Texas Sexual Abuse Settlement Calculator
Understand the statute of limitations for childhood and adult sexual abuse claims under Texas law — and why Texas has no revival window for claims that already expired
How long do you have to bring a sexual abuse claim in Texas? Childhood sexual abuse claims must be filed within 30 years after the claim accrues; because minority tolling applies to a child victim, that period runs in practice from your 18th birthday. Adult sexual assault claims must be filed within 5 years after the claim accrues. Texas has never enacted a lookback or revival window, so a claim that is already time-barred under these rules cannot be revived.
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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
Texas Gives Childhood Abuse Survivors 30 Years to File — But Never Revived Expired Claims
Texas law sets two separate deadlines for civil sexual abuse claims. For abuse that occurred while the victim was a child, Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045(a) requires a lawsuit to be filed not later than 30 years after the cause of action accrues, for injuries arising from specific Penal Code offenses: sexual assault of a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child, continuous sexual abuse of a young child or disabled individual, certain child sex-trafficking or compelling-prostitution-of-a-child offenses, and indecency with a child. For abuse that occurred when the victim was an adult, § 16.0045(b) sets a 5-year deadline for claims arising from adult sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, trafficking of persons (other than child trafficking), or compelling prostitution of an adult.
The 30-year childhood period was extended from 15 years by legislation enacted in 2019 (H.B. 3809), and the statute was most recently amended effective September 1, 2023. Because the victim is legally a minor at the time the abuse occurs, Texas's general minority-tolling rule under § 16.001 — providing that 'the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period' — also applies. In practice, this means the 30-year clock runs from the victim's 18th birthday rather than from the date of the abuse itself.
This is where a common but misleading shorthand comes from: you may see the Texas childhood deadline described as running to 'about age 48.' That figure is not a number that appears anywhere in the statute. It is a computed reading that combines two separate Civil Practice & Remedies Code provisions — the 30-year period in § 16.0045(a) and the minority-tolling rule in § 16.001 — and it assumes the clock starts precisely at age 18. It is a useful approximation, not a legal deadline stated in the text of the law, and the exact date it produces depends on the specific facts of accrual in your case.
Texas Has Never Enacted a Revival Window for Sexual Abuse Claims
Some states have passed temporary 'lookback' or 'revival' windows that let survivors sue even after their original deadline has passed. Texas has not. Here is what the law actually says about claims that were already time-barred before the current deadlines took effect:
Texas Statute of Limitations for Sexual Abuse Claims
Childhood sexual abuse (under 18 at the time of the conduct): A civil action must be brought not later than 30 years after the cause of action accrues, for injury arising from conduct that violates specific Penal Code offenses — sexual assault of a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child, continuous sexual abuse of a young child or disabled individual, certain child sex-trafficking or compelling-prostitution-of-a-child offenses, and indecency with a child (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045(a)). Because the victim is a minor when the abuse occurs, the general minority-tolling rule in § 16.001 also applies, so the 30-year period effectively runs from the 18th birthday. This is a finite 30-year period, not an unlimited or 'no time limit' rule — some secondary sources blur this distinction, and it is not accurate to describe Texas as having no deadline at all for childhood abuse claims. The statute was last amended effective September 1, 2023.
Adult sexual assault (18 or older at the time of the conduct): A civil action must be brought not later than 5 years after the cause of action accrues, for injury arising from conduct that violates specific Penal Code offenses — sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, trafficking of persons (other than child trafficking), or compelling prostitution of an adult (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045(b)). There is no revival window that extends this deadline once it has passed.
Attorney Fees in Texas Sexual Abuse Cases
Texas has no statutory cap on contingency attorney fees in sexual abuse civil cases. Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.04(a) and (d), a fee is prohibited only if it is 'unconscionable' — a higher bar than a general reasonableness standard, which in practice offers weaker protection against a high fee than a numeric cap would. This is an upper legal limit on what a fee agreement can require, not a description of what a typical case actually costs; the exact percentage is a matter of negotiation and should be set out in a written fee agreement before you sign. (For comparison, Texas does impose a numeric statutory cap in one unrelated context — workers' compensation attorney fees, capped at 25% of the compensation recovered under Tex. Labor Code § 408.221(i) — but that cap does not apply to sexual abuse claims.)
