builds trust through friendly conversations, introduces sexual content, and eventually arranges an in-person meeting or coerces the victim into sharing explicit images.

The companies operating these platforms have legal responsibilities to protect users, especially children. When they fail to implement adequate safety features, age verification systems, content monitoring, or reporting mechanisms, they can be held liable for assaults that result from their negligence.

Platform liability can include:

• Failure to implement adequate age verification systems
• Inadequate content moderation and monitoring for predatory behavior
• Design features that facilitate private contact between adults and minors
• Insufficient response to reports of grooming or inappropriate contact
• Failure to warn users and parents about platform risks
• Inadequate safety features and parental controls

Our attorneys understand the technical and legal complexities of these cases. We work with experts who can analyze platform design, review safety protocols, and demonstrate how better systems could have prevented harm.

We’ve seen the devastating consequences of these online-facilitated sexual abuse acts, and we’re committed to holding tech companies accountable.

After an assault, your safety comes first. There’s no single ‘right’ way to respond to trauma, but these steps can help protect your health and your legal options:

A civil lawsuit lets you seek compensation for the ways sexual assault has impacted your life. Money can’t erase what happened, but it can help you access the resources you need to heal and rebuild.

Common types of compensation include:

• Medical expenses for emergency care, ongoing therapy and counseling, medication, and treatment for physical injuries or conditions resulting from the assault, and psychological care.
• Lost wages cover the time you couldn’t work because of trauma, treatment, or legal proceedings. If the assault has affected your future ability to work, you can recover for that, too.
• Pain and suffering damages recognize the physical pain you’ve endured. This includes both immediate injuries and long-term physical effects of the trauma.
• Emotional distress compensation addresses the psychological impact: anxiety, depression, PTSD, sleep disturbances, relationship difficulties, and other ways emotional trauma shows up in your life.
• Punitive damages may be available when the perpetrator’s conduct was particularly egregious or when a company showed reckless disregard for safety. These damages serve to punish wrongdoers and deter similar conduct by others.

The compensation you receive should reflect the full scope of harm you’ve suffered. Our job is to build a case that demonstrates that impact and fights for recovery that helps you move forward.

Arkansas law protects sexual assault survivors who pursue civil claims. The time limits for filing are complex, but recent changes have given survivors more time to file lawsuits—especially in cases involving minors.

• Third-party liability is a crucial concept in many sexual assault cases. You can sue the perpetrator and entities whose negligence enabled the assault. This includes employers who failed to properly screen employees, property owners who provided inadequate security, institutions that ignored warning signs, and companies whose policies prioritized profits over safety.
• Corporate negligence cases hold businesses and organizations accountable for systemic failures. When companies don’t implement reasonable safeguards, ignore complaints, or create environments where abuse can occur, they share responsibility for the resulting harm.
• Confidentiality protections exist to shield your identity during legal proceedings. Arkansas courts recognize the sensitive nature of sexual assault cases and can take steps to protect survivors’ privacy.

The legal landscape continues to evolve as courts recognize the long-term nature of trauma and the barriers victims of sexual assault face in coming forward. Our attorneys know Arkansas courts throughout the state, from Pulaski County to Washington County, and we understand how local judges handle these sensitive cases.

Reaching out for legal help takes extraordinary strength, especially when you’re already dealing with trauma.

Healing doesn’t follow a straight line. Certain situations can be triggering. You need to move at your own pace, and we respect that. We’ll never pressure you into anything you’re not ready for.

We’ve built relationships with counselors, therapists, and support services throughout Arkansas—from the crisis centers in Little Rock to the counseling services at UAMS and throughout Northwest Arkansas. When you need additional resources, we can connect you with professionals who can help.

Our track record speaks to our commitment. We’ve successfully represented sexual assault survivors in cases against individual perpetrators, corporations, institutions, and online platforms. We know how to investigate these cases and build compelling evidence that holds wrongdoers accountable.

Every consultation is completely confidential, and we take extraordinary measures to safeguard your privacy throughout the legal process.

Under our No Fee Guarantee®, you won’t pay any attorney fees unless we win your case. We advance all case costs, so money never stands between you and justice.

Arkansas is our home. When our neighbors are hurt, we’re here to help them fight back and reclaim their lives. If you’re ready to explore your legal options, we’re here to listen.

Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation.