Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers files civil lawsuits on behalf of human sex trafficking survivors.
Human sex trafficking is, unfortunately, a major issue in California and nationwide.
The Human Trafficking Hotline, since it was founded, has identified over 112,000 cases of human trafficking with over 218,000 victims identified.
Survivors of human sex trafficking are entitled to seek justice and financial compensation from traffickers as well as third parties.
If you were a victim of human trafficking, you deserve justice.
Call our experienced sex trafficking attorneys today for a FREE, CONFIDENTIAL consultation at (800) 718-4658 or contact us if you or a loved one is a survivor of human sex trafficking.
We will not charge you any fee until we win your case.
Our compassionate, empathetic, trauma-informed human trafficking attorneys provide comprehensive legal services and can help you:
- File a civil lawsuit seeking justice and compensation
- Address psychological issues like PTSD, anxiety or depression
- Legally remain in the U.S. if you are a foreign national
- Secure housing, safety, medical care, public benefits and counseling services
- Connect with criminal lawyers who can clear your criminal record of charges related to things you did while being trafficked
You are entitled to pursue civil justice even if criminal charges were not filed against your trafficker.
Call us today for a FREE, CONFIDENTIAL consultation.
What Is Legally Considered Human Sex Trafficking?
Human sex trafficking, according to the United States Department of Justice, is soliciting, patronizing, obtaining, provisioning, transporting, harboring or recruiting people for the purpose of commercial sex acts while using coercion, fraud or force, or when the people induced to perform such acts are under the age of 18.
In other words, adult trafficking occurs when force, fraud or coercion is used to induce an adult to participate in a commercial sex act.
It is considered sex trafficking regardless of the circumstances relating to force, fraud or coercion when minors are induced into commercial sex acts.
Who Can File a Sex Trafficking Lawsuit?
Those who qualify to file civil claims over sex trafficking include:
- Survivors who were trafficked and/or sexually abused as children, as well as their parents
- Adults who were sex trafficked through force, fraud or coercion
- Families pursuing cases on behalf of deceased victims of sex trafficking
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Human Sex Trafficking Lawsuit?
Key entities that can be held liable in human sex trafficking cases include:
- Hotels and motels who let trafficking occur on their premises and/or ignored sex trafficking red flags
- Owners of properties, such as massage parlors or clubs, where trafficking occurred
- Trucking companies, truck stops, airlines or taxi services that ignored warning signs and were involved in the exploitation or movement of victims
- Direct traffickers such as pimps, gangs, smugglers and family members
- Classified ad sites, websites and social media platforms which profit from, support or facilitate the sale of human beings
- Companies and banks who knowingly facilitation transactions related to or profit from trafficking ventures
- Escort services, entertainment venues or event organizers knowingly involved in trafficking
Is Pimping Sex Trafficking?
Pimping is considered sex trafficking since it involves the control and exploitation of people for commercial sex acts, commonly through coercion, fraud or force.
Sex trafficking involves the receipt, transportation, harboring or recruitment of people for the purpose of commercial sex acts which are induced by coercion, fraud or force.
Pimping involves the management and facilitation of prostitution, where pimps receive all or part of sex workers’ earnings, and this management and facilitation is typically done through coercion, fraud or force.
Pimping is considered trafficking due to:
Coercion and Control
Pimps use multiple tactics to control their victims, including:
- Emotional and physical abuse
- Threats of violence
- Debt bondage
- Confiscation of ID documents
- Isolation
Vulnerability
Pimps commonly target vulnerable people, like those in abusive situations, the homeless or runaways, manipulating them with false promises of a better life or love.
Pimping Minors
When victims are minors, all commercial sex acts are considered sex trafficking crimes regardless of if coercion, fraud or force can be proven, since minors can’t legally consent.
Is Sex Trafficking the Same as Prostitution?
No.
However, while prostitution and sex trafficking aren’t the same, they often overlap.
Human trafficking occurs when coercion, fraud or force compels people into prostitution.
If you are a survivor of being coerced, defrauded or forced to engage in prostitution, contact our legal team today, as we can help you recover justice and compensation for your trafficking.
Hotel and Motel Liability in Human Trafficking Lawsuits
Hotels and motels may be held liable for trafficking if they knowingly benefit from the acts of human traffickers.
Liability can arise from continuing to rent rooms despite red flags of sex trafficking being present.
Liability can also arise from failure to train staff to recognize red flags or failure to enforce anti-trafficking policies.
Liability may extend to:
- Property owners
- Hotel operators
- Franchises
- National hotel brands
No criminal conviction is required to pursue a civil claim against a hotel.
How Hotels Train Staff to Identify Human Trafficking
Hotels train their staff to identify human trafficking via interactive, mandatory and commonly state-mandated training programs.
These programs focus on recognizing red flags like controlling behavior, excessive room traffic and lack of luggage, as well as reporting them to law enforcement or management.
Hotels and motels who fail to properly train their staff can be held liable in sex trafficking cases in the civil court system for trafficking which occurs on their property.
Key components of training include:
Recognizing Red Flags
Staff are trained to identify behaviors that are suspicious, such as:
- Guests who appear fearful, submissive or disoriented
- Young people who appear underage but behave like adults
- Hourly, short-term or frequent bookings
- Excessive male visitors to rooms
- Guests not requiring housekeeping
- Guests refusing housekeeping
- Guests possessing limited luggage
- Guests accompanied by those with controlling behavior
Operational Procedures
Strict security protocols are emphasized by training such as requiring all guests to provide photo ID, not allowing cash payments for hotel rooms, and monitoring for the signs of abuse, such as numerous, often young, people in a single room.
Reporting Protocols
Staff are instructed to immediately report suspicions to managers instead of directly confronting suspects. Managers are trained to handle sensitive cases.
Specific Roles
Specialized training is commonly provided to valet staff, security, housekeeping and the front desk to identify indicators of trafficking.
Examples of Sex Trafficking Lawsuits
Epstein Estate Lawsuit
On January 26, 2026, a federal lawsuit was filed against the 1953 Trust, the Estate of Jeffrey Epstein and related entities, claiming violations of the RICO and TVPRA statutes.
Luxury Apartment Scandal
January 2026 saw a federal lawsuit accuse employees at a pair of luxury apartment complexes in San Francisco of accepting bribes in exchange for ignoring a sex trafficking ring targeting minors.
Motel 6 and Hotel Litigation
Numerous lawsuits have been filed in 2025 and 2026 against Red Roof Inn, Motel 6 and other chains in Texas, California and elsewhere.
The lawsuits allege that staff ignored “red flags” like cash payments, signs of physical abuse and excessive traffic.
Huge Verdicts
In July 2025, a $40 million verdict was awarded against a Georgia hotel which let a minor get trafficked on their property. It was believed to be the biggest such verdict in United States history.
Another, similar $40 million judgment was awarded in a case involving a rapper in January of 2026.
Who Is at Risk for Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking constitutes a modern-day type of slavery. Over 400,000 people are trafficked in the United States each year.
Traffickers usually target vulnerable groups – desperate people who are baited using misleading and/or false promises. National data shows that the groups with the highest human trafficking risk are:
- Homeless and runaway youth
- Minors in the juvenile justice system
- Minors in foster care
- Foreign nationals
- Undocumented immigrants
- People suffering from substance abuse
- Impoverished people
- Those possessing cognitive disabilities
- People with limited English or low literacy rates
- Young LGBTQ people separated from their families
People who are homeless in the long term and do not have access to safe housing face an increased risk of being trafficked.
What Compensation Is Available to Sex Trafficking Victims?
Sex trafficking survivors can recover damages for physical and emotional injuries resulting from human trafficking. Survivors of human trafficking often suffer from debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder and other injuries and damages.
Under federal laws like the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), lawyers seek damages for medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering in civil litigation.
Victims of human trafficking can recover actual, compensatory, and sometimes punitive damages for their injuries and trauma.
Human sex trafficking survivors can pursue financial compensation for multiple damages, including:
Medical Bills
Survivors who have suffered physical injuries while being trafficked may pursue compensation for all past and future medical expenses related to their injuries. This includes compensation for things like hospital stays, ER visits, doctor visits, medications, surgeries, medical treatments, physical therapy, rehabilitation and more.
Mental Healthcare Costs
Survivors of human trafficking may suffer from PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other emotional and psychological injuries.
Survivors can pursue financial compensation for the costs to treat these emotional and psychological injuries.
Lost Wages
Survivors are entitled to pursue compensation for any wages they were unable to earn due to their trafficking as well as any physical, emotional or psychological injuries related to their trafficking.
Loss of Earning Capacity
Survivors who have been left with a disability due to their trafficking may pursue compensation for the loss or reduction of their earning capacity resulting from the disability.
Pain and Suffering
Survivors are entitled to pursue financial compensation for the physical pain, mental suffering and emotional distress related to their trafficking.
Wrongful Death
The families of loved ones who died due to their trafficking may pursue compensation for things like funeral bills, burial bills, any medical bills their loved ones incurred prior to passing, any pain and suffering their loved ones endured prior to passing, and the loss of their loved ones’ income, love, companionship, spousal benefits and household services.
Punitive Damages
Survivors may pursue punitive damages intended to punish wrongdoers for intentional, reckless, willful or wanton conduct, such as businesses like hotels knowing that sex trafficking was happening on their property and doing nothing about it.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Sex Trafficking Claims?
The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) allows survivors to file civil lawsuits against traffickers and those who knowingly benefit from trafficking ventures.
Trafficking survivors who were adults when they were trafficked, under 18 U.S. Code § 1595, generally have 10 years from the last trafficking incident to file a lawsuit.
Trafficking survivors who were children when they were trafficked, under the Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act of 2022, have no time limit to file a civil lawsuit if they were under the age of 28 when the law passed.
However, claims which were already expired due to the statute of limitations prior to this 2022 law change are still barred.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Sexual Abuse Claims in California?
Those whose sex trafficking claims have expired under the statute of limitations may still qualify to file civil sexual abuse lawsuits in California, with the help of our experienced sexual abuse lawyers, if they are survivors of sexual abuse.
Survivors of sexual abuse which occurred as an adult can file civil lawsuits up to ten years after the abuse, or within three years of discovering that an injury or illness was the result of the abuse.
Survivors of sexual abuse which occurred as a child have no time limit to file a civil lawsuit if the abuse happened after or on January 1, 2024.
Survivors of child sexual abuse which occurred prior to January 1, 2024 have until the age of 40 or within five years of discovering that psychological harm resulted from the abuse, to file a civil lawsuit.
Our legal team has been handling sexual abuse cases and sexual assault cases since 1990. We can help you if you have been sexually abused. Call us today for a confidential, free consultation.
Our Lawyers Can Let You Know if You Qualify to File a Lawsuit
The statutes of limitation for sex trafficking are changing rapidly.
Many states have their own human trafficking laws that may expand the time survivors have to file a lawsuit and increase the types of damages available.
Specific rules vary by state, however.
The landscape for these lawsuits is becoming more survivor-friendly over time. Contact us and we can help you find out if you have a case if you’re unsure.
How to Sue for Sex Trafficking
In order to sue for sex trafficking, you should first:
Identify Legal Grounds for a Lawsuit
18 U.S. Code § 1595 lets survivors sue traffickers as well as anybody who knowingly benefits from participating in trafficking ventures.
You can sue entities who enabled trafficking, like transportation companies, hotels or motels, if they failed to stop trafficking on their properties or ignored “red flags.”
Many states have laws, like the California Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which allow for civil actions.
Once you’ve identified legal grounds for a lawsuit, you should:
Take Immediate Legal Steps
You will need to gather evidence in order to prove that trafficking occurred.
