How Much Is a School Sexual Abuse Case Worth?
Written by Bryan Andrade, Senior Associate · Updated November 2026
The short answer. There is no set amount. What a case is worth depends on how the abuse has affected your life and on the facts of your case, and no lawyer can honestly guarantee a figure at the start. Survivors can seek compensation for emotional and psychological injury, physical injury, counseling and medical costs, and lost earnings. California does not allow punitive damages against public school districts.
What compensation can cover
Survivors can seek compensation for:
emotional, mental and psychological injury, such as depression and anxiety
physical injury
counseling and medical costs
lost earnings and lost earning capacity
California does not allow punitive damages against public school districts (Government Code § 818). Every case is different, and no lawyer can guarantee a result.
What affects the amount
The harm to you. How the abuse has affected your health, relationships, schooling and work, then and now.
Lost earnings. Money the abuse has already cost you, such as taking a leave of absence or cutting back your hours.
Lost earning capacity. How the abuse has limited what you can earn in the future.
Treatment. The counseling or other care you have needed and may need in the future.
What the district knew. Earlier complaints, warning signs, or rules and policies the district did not follow.
The evidence. The records and witnesses that support your account.
How the case ends. Whether it resolves through settlement or goes to trial.
When clients ask me what their case is worth, I tell them honestly that no two cases are alike, but we’ll fight for every dollar of compensation they deserve. Our team also knows that for many survivors, the true value is in being heard, holding those responsible accountable and finally finding some measure of closure and justice.
About numbers you see in the news
News stories sometimes report large verdicts and settlements in school abuse cases. Each one reflects its own facts and should not be read as a prediction for another case. Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Who pays
In a case against a school district, a settlement or judgment is usually paid by the district or the insurance or risk-sharing pool that covers it. The person who abused you can also be held responsible.
What it costs
Nothing up front. We work on contingency: fees and expenses are charged only against money recovered from responsible parties. You owe nothing as a fee or expense unless we first make a recovery for you.
How long you have
Under 40: You can bring a case against a California school district any time before your 40th birthday, with no government claim first.
Abuse on or after January 1, 2024: There is no deadline (Code of Civil Procedure § 340.1).
40 or older: Different and stricter rules apply, so talk to a lawyer promptly. LMMB currently evaluates California school cases for survivors under 40.
Every case is different. This is general information, not legal advice. A confidential review can confirm what applies to you.
Free, confidential case review
If you are a survivor, contact us for a free and confidential consultation about your legal options.