If you or a loved one has been the victim of a sexual assault in West Virginia, your options are not limited to a criminal trial. Many victims of rape or sexual assault are left feeling that the criminal justice system did not help them or failed to give an appropriate sentence to the criminal. Rist Law Offices can help rape or sexual assault victims to pursue a case for monetary damages in civil court.

When a rape or sexual assault occurs in a parking lot, apartment building, mall, shopping center, dorm, or other commercial area, a victim may be able to file a premises liability claim against the property owner.

Property owners have a duty to protect people from known or reasonably foreseeable risks. A premises liability claim can be made against property owners, managers or landlords when they fail to meet this duty. As a part of the same case, claims can also be made against security companies who have failed to provide adequate security in the area where the crime occurred.

Owners of the following properties may be liable in a civil case when a crime occurs on the property:

   + Malls
   + Shopping centers
   + Apartment buildings
   + Bars
   + Hospitals
   + College and university campuses
   + High school campuses
   + Junior high campuses
   + Gas stations
   + Convenience stores
   + Fast food restaurants
   + Hotels and motels
   + Parking lots
   + Parking garages
   + Dorm rooms
   + Other properties


If you, a family member, or a friend has been the victim of a sexual assault or rape, contact Rist Law Offices for a free confidential consultation. We are sensitive to the issues that are being faced by crime victims and will take the time to thoroughly discuss every aspect of the case. We do not charge anything for discussing the case and all facts will be kept confidential. We accept all crime victim cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that we do not charge a fee until your case is settled or won in court.