Video Description
Yes. As a survivor of human trafficking, you have the right to bring a civil lawsuit, but first it's important to talk a little bit about what human trafficking is because many people don't realize that they fit into the category of human trafficking survivors. Human trafficking is not just about sexual exploitation, it's also about forced labor. So what we're talking about here is people being forced to work, whether for sex or on farms, for example, against their will by force, coercion or fraud. That definition is really important because it means that you don't have to have been exposed to violence to be considered a survivor of human trafficking.
Another important aspect is that you don't have to have been brought into the United States from another country to be considered a survivor of human trafficking. Every day across the United States, citizens and other individuals are trafficked across state lines.
If you've been a victim of human trafficking, you are entitled to bring a federal lawsuit, and you may have state remedies as well, against not only the individuals who trafficked you, but also against the companies that may have benefited from your forced labor or sexual exploitation. That could be a farm. It could be a company that handled you, getting you into the United States. It could also be a hotel where you were positioned during your trafficking.
If you feel that these may apply to you, contact us. We can help you.