You sent your child to an Orlando summer camp expecting they would be safe. Now, you have reason to believe the camp broke that trust. When a camp fails to protect a child, Florida law provides a way to hold it accountable.
A civil lawsuit allows your family to pursue compensation for the harm caused by the camp’s failure. This is separate from any criminal charges against an individual. It focuses on the institution’s responsibility to provide a safe environment and the financial costs of recovery, such as therapy and other long-term needs.
At Horowitz Law, we only represent survivors of sexual abuse in lawsuits. It is the sole focus of our practice. We understand how to demonstrate a camp’s negligence and can explain the legal process in a clear, direct way.
For a confidential conversation about your family's situation, call our Orlando summer camp sexual abuse attorney at (954) 641-2100.
Orlando Summer Camp Abuse