New York Sexual Abuse Settlement Calculator
Estimate compensation under New York's Child Victims Act (age 55), Adult Survivors Act (20-year SOL), and the NYC Gender-Motivated Violence Act — currently OPEN through July 2027
How much are New York sexual abuse settlements worth? NY institutional cases have settled in broad ranges. Archdiocese of New York: $60M across 278 survivors = ~$216K average. Diocese of Brooklyn: $27.5M for 4 high-tier plaintiffs plus a separate claims program averaging ~$500K/claim for 374 additional survivors.
⚠ NYC GMVA lookback window currently OPEN — closes July 29, 2027. Covers gender-motivated violence within NYC jurisdiction including institutional defendants.
All consultations confidential. Pseudonym filings available to protect survivor identity.
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PTSD, depression, anxiety, complex trauma — formally diagnosed?
Larger institutions have more resources and higher settlements.
Estimated Settlement Range
$176,400 — $327,600
Abuse settlements vary widely by jurisdiction, institutional resources, and the documented impact. This is a benchmark range based on reported cases.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor
New York's Three-Layer Sexual Abuse Framework
New York has the most structured sexual abuse civil framework in the US — three separate regimes working together: (1) the Child Victims Act (CVA) extended childhood abuse SOL to age 55 and opened a 2019–2021 lookback window (now closed); (2) the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) extended adult SOL to 20 years and opened a 2022–2023 lookback window (now closed); and (3) the NYC Gender-Motivated Violence Act (Intro 1297-A, enacted January 2026) opened a NEW window OPEN until July 29, 2027 for gender-motivated violence within NYC, including institutional defendants for pre-2022 abuse.
NY's sexual abuse verdicts have produced a decade of major institutional recoveries: Archdiocese of NY $60M (278 survivors), Diocese of Brooklyn $27.5M + $500K/claim program, and a landmark $30 million jury verdict for a single Boy Scouts survivor in Sullivan County (July 2025). NY courts impose no statutory cap on non-economic or punitive damages in sexual abuse cases.
Critical note on NYC vs. statewide NY: Intro 1297-A is a NYC ordinance under the Gender-Motivated Violence Act — it applies only to acts occurring within NYC jurisdiction. If the abuse occurred elsewhere in New York State, your claim must fit under state CPLR § 208(b) (childhood, age-55 deadline) or CPLR § 213-c (adult, 20-year SOL from the act). One open legal question: whether city-level revival provisions are preempted by state law is currently before the New York Court of Appeals (Parker v. Alexander); as of August 2026 no court has struck down or paused the § 10-1104.1 filing period.
New York's Sexual Abuse Revival Windows
NY has run three revival windows over 7 years. Two are closed (CVA, ASA), one is currently open (NYC GMVA). Here is what applies to new filings as of August 2026:
Child Victims Act (CVA)
CLOSEDCPLR § 214-g
Childhood sexual abuse, any age at filing, any institution
Extended once; cases filed during window remain active
Adult Survivors Act (ASA)
CLOSEDCPLR § 214-j
Adult sexual assault (18+ at time), Article 130 Penal offenses
NYC Gender-Motivated Violence Act (GMVA) — Intro 1297-A
OPENN.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1104.1, added by Local Law 2026/050 (Int. 1297-A), enacted Jan 29, 2026 over mayoral veto
NYC JURISDICTION ONLY — gender-motivated violence occurring before Jan 9, 2022, including institutional defendants (commit, direct, enable, participate, conspire)
City-level ordinance, NOT statewide NY law; filing period is 18 months from effectiveness (through July 29, 2027). The original § 10-1105(a) lookback (Mar 2023 - Mar 2025) is closed. Caveat: whether NYC revival provisions are preempted by state law is pending before the NY Court of Appeals (Parker v. Alexander, certified question accepted Apr 16, 2026); as of Aug 2026 no court has struck down or enjoined § 10-1104.1.
New York Statute of Limitations — Current Rules
Childhood sexual abuse (under 18 at the time): Survivors have until age 55 to file civil claims, per CPLR § 208(b) (enacted February 2019, part of the CVA). This replaced the prior age-23 (perpetrator) and age-21 (institution) deadlines. Importantly, the CVA's age-55 rule applies only to claims NOT already time-barred before 2019 — courts ruled institutional liability does NOT apply retroactively to abuse pre-dating the 2019 amendment (a state-level legislative fix is pending as of April 2026).
Adult sexual assault (18+ at the time): 20-year SOL under CPLR § 213-c (amended September 2019) for certain Article 130 Penal Law offenses including rape, criminal sexual act, and aggravated sexual abuse. Previously this was only 5 years. For assaults falling outside § 213-c, the general personal-injury 3-year SOL under CPLR § 214 applies. NY does NOT broadly apply delayed discovery — the 20-year clock generally runs from the date of the act.
Damage Caps in New York Sexual Abuse Cases
New York has no statutory cap on non-economic or punitive damages in sexual abuse civil cases. NYC GMVA claims routed through the NYC Human Rights Law also allow uncapped compensatory and punitive damages. Government-entity defendants face New York's 90-day Notice-of-Claim requirement under General Municipal Law § 50-e (separate from SOL). NY is generally considered one of the 5 most plaintiff-friendly states for non-economic damage recovery in sexual abuse cases.
Landmark New York Sexual Abuse Settlements & Verdicts
NY has produced a string of major institutional recoveries under the CVA, ASA, and pre-existing SOL. The 2025 Boy Scouts verdict in Sullivan County broke new ground for single-plaintiff jury awards:
| Defendant / Case | Amount | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boy Scouts of America (Sullivan County) | $30M | 2025 | Single-survivor verdict, CVA case |
| Archdiocese of New York | $60M | 2024 | 278 victims |
| Diocese of Brooklyn | $28M | 2024 | Separate settlement program ~$500K/claim for 374 additional claims |
| Diocese of Albany | $8M | 2025 | Federal bankruptcy court, October 2025 |
Institutional Liability: Why the Real Money Is There
Individual abusers often have limited assets. Institutional defendants (churches, schools, organizations) have deep pockets AND legal liability for enabling abuse. Understanding institutional liability theories explains the massive recoveries.
Negligent hiring
Negligent hiring: Institution hired an abuser despite red flags (prior complaints, criminal history, industry warnings). Liable for inadequate background checks and ignoring references.
Negligent supervision
Negligent supervision: Institution failed to supervise the abuser appropriately given their role and contact with vulnerable populations. Applies to teachers, clergy, coaches, caregivers.
Negligent retention
Negligent retention: Institution kept the abuser on staff after learning of concerning behavior. This is the 'priest shuffle' theory — moving abusers between locations without action.
Respondeat superior
Respondeat superior: Employer is vicariously liable for employee acts committed in the course of employment. Narrower for intentional acts but still applies to many abuse scenarios.
Breach of fiduciary duty
Breach of fiduciary duty: Special relationships (clergy-parishioner, teacher-student, counselor-client) create heightened duties. Breach creates liability beyond negligence.
Fraudulent concealment
Fraudulent concealment: Institution actively hid the abuse from law enforcement, new victims, or parents. Often unlocks punitive damages and extends SOL (the clock starts from discovery of concealment).
New York Sexual Abuse Settlement FAQs
The CVA and ASA windows are closed. Can I still sue in New York?
Yes — the extended SOLs remain in force. Under CPLR § 208(b), childhood abuse survivors can file until age 55. Under CPLR § 213-c, adult sexual assault victims have 20 years from the act for specific Article 130 offenses. If your facts fall within these deadlines, no lookback window is needed. Additionally, if the abuse occurred within NYC, the NYC GMVA lookback (Intro 1297-A) is currently OPEN until July 29, 2027 — covering adult gender-motivated violence including pre-2022 abuse against institutional defendants.
I was abused in NYC years ago. What's Intro 1297-A?
Intro 1297-A is a New York City ordinance amending the NYC Gender-Motivated Violence Act. It took effect January 29, 2026 (enacted over a mayoral veto) and created a filing period — codified at N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 10-1104.1 — for gender-motivated violence occurring before January 9, 2022, running through July 29, 2027. Key features: (1) covers gender-motivated violence (broader than just sexual assault under state definitions); (2) extends to institutional defendants for abuse pre-dating January 9, 2022; (3) allows new filings AND amendment of previously dismissed claims; (4) applies only to acts occurring in NYC jurisdiction. It was enacted over a mayoral veto by the NYC Council on January 29, 2026. Constitutional challenges are anticipated but have not yet been filed.
Does NY have a discovery rule for sexual abuse claims?
Generally no. New York courts have not broadly adopted delayed discovery for sexual abuse the way California has. Under CPLR § 213-c, the 20-year adult SOL typically runs from the date of the act, not from when the victim recognized the psychological injury. Under CPLR § 208(b), the childhood SOL runs to age 55 regardless of discovery. There is one narrow exception: claims against a defendant who fraudulently concealed the facts may benefit from equitable tolling — but this requires specific proof of active concealment, not just silence.
How much are New York sexual abuse settlements worth?
NY institutional cases have settled in broad ranges. Archdiocese of New York: $60M across 278 survivors = ~$216K average. Diocese of Brooklyn: $27.5M for 4 high-tier plaintiffs plus a separate claims program averaging ~$500K/claim for 374 additional survivors. Diocese of Albany: $8M in federal bankruptcy (Oct 2025). Individual jury verdicts can be substantially higher — the $30 million single-plaintiff Boy Scouts verdict in Sullivan County (July 2025) demonstrated that severe cases with strong cover-up evidence can produce multi-million-dollar individual recoveries. Your case value depends on severity, institutional resources, cover-up evidence, and whether you can reach a NY jury (significantly higher than bench trials).
Can I file confidentially in New York?
Yes. NY routinely grants pseudonym (John/Jane Doe) filings in sexual abuse civil cases under NYCRR § 202.5(e) and common-law privacy protections. Court records are sealed or redacted; media coverage does not use real names unless you consent. The NYC GMVA includes privacy protections for gender-motivated violence claimants. Many survivors' attorneys also pursue pre-filing mediation to settle entirely out of public view. Attorney-client privilege protects consultations regardless of filing.
Pending Legal Developments
Legal situation is evolving. As of April 2026:
- Courts (2024-2025) ruled CVA institutional liability did NOT apply retroactively to abuse pre-dating 2019 amendment. State-level legislative fix NOT yet enacted.
- Intro 1297-A (NYC GMVA) is NYC-only. Do not represent as statewide.
- GMVA retroactive institutional liability may face constitutional challenges.
- Diocese of Albany settlement subject to bankruptcy court approval.
This page is informational only. Consult a licensed attorney for case-specific advice.
Primary Sources
- www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/213-C
- ypdcrime.com/adult-survivors-act.php
- ypdcrime.com/child-victims-act.php
- sanfordheisler.com/blog/new-amendment-to-nycs-gender-motivated-violence-act-gmva-expands-survivors-rights-and-reopens-lookback-window-through-july-2027
- www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-adult-survivors-act
Other State Sexual Abuse Calculators
California
3 revival windows (AB 218/2777/250)
New Jersey
Age-55 + 7-yr discovery rule
Maryland
No SOL for childhood + 2025 cap cut
All States — Main Calculator
Nationwide settlement ranges + institutional liability overview
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