You May Have a Case Against More Than Just the Person Who Hurt You
If you were assaulted in New York, the person who attacked you may be the least valuable defendant in your case. Property owners — bars, parking garages, apartment buildings, transit facilities — carry insurance. Attackers usually don't. We build assault injury cases in New York that pursue every available source of recovery, starting with the premises where it happened.
Two Legal Claims, One Assault — Here's Why Both Matter
Most people who've been assaulted think their only option is a criminal case. But criminal prosecution and a civil lawsuit are entirely separate. You can file a civil claim regardless of whether the attacker was arrested, charged, or convicted — and regardless of whether they ever are. The civil system exists to compensate you. The criminal system exists to punish the offender. We operate in the civil system, and we don't need a conviction to build your case.
There are typically two distinct legal theories available in an assault case in New York. The first is a direct civil claim against the person who attacked you. The second — and often more important — is a negligent security claim against the property owner where the assault took place. When a bar, parking facility, building lobby, or employer failed to maintain reasonable security and that failure allowed someone to hurt you, the law holds them accountable.
The Property Owner May Be Your Most Valuable Defendant
New York negligent security law imposes a duty on property owners to take reasonable precautions when criminal activity on their premises is foreseeable. Foreseeability is typically established through prior incidents — assaults, robberies, or violent crimes that occurred at the same location before you were hurt. If the owner knew about that history and did nothing, they may be liable for what happened to you.
The person who hit you may have nothing. The property owner who let it happen probably carries significant liability insurance. This is where meaningful financial recovery is most often found — and it's the first place we look when we evaluate an assault case.
Where Assaults Happen — and Who Can Be Held Liable
Negligent security claims arise in a wide range of settings. The common thread is a property owner or operator who had reason to know violence was possible and failed to act.
Bars, Clubs, and Restaurants
When a bar fight results in serious injury, the bar itself may bear significant liability. Establishments that over-serve patrons, fail to employ adequate security staff, or ignore known tensions between customers can be held responsible for the harm that follows. This is one of the most common assault injury scenarios we handle.
Parking Garages and Lots
Poorly lit, unsupervised parking facilities in the Bronx and across New York City are frequent sites of robbery and assault. Owners of these properties are required to maintain adequate lighting, functioning access controls, and reasonable security measures. When they don't, they are exposed to civil liability.
Apartment Buildings and Lobbies
Landlords and building owners have a duty to maintain secure common areas. Broken locks, non-functioning intercoms, and inadequate lighting in stairwells and lobbies are not just code violations — they are evidence in a negligent security claim. Tenants and visitors who are assaulted in these spaces have legal recourse against the building owner.
Sexual Assault and Institutional Defendants
Sexual assault cases in the civil system often involve defendants with far greater resources than an individual attacker: employers, schools, hospitals, transit authorities, and religious institutions. These cases carry significant damages and frequently involve institutional failures — inadequate background checks, ignored complaints, or known patterns of misconduct that were never addressed.
We handle sexual assault civil cases with complete discretion. New York courts permit certain pseudonym protections in appropriate circumstances, and we evaluate every case for every available confidentiality option before a single document is filed. Coming forward does not automatically mean your name becomes public. We explore every avenue to limit that exposure while still pursuing full accountability.
Sexual Assault and Institutional Defendants
Sexual assault cases in the civil system often involve defendants with far greater resources than an individual attacker: employers, schools, hospitals, transit authorities, and religious institutions. These cases carry significant damages and frequently involve institutional failures — inadequate background checks, ignored complaints, or known patterns of misconduct that were never addressed.
We handle sexual assault civil cases with complete discretion. New York courts permit certain pseudonym protections in appropriate circumstances, and we evaluate every case for every available confidentiality option before a single document is filed. Coming forward does not automatically mean your name becomes public. We explore every avenue to limit that exposure while still pursuing full accountability.
Employer and Workplace Assault
Employer and Workplace Assault
Sexual assault cases in the civil system often involve defendants with far greater resources than an individual attacker: employers, schools, hospitals, transit authorities, and religious institutions. These cases carry significant damages and frequently involve institutional failures — inadequate background checks, ignored complaints, or known patterns of misconduct that were never addressed.
We handle sexual assault civil cases with complete discretion. New York courts permit certain pseudonym protections in appropriate circumstances, and we evaluate every case for every available confidentiality option before a single document is filed. Coming forward does not automatically mean your name becomes public. We explore every avenue to limit that exposure while still pursuing full accountability.
Transit and Public Facility Assault
Subway stations along the 2 and 5 lines in the South Bronx, bus depots, and other public transit facilities have documented histories of violent incidents. Claims against the MTA and the City of New York follow specific procedural rules — including strict notice of claim deadlines — that make early legal involvement critical. Missing those deadlines can permanently bar your right to recover.
"The Attacker Has No Money. Is There Any Point?"
This is the most common reason assault victims don't pursue a civil case — and it's based on a misunderstanding of how these cases work. A civil claim against the attacker is only one piece of the picture. The negligent security claim against the property owner is often worth far more, and property owners carry insurance specifically to cover this kind of liability.
The question isn't whether the person who hurt you has money. The question is whether the property where it happened had a duty to prevent it — and whether they failed that duty. That's the analysis we run on every assault case we evaluate.
What We Look For When We Evaluate an Assault Case
Every assault case we take on is evaluated for the full range of available defendants and legal theories. We look at:
- The location where the assault occurred and the owner's prior knowledge of criminal activity there
- Security measures that were absent, broken, or inadequate at the time of the incident
- Whether the assailant was known to the property owner or should have been screened out
- Whether institutional policies — hiring, supervision, complaint handling — contributed to the assault
- The severity of your injuries and the full scope of your economic and non-economic damages
- Applicable notice of claim requirements and filing deadlines, which vary by defendant type
No case is too complicated to evaluate, and there is no minimum threshold of severity for a civil assault claim. If someone intentionally harmed you, or if a property owner's failure to act made it possible, the law gives you a right to pursue compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Assault Civil Claims in New York
For more than 30 years, we have represented people across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens who were hurt through no fault of their own. Assault cases are among the most personal matters we handle — and we treat them that way. You will not be handed off to a paralegal. You will not wait days for a callback. We are available around the clock because injuries and the questions that follow them don't happen on a schedule.
What happened to you mattered. The law agrees. Let us show you what your case may be worth.
We Answer the Phone. We Take the Fight Seriously.
For more than 30 years, we have represented people across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens who were hurt through no fault of their own. Assault cases are among the most personal matters we handle — and we treat them that way. You will not be handed off to a paralegal. You will not wait days for a callback. We are available around the clock because injuries and the questions that follow them don't happen on a schedule.
What happened to you mattered. The law agrees. Let us show you what your case may be worth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a civil lawsuit if the attacker was never charged with a crime?
Yes. A civil lawsuit is entirely independent of the criminal justice process. You do not need an arrest, a charge, or a conviction to pursue a civil claim. The standards of proof are different, and the outcome of any criminal case — or the absence of one — does not determine your right to recover in civil court.What is a negligent security claim and how is it different from suing the attacker?
A negligent security claim holds a property owner liable for failing to take reasonable precautions against foreseeable criminal activity on their premises. Rather than suing the person who attacked you, you are suing the owner of the bar, building, garage, or facility where it happened. These claims are often more valuable because property owners carry insurance and have assets to satisfy a judgment.Will my name be made public if I file a civil assault lawsuit?
Not necessarily. New York courts permit pseudonym filings in certain circumstances, particularly in cases involving sexual assault or other sensitive circumstances. We evaluate every assault case for available confidentiality protections before anything is filed. Your privacy is part of the legal strategy from day one.How long do I have to file an assault injury claim in New York?
The statute of limitations for a personal injury civil claim in New York is generally three years from the date of the assault. However, if your claim involves a government entity — the City of New York, the MTA, or a public housing authority — you may be required to file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident. Missing that deadline can permanently eliminate your right to recover. Contact us immediately if a government entity may be involved.What if the assault happened at my job?
A workplace assault may give rise to both a workers' compensation claim and a separate civil lawsuit, depending on the circumstances. If a third party — a building owner, a contractor, or another party not employed by your company — contributed to the conditions that allowed the assault to occur, a civil negligent security or premises liability claim may be available alongside any workers' comp recovery. We evaluate both tracks when we assess a workplace assault case.
