Criminal case
The 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office decides whether to file and controls the case. It must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The outcome sought is punishment of the offender, such as incarceration.
Lone Tree, Colorado
Lone Tree Sexual Assault Civil Lawyers Who Hold Institutions Accountable
We represent survivors of sexual assault and abuse in civil claims across Lone Tree and Douglas County. A civil claim is a separate legal path from any criminal case, built to hold negligent institutions accountable and recover real compensation. You decide whether to bring one, and your first conversation with us is confidential. We serve Lone Tree from our Denver office, about 21 miles south along I-25.
No fee unless we winOr speak with us privately now(303) 209-9395
You are in control
A confidential conversation, on your terms
There is no obligation and no public record when you reach out. We listen, explain your options, and move at a pace that respects you. Nothing is filed that you have not chosen.
- Protected as a prospective-client communication under Colorado's professional-conduct rules
- Jane Doe and John Doe filings available in many cases
- Bilingual, trauma-informed team
5-star rated on GoogleABOTA trial advocate on the teamConfidential, trauma-informedNo fee unless we win
You are in control
A confidential conversation, on your terms
- Protected as a prospective-client communication under Colorado's professional-conduct rules
- Jane Doe and John Doe filings available in many cases
- Bilingual, trauma-informed team
- The civil standard of proof is lower than the criminal standard. Whether or not the 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office ever files charges, and however a criminal case turns out, a civil claim is still yours to bring.
- Liability frequently extends beyond the individual to the school, employer, healthcare provider, or organization whose negligence created the opportunity for the abuse.
- Colorado removed the civil filing deadline for sexual misconduct claims effective January 1, 2022, and that change also reaches older claims that had not already expired by that date. Claims that were already too late under the previous deadline generally cannot be revived. Because that turns entirely on specific dates, we review your exact timeline before anything is filed.
There is no obligation and no public record when you reach out. We listen, explain your options, and move at a pace that respects you. Nothing is filed that you have not chosen.
A civil claim gives survivors of sexual assault and abuse in Lone Tree a path to compensation and institutional accountability that runs entirely apart from a criminal prosecution.
CGH Injury Lawyers represents Lone Tree survivors with a confidential, trauma-informed approach. We serve Lone Tree from our Denver office, about 21 miles south along I-25, and we handle Douglas County Courthouse filings directly. We take on the institution, the investigation, and the litigation, while you decide how and whether the case moves forward. Your first consultation is free.
Justice beyond the criminal courts
Why a civil claim matters for Lone Tree survivors
Criminal prosecution and a civil claim answer different questions. A criminal case asks whether the state can prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a crime occurred, and its remedy is punishment. A civil claim asks whether it is more likely than not that you were harmed, and its remedy is compensation, paid by whoever caused or enabled that harm.
In Douglas County, the newly formed 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office decides on its own timeline and its own evidentiary threshold whether to bring criminal charges at all. That decision is not yours to make, and, just as importantly, it is not a verdict on your civil claim.
Prosecutors can decline to file, a case can end in acquittal, or charges can never be pursued, and none of that by itself closes the door on civil compensation.
A civil claim gives Lone Tree survivors three things a criminal case, on its own, does not:
- Direct financial recovery for therapy, medical treatment, lost income, and the future the abuse disrupted.
- Leverage to force institutional change, since a civil judgment or settlement is a cost an organization has to answer for in a way public criticism alone rarely achieves.
- A process you help direct from the first call, with a formal outcome that states plainly that what happened to you was wrong.
Two separate tracks
Civil versus criminal cases: the differences that matter
These two systems run on parallel tracks with different goals, different standards of proof, and different outcomes. Understanding the difference is the starting point for understanding your options in Lone Tree.
Civil case
You decide whether to file, and your attorneys bring the case. You must prove it is more likely than not that the abuse happened and caused you harm. The outcome sought is financial compensation and institutional accountability.