Reported Settlement Amounts in Texas Sexual Abuse Cases
Texas sexual abuse cases frequently resolve through confidential settlements or sealed court records, and no verified, source-cited settlement amounts for Texas sexual abuse cases are available for this page. What determines whether you have a viable claim in Texas is not a published settlement figure — it is whether your claim falls within the applicable deadline described above. An attorney who reviews the specific dates, your age at the time of the abuse, and which Penal Code offense applies can tell you whether your claim is still timely and what it may be worth.
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).
Texas Sexual Abuse Settlement FAQs
I was abused as a child in Texas years ago. Do I still have time to file a claim?
Possibly. Texas law gives you 30 years from when the claim accrues to file, and because you were a minor when the abuse occurred, that 30-year period generally runs from your 18th birthday rather than from the date of the abuse (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045(a), with minority tolling under § 16.001). This applies to specific offenses: sexual assault of a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child, continuous sexual abuse of a young child or disabled individual, certain child sex-trafficking or compelling-prostitution-of-a-child offenses, and indecency with a child. Because the exact deadline depends on your birth date and the specific conduct involved, an attorney can calculate your actual filing deadline.
I've heard Texas survivors have until about age 48 to sue. Is that the real deadline?
Not exactly, and it's important to understand why. 'Age 48' is not a number written anywhere in the Texas statute. It is a computed estimate that combines two separate legal rules: the 30-year filing period in § 16.0045(a) and the minority-tolling rule in § 16.001, assuming the clock starts at age 18. The actual legal rule is a 30-year period running from when the claim accrues, and it is a finite period — not an unlimited one. Depending on the specifics of your case, your true deadline could fall before or after the commonly cited 'age 48' approximation, so it should not be relied on as a precise cutoff.
I was sexually assaulted as an adult in Texas. How long do I have to file?
Texas gives you 5 years from when the claim accrues to bring a civil claim for adult sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, trafficking of persons (other than child trafficking), or compelling prostitution of an adult (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045(b)). Unlike the childhood deadline, there is no minority tolling for adult claims, and Texas has not enacted any window that extends this 5-year period once it has passed.
Is there a revival window in Texas for sexual abuse claims that already expired?
No. Texas has never enacted a revival or lookback window for sexual abuse claims. The current 30-year childhood deadline was extended from 15 years by 2019 legislation (H.B. 3809), but that extension applies only prospectively: it covers claims that accrue after the law's effective date, or claims where the prior limitations period had not yet expired as of that date. It does not revive a claim that was already time-barred before the extension took effect. If your deadline has already passed under the law that applied at the time, Texas law does not provide a path to bring that claim now.
What percentage of my settlement will go to attorney fees in a Texas sexual abuse case?
Texas does not set a statutory percentage cap on contingency fees in sexual abuse cases. The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct only prohibit a fee that is 'unconscionable' (Rule 1.04(a)), which is a looser standard than a fixed reasonableness test. There is no single 'typical' percentage — the fee is a matter of the written agreement you sign with your attorney, and you should review that agreement carefully before signing. This is different from Texas workers' compensation cases, where attorney fees are capped by statute at 25% of the compensation recovered; that cap does not apply here.
A Note on Verifying Your Specific Deadline
Legal situation is evolving. As of April 2026:
- childhood_sol: This is a finite 30-year period, not an unlimited ('no time limit') rule -- some secondary sources blur this distinction. Last amended effective September 1, 2023 (Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 93, S.B. 1527).
- contingency_cap: The standard is 'unconscionable', not mere unreasonableness — weaker protection. Workers' comp: max 25% of the compensation (§ 408.221(i)).
- contingency_cap: keine gesetzliche Grenze (Massstab: 'unconscionable', Rule 1.04(a))
This page is informational only. Consult a licensed attorney for case-specific advice.
Primary Sources
- capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/86R/billtext/html/HB03809F.htm
- statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.16.htm
- www.legalethicstexas.com/resources/rules/texas-disciplinary-rules-of-professional-conduct/fees
Other State Sexual Abuse Calculators
California
3 revival windows (AB 218/2777/250)
New York
CVA + ASA + NYC GMVA (open Jul 2027)
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
Related
Other Calculators for Texas
Each Texas calculator reflects state-specific laws (caps, statutes of limitations, comparative-negligence rules) and uses Texas verdict data where available.
Cities in Texas
Sexual Abuse Settlement Calculators by State
Lookback windows and settlement ranges for survivors vary by state: