You Can Sue Your Trafficker: Civil Lawsuits for Sex Trafficking Survivors in New York
Sex trafficking survivors in New York can sue their traffickers and the enabling businesses. Learn about your civil rights, compensation, and how to find a sex trafficking attorney. When most people think about sex trafficking, they think of criminal prosecution. But the criminal justice system rarely delivers financial relief to survivors. Civil litigation offers a completely different path — one where you bring the case, on your terms, seeking real financial accountability from those who harmed you by a sex trafficking lawsuit.
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA)
The federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) gives survivors a powerful civil cause of action against anyone who committed, facilitated, or knowingly benefited from their trafficking. New York State law adds additional protections. Together, these tools give sex trafficking survivors some of the strongest civil legal rights available anywhere in the country.
What Is the TVPRA Civil Claim?
The TVPRA creates a private right of action for sex trafficking survivors. You can sue the person who trafficked you, anyone who knowingly benefited financially from the trafficking venture, and any business or institution that knew or should have known trafficking was occurring on its premises or through its services. The ‘knew or should have known’ standard reaches commercial entities that ignored obvious warning signs.
New York State’s Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act
Under New York State Social Services Law § 483-bb, survivors can sue their traffickers and those who knowingly profited from their exploitation—including hotels or businesses—in civil court in a sex trafficking lawsuit. Unlike criminal cases, civil lawsuits allow survivors to seek direct financial compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and the profound emotional distress they endured. For survivors of human trafficking, the criminal justice system often focuses on the perpetrator, sometimes leaving the victim’s recovery as an afterthought. However, New York’s Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act
Hotels and motels can be held liable for allowing sex trafficking.
provides a powerful tool for survivors to reclaim their agency: the private right of action.
Who Can Be Sued?
Civil sex trafficking lawsuits can target individual traffickers, hotels and motels where trafficking occurred. Sex trafficking lawsuits also target online platforms that hosted trafficking advertisements, massage businesses used as fronts, labor contractors who controlled victims’ movements. Finally, the lawsuits can target property owners who provided space to trafficking operations.
Filing Anonymously
Survivors can typically file civil sex trafficking lawsuits under a pseudonym — Jane Doe or John Doe. Courts routinely grant these requests, recognizing that public identification could cause additional harm. Your identity can be protected throughout the litigation.
What Damages Are Available?
Successful plaintiffs may recover compensatory damages for physical and psychological injuries, lost income and earning capacity, pain and suffering and cost of ongoing treatment. Where institutional defendants deliberately ignored trafficking, punitive damages may be available. The TVPRA also entitles prevailing plaintiffs to reasonable attorney’s fees.
If you are a survivor of sex trafficking in New York, a civil lawsuit can provide the financial accountability and justice that the criminal system often fails to deliver. Contact The Law Firm of Andrew M. Stengel, P.C. for a free, confidential consultation. Schedule a consultation with us by emailing info@stengellaw.com or by using our scheduler at https://calendly.com/stengellaw.