Because a civil claim carries a lower burden of proof, you can pursue compensation whether or not the 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office ever files charges, and regardless of how a criminal case resolves. A dropped charge or a not-guilty verdict in criminal court does not by itself decide what a civil jury would find, because the two systems use different standards of proof and answer different questions, though evidence from the criminal matter can still be relevant to a civil claim.
Institutional accountability
Who can be held liable beyond the individual?
A civil case can hold an institution responsible, not only the person who committed the abuse. Colorado law now allows a direct negligence claim against an employer even when that employer admits it is vicariously liable for its own employee's conduct, a legislative fix passed in 2021 specifically so institutions could not use that admission to shield themselves from scrutiny.
Negligent hiring
Placing someone in a position of trust with children or vulnerable adults without a reasonable background check, or hiring despite a known red flag, can make an organization legally responsible for what follows.
Negligent supervision
A hiring decision made correctly does not end the duty. When an organization receives a complaint about inappropriate conduct and fails to investigate or act, it shares responsibility for the harm that comes after.
Negligent retention
When an organization becomes aware of misconduct or clear warning signs and keeps that person in place anyway, it can be held liable for the abuse that follows, separately from whatever happened at the hiring stage.
Vicarious liability
An employer can be vicariously liable for an employee's conduct, but only when that conduct falls within the scope of employment, and courts frequently find that intentional sexual assault falls outside it. That is exactly why the direct negligence theories above, hiring, supervision, and retention, are usually the stronger and more commonly used path to hold an institution accountable.
Lone Tree entities commonly held accountable
- Schools, colleges, and universities serving Lone Tree, including Douglas County School District RE-1
- Religious organizations and youth ministries
- Youth-serving programs, camps, and sports leagues
- Rideshare and transit operators, including RTD light rail service through Lincoln Station
- Hospitals, clinics, and psychiatric facilities
- Group homes and foster care agencies
- Assisted living and residential facilities
- Employers whose premises or supervision failed
The work is not only identifying who caused the harm, but tracing which Lone Tree institution let the conditions exist that made it possible, and where its duty to protect you broke down. We build that case while you focus on healing rather than on confronting an organization on your own.
It is not about reliving what happened. It is about reclaiming control and forcing the institutions that failed you to answer for it.
- CGH Injury Lawyers
It is not about reliving what happened. It is about reclaiming control and forcing the institutions that failed you to answer for it.
Colorado time limits
How much time do you have to file in Colorado?
Colorado's legislature substantially rewrote the deadlines that govern these claims, and the direction of that change favors survivors. It is not unlimited, though, and whether your particular claim falls inside the current rule depends on specific dates. That is why a confidential timeline review comes before any conclusion in either direction.
What Colorado law recognizes
As of January 1, 2022, Colorado abolished the statute of limitations for civil claims arising from sexual misconduct. Under C.R.S. 13-80-103.7, these claims may be filed at any time going forward.
The abolition is not limited to conduct occurring after that date. If the deadline that used to apply to your claim had not yet run out as of January 1, 2022, the new rule reaches back and covers you too.
This protection is not limited to the individual abuser. It extends to claims against the institution or organization connected to the misconduct as well.
The one important limit, stated plainly
Colorado also passed a separate law, the Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act, that tried to reopen childhood sexual abuse claims which had already run out of time under the older deadlines. In 2023 the Colorado Supreme Court struck that part down as unconstitutional (Aurora Public Schools v. A.S., 2023 CO 39). The practical effect is this: if a claim was still alive on January 1, 2022, there is no longer a deadline on it. If it had already expired before then, it generally cannot be revived. We will tell you honestly which side of that line your situation falls on.
One further detail worth flagging early: claims against a government entity, such as a public school district, can carry a separate and far shorter notice requirement that must be satisfied before a lawsuit is filed. We check for that in your first consultation so it never becomes a deadline you find out about too late.
If you have believed for years that too much time had passed, that belief may no longer be accurate, or it may turn out to be correct. Either way you deserve a straight answer rather than a guess. We will assess your specific Lone Tree situation honestly and tell you exactly where it stands.
Local knowledge
Lone Tree reporting. Douglas County Courthouse. Sky Ridge trauma care.
A Lone Tree civil case is built on Lone Tree and Douglas County ground: the department you may report to, the hospital that treated you, and the courthouse where a lawsuit would be filed. None of it requires reporting to police first. Here is what that ground looks like.
Lone Tree Police Department
Sexual assault within Lone Tree city limits is investigated by the Lone Tree Police Department, whose Victim Assistance Unit operates around the clock in partnership with the Parker Police Department. A police report can help support a civil claim later, but your civil case does not require one.
Many survivors never make a criminal report at all, and that choice does not limit your right to pursue compensation or institutional accountability. Whether to report to police is up to you, and we explain what each option means before you decide either way.
Sky Ridge Medical Center (Level II Trauma Center)
Sky Ridge Medical Center sits inside Lone Tree itself and is a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment-designated Level II Trauma Center. Medical and forensic documentation from care there becomes part of the foundation of a civil damages claim, establishing what happened and what it cost you. We work from those records while keeping them confidential throughout.
Douglas County Courthouse (23rd Judicial District)
A civil lawsuit arising in Lone Tree would typically be filed at the Douglas County Courthouse, 4000 Justice Way, Castle Rock, CO 80109, in Colorado's newly created 23rd Judicial District, which began operating in January 2025 after splitting off from the former 18th Judicial District. Most civil claims resolve before trial, but we are prepared to litigate there if an institution refuses to be fair, and we handle Douglas County filings directly.
Compensation
What compensation can a Lone Tree civil claim recover?
A civil claim exists to make you financially whole for what the abuse cost you, and Colorado law recognizes more categories of harm than most survivors expect.
Economic damages
- Therapy, psychiatric care, and medication
- Medical and hospitalization costs, including care that began at Sky Ridge Medical Center
- Lost wages and missed work
- Reduced future earning capacity
- Other documented out-of-pocket costs tied to the abuse
Non-economic damages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium for a spouse or family
Your privacy and safety
How we protect your privacy and your control
Concern about being publicly identified keeps many survivors from ever coming forward. Colorado law gives civil courts real tools to protect your privacy, and using them proactively, not as an afterthought, is central to how we handle these cases.
Jane Doe and John Doe filings
Courts often permit survivors to proceed under a pseudonym so your legal name is never entered into the public court record. This protection exists because requiring public identification discourages legitimate claims and can compound the harm already done. Whether a court grants it depends on the case, and we raise it early rather than late.
Sealed and restricted records
A court can seal particularly sensitive filings, restrict who may attend a deposition, and limit how personal details uncovered during litigation are disclosed, so pursuing justice does not become another intrusion into your privacy.
A private first consultation
Your first case evaluation is kept confidential and protected under Colorado's professional-conduct rules governing communications with prospective clients (Colo. RPC 1.18), from the moment you reach out. You can ask questions and consider your options with no public record and no obligation to proceed.
A pace that respects you
Handled carelessly, litigation can retraumatize a survivor. We welcome support persons at meetings and build flexibility into scheduling around difficult testimony. Court deadlines and discovery obligations do apply once a case is filed, and we explain those clearly rather than pretending they do not exist.
How it works
How we handle your Lone Tree civil sexual abuse case
Every case takes its own shape, and we work at a pace that respects you within the deadlines a court sets. These are the stages most civil claims move through, from a confidential first conversation to trial at the Douglas County Courthouse if an institution refuses to act fairly.
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Confidential consultation
We listen, answer your questions, and lay out your options at no cost, with no obligation to move forward.
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Timeline and options review
We evaluate your exact timeline under Colorado law, including the 2022 elimination of the statute of limitations for sexual misconduct claims, the limit the Colorado Supreme Court placed on reviving already-expired claims, and any separate government-notice deadline that might apply.
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Investigation
Using civil discovery, we obtain records that are otherwise out of reach, including prior complaint histories, personnel files, and internal policies, to establish how a Lone Tree institution failed in its duty to protect you.
