Dalton Sex Trafficking Lawyer

Sex Trafficking Lawyer Dalton, GA

If you were a victim of sex trafficking in Dalton because a motel, apartment complex, or business owner ignored the signs of exploitation happening on their property, a civil lawsuit gives you the power to hold them accountable. You do not need to wait for criminal charges. A civil case is a separate proceeding, and it focuses on the negligent third party, not the trafficker.

Our Dalton, GA sex trafficking lawyer at Deitch + Rogers LLC brings civil claims on behalf of trafficking survivors against the property owners, landlords, and businesses whose negligence allowed the trafficking to occur. The firm handles sex trafficking cases as part of its exclusive focus on premises liability and negligent security for crime victims. We have been doing this work for more than 40 years. Consultations are free.

Why Choose Deitch + Rogers for Sex Trafficking Cases in Dalton, GA?

Decades of Civil Litigation on Behalf of Trafficking and Assault Survivors

The attorneys at Deitch + Rogers have handled sex trafficking and sexual assault premises liability cases across Georgia for more than four decades. The civil case against a negligent property owner requires a different skill set than a criminal prosecution. It requires knowledge of premises liability law, experience with commercial property and landlord-tenant relationships, and the ability to investigate a property owner’s history of ignoring security failures. That is what this firm does.

Kara Phillips is a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the National Crime Victim Bar Association, and the American Association for Justice. She has been selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2016 and was part of the trial team behind a $50 million jury award against a nonprofit for institutional negligence that resulted in sexual assault.

Michael D’Antignac earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and is a member of the National Crime Victim Bar Association and the Lawyers Club of Atlanta. He was part of the team that secured a $46 million wrongful death verdict in a case involving institutional negligence.

Gilbert Deitch and Andrew Rogers co-founded the firm on the principle that victims of crimes deserve civil justice. Attorney Deitch has practiced since 1970 and has published widely on premises liability. Attorney Rogers holds the record for the highest premises liability verdicts in Georgia for four separate years. Together, they built a practice that exists for one reason: holding negligent property owners accountable.

Over $207 Million Recovered for Crime Victims

Deitch + Rogers has secured more than $207 million for crime victims and their families. In sex trafficking, sexual assault, and institutional negligence cases specifically, the firm has obtained a $60 million verdict, a $15 million apartment sexual assault settlement, a $9.2 million verdict against a behavioral health facility, and a $3.5 million combined settlement for three victims of sexual assault on negligently secured premises.

No Fees Unless We Recover for You

Our contingency fee structure means that you do not have to pay a fee unless we recover compensation for you. Attorney fees and expenses come from the total amount recovered. Survivors of trafficking should never face a financial barrier to pursuing justice.

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“Very professional and knowledgeable lawyers. They are willing to work hard for your benefit. They handled my case with utmost care and professionalism. Ever since working with them, I felt like I was in good hands.”

• Stephanie Brandon

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Types of Sex Trafficking Cases We Handle in Dalton

Sex trafficking in Dalton, GA occurs in locations where property owners have a legal duty to protect the people on their premises. When those owners look the other way, profit from trafficking activity, or simply refuse to invest in basic security, survivors can pursue civil claims. Our trafficking victim attorneys handle cases involving:

• Motel and hotel trafficking. Trafficking operations frequently center on motels and hotels where staff ignore obvious signs of exploitation. Constant foot traffic to a single room. Individuals who never leave. “Do not disturb” signs posted for days. We hold these property owners accountable for what they chose to ignore.
• Apartment trafficking. Victims held and exploited in rental units where the landlord failed to monitor suspicious activity, screen tenants, or respond to complaints from neighbors who saw warning signs.
• Commercial property trafficking. Businesses operating as fronts for trafficking, including massage parlors, nail salons, and other commercial establishments where the property owner knew or should have known about illegal activity on the premises.
• Sexual assault. Many trafficking cases involve repeated sexual assaults. The civil claim can address both the trafficking and the underlying assaults, targeting every negligent party in the chain.
• Institutional trafficking. Survivors exploited within religious organizations, residential programs, or other institutional settings where the organization’s leadership failed to protect vulnerable individuals from trafficking.
• Rideshare-facilitated trafficking. Traffickers use rideshare platforms to transport victims. When the platform fails to adequately screen drivers or respond to safety complaints, civil claims may be available against the company.
• Online-recruited trafficking. Victims recruited through social media, dating platforms, or classified ad websites and then exploited at physical locations. When negligent property owners at those locations fail to intervene, they share civil liability.

Georgia Legal Requirements for Sex Trafficking Cases

Georgia criminalizes sex trafficking under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46. The statute prohibits knowingly recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining another person for the purpose of sexual servitude. Criminal penalties are severe. A minimum of 10 years for adult victims. For trafficking involving minors, 25 years to life with fines up to $100,000.

But the civil case is what we file. And it works differently. Instead of punishing the trafficker, a civil lawsuit targets the motel owner who rented rooms to traffickers for months, the apartment complex that ignored tenant complaints, or the business that profited from trafficking on its property. The standard of proof is preponderance of the evidence, not beyond a reasonable doubt. A criminal conviction is not required. In fact, many of the civil cases our firm has handled involved property owners who were never charged with a crime themselves, even though their negligence made the trafficking possible.

Federal law provides additional protections. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act, enacted in 2000 and reauthorized multiple times, allows trafficking survivors to file civil actions in federal court. Georgia also passed SB 435, the Survivors First Act, which allows trafficking victims to petition courts to vacate criminal convictions that resulted from their exploitation.

The statute of limitations for civil claims is generally two years under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. For survivors of childhood trafficking, O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33.1 extends the filing deadline to age 23 or within two years of discovering the abuse and its link to injury. The Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council administers victim compensation programs, and the federal Office for Victims of Crime provides additional resources. But a civil lawsuit against the negligent property owner is the most effective way to recover the full scope of damages a trafficking survivor is owed.

What Damages Are Recoverable in Dalton Sex Trafficking Cases?

Survivors of sex trafficking in Dalton can pursue three categories of damages through a Georgia civil case.

Economic damages cover medical bills for physical injuries sustained during the trafficking. Emergency treatment, ongoing care, and reconstructive procedures. The cost of therapy and counseling, which for trafficking survivors often continues for years. Prescription medications. Lost wages and lost earning capacity. Many trafficking survivors were exploited during formative years that would otherwise have been spent in school or building careers. Our attorneys work with medical providers, therapists, and economists to document the full financial impact. The emotional toll of trafficking extends far beyond the period of exploitation itself.

Non-economic damages address the harm that defies easy calculation. Pain and suffering during the trafficking. The psychological injuries that persist afterward, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, difficulty trusting others, and loss of enjoyment of life. Damage to personal relationships and the survivor’s sense of self. Georgia juries have discretion to award whatever amount they determine is fair and reasonable for these injuries. In trafficking cases involving evidence that a property owner knowingly profited from the exploitation, non-economic awards can be substantial.

Punitive damages are available under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1 when the defendant’s conduct was willful, malicious, or showed conscious disregard for safety. A motel owner who rented rooms to known traffickers, or a landlord who collected rent from a unit used for trafficking while ignoring obvious signs, could face punitive damages on top of compensatory awards. Georgia caps most punitive awards at $250,000, though exceptions apply for intentional conduct. Protecting your privacy during litigation is also a priority our attorneys take seriously.

Contact Deitch + Rogers

If you are a survivor of sex trafficking in Dalton, GA, and a property owner, motel, or business played a role in what happened, our trafficking victim attorneys are ready to listen. Consultations are free and confidential. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Deitch + Rogers has spent more than four decades pursuing civil justice for crime victims throughout Georgia, including in Dalton, Whitfield County, and across northwest Georgia. Contact us to schedule your consultation.