PA Supreme Court Considers Statute of Limitations Reform

PA Supreme Court Tolling  August 14, 2020: PA Supreme Court Considers New Argument that the Statute of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse Cases is tolled by the Fraudulent Concealment of Predators’ Identity by the various Catholic Dioceses in Pennsylvania.

In a novel theory presented after the Attorney General of Pennsylvania issued its Grand Jury Report for various dioceses in the State on the fraudulent concealed of the identify of known sexual predators, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania reversed a trial court decision in Rice v. Diocese of Altoona and found that the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims was suspended where the survivor could show that the Catholic Church concealed the identify of known abusers.

That decision permits survivors to now bring claims within two years of the Superior Courts decision on August 14, 2018.  Hopefully, the Supreme Court will uphold that decision before the two year deadline that expires this summer.

If you or anyone you know was sexually abused as a child by any Catholic priest or lay person employed by the Church, you should contact our office immediately to determine whether you can still bring a claim.

What Should You Do Now? 

The time to file a lawsuit under this exception to the Statute of Limitations is this year on August 14, 2020.  Any lawsuits filed after that date will also be time barred.  Do Not Hesitate to Contact Us Now so that we can assemble the necessary facts and documents to draft and file your Complaint against the Catholic Church dioceses across the State of Pennsylvania.