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Demand and negotiation
We document the full extent of the harm and pursue resolution with the responsible parties. Most civil cases resolve before trial, frequently through confidential settlement.
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Litigation and trial
If an institution will not deal fairly, we are prepared to try your case at the Douglas County Courthouse. Courts often allow protective measures for sensitive testimony, and we prepare you thoroughly so you are never unprotected in a courtroom.
There is no single right timeline for coming forward. Some survivors act right away; others take years. Both are valid. What matters is that when you are ready, you understand your options and the protections in place for you.
Your team
A team that handles institutions, and treats you with care
CGH Injury Lawyers is a Colorado personal injury firm, formerly Cheney Galluzzi & Howard. We are trial lawyers who take a case as far as it needs to go, and we handle sensitive matters with discretion, confidentiality, and respect for the survivor's decisions. We serve Lone Tree and Douglas County from our Denver office.
ABOTA trial advocate on the team
Institutional liability experience
Trauma-informed approach
Serving Lone Tree and Douglas County
Bilingual EN / ES
Confidential consultation
No fee unless we win
Frequently asked questions
Lone Tree civil sexual assault claims, frequently asked questions
Can I file a civil sexual assault claim in Lone Tree if no criminal charges were filed?
Yes. A civil claim belongs to you, not to the 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office, and it proceeds independently of any criminal case. Civil claims use the lower preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, meaning it is more likely than not that the abuse occurred and caused harm, while a criminal conviction requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt. You can pursue a civil claim whether or not Lone Tree Police or Douglas County prosecutors ever filed charges.
Can I hold a school, employer, or organization in Lone Tree liable, not just the individual?
Often, yes. Schools, employers, healthcare providers, religious organizations, youth programs, and transportation companies can be held liable when they failed to screen adequately, ignored earlier complaints, or otherwise allowed conditions that made the assault possible. These claims usually rely on negligent hiring, negligent supervision, and negligent retention rather than on vicarious liability, because courts frequently treat an intentional assault as outside the scope of employment. Institutional defendants in Douglas County often carry the resources to pay a meaningful claim.
Is it too late to file if the abuse happened years ago?
It depends on the dates, and it is worth checking rather than assuming. Colorado eliminated the statute of limitations for civil sexual misconduct claims effective January 1, 2022 (C.R.S. 13-80-103.7), so claims that were still within their deadline on that date can now be filed at any time. Claims that had already expired before January 1, 2022 generally cannot be revived, because in 2023 the Colorado Supreme Court struck down a separate law that had attempted to reopen them (Aurora Public Schools v. A.S., 2023 CO 39). A confidential review of your exact timeline is the way to find out which applies to you.
Will my name become public if I file a civil claim?
In many sexual abuse cases, courts allow survivors to proceed under a pseudonym, such as Jane Doe or John Doe, keeping your real name out of the public court file. Courts can also issue protective orders sealing sensitive records and limiting who may attend a deposition. These protections are commonly granted but are not automatic, so we ask for them early. Your first consultation with us is confidential under Colorado's rules on prospective-client communications.
What compensation can a civil sexual assault claim recover in Colorado?
Compensation can include medical and therapy expenses, lost wages, reduced future earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and, in some cases, punitive damages. Economic damages can include care that began at a facility like Sky Ridge Medical Center along with ongoing psychological treatment. For claims accruing on or after January 1, 2025, Colorado caps non-economic damages at $1.5 million; claims that accrued earlier fall under a lower cap set by earlier law. Economic damages are not capped under that provision.
Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Lone Tree?
No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205, about 21 miles north of Lone Tree along I-25. We represent Lone Tree and Douglas County survivors from that office, handle Douglas County Courthouse filings directly, and meet you wherever is private and convenient, including by phone or video. Call (303) 209-9395 or submit the form on this page. Your first consultation is free and confidential.
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When you are ready, we are here, on your terms. Free, confidential consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving Lone Tree and Douglas County from our Denver office, in English and Spanish. Get My Free Case Review or call (303) 209-9395.
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