This evidence includes records of coercion, fraud or force (or evidence you were under 18 when the trafficking occurred), like witness statements, medical reports, bank records or text messages.
Experienced sex trafficking attorneys can help you gather said evidence.
To file a lawsuit, you will need to reach out to a sex trafficking lawyer who will evaluate your case. These lawyers can help you navigate any legal complexities and will often work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you aren’t charged until they win your case.
What Should I Look for in a Sex Trafficking Lawyer?
Communication and support from the attorney are important, including clear explanations of the legal process and timely updates.
Lawyers should have resources to analyze forensic evidence and consult with experts in human trafficking cases.
A lawyer’s proven track record of successful case outcomes is crucial in human trafficking cases.
A lawyer specializing in human trafficking should understand relevant state, federal, and potentially international laws, such as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA).
An attorney familiar with the specific court can provide significant advantages by understanding local nuances and procedures in human trafficking cases.
A trauma-informed approach is essential for lawyers representing human trafficking survivors. A trauma-informed lawyer shows empathy and cultural competence when representing human trafficking victims.
How Can a Lawyer Help Sex Trafficking Survivors?
Lawyers can help sex trafficking survivors by:
Filing Lawsuits
Human trafficking lawyers file civil lawsuits against traffickers and third parties, such as hotels, motels or businesses, that knowingly facilitated or benefited from exploitation.
Civil lawsuits give survivors the opportunity to seek damages, attorneys’ fees, and injunctive relief.
Civil lawsuits give survivors the opportunity to seek compensation for their suffering, which can help them regain power and independence.
Legal representation for human trafficking survivors, including the filing of lawsuits, often operates on a contingency-fee basis, meaning clients do not pay unless there is a recovery.
Helping Survivors Obtain Help and Compensation
Survivors of human trafficking may suffer from PTSD, anxiety, and depression, which can be addressed through legal representation.
For foreign national victims of human trafficking, lawyers help apply for T visas, U visas, or Continued Presence to remain in the U.S. legally.
Lawyers collaborate with service providers to implement immediate safety planning and protective measures for human trafficking survivors.
Lawyers can connect survivors with legal aid providers who help human trafficking survivors secure safety, housing, medical care, and public benefits. Many organizations provide resources and support for survivors of human trafficking, including counseling services.
Our legal teams work with counselors in order to ensure supportive environments.
Civil lawyers can also connect survivors with criminal lawyers who can clear their criminal records. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act allows survivors to clear unjust criminal records at the national level with specialized legal counsel, effective as of early 2026.
Helping Prevent Future Trafficking
Civil litigation can compel businesses to implement better safeguards and policies to prevent future trafficking.
Confidential Legal Help for Human Trafficking Victims
You deserve justice if you or a loved one was sex trafficked.
Our committed, caring attorneys will review your case with absolute confidentiality, and for free.
We can help you hold traffickers accountable as well as the individuals, businesses or institutions who profited from or enabled your exploitation.
While the financial compensation we can help you recover can’t undo the pain which resulted from being trafficked, we can help you regain peace of mind, independence and power.
When you’re ready to share your story with us, we’ll be here to listen, not judge you, and relentlessly fight for justice for you.
Call us today for a FREE, CONFIDENTIAL consultation at (800) 718-4658 or contact us if you or a loved one survived human sex trafficking.
Why Survivors Trust Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers
- We have been handling sex trafficking and sexual abuse cases since 1990.
- Our team helps survivors obtain medical and mental healthcare on a lien, meaning a fee is not charged until the case ends.
- We don’t charge any fee until we win the case, meaning no upfront or out-of-pocket fee is charged and the only fee charged is a percentage of any recovery obtained.
- Our team provides survivors with 24/7 availability and reliable, compassionate, trauma-informed communication.
- We and our legal teams have recovered more than $750,000,000 for our clients.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. All cases are unique and results depend on their specific facts.
Contact us today for a FREE, CONFIDENTIAL consultation.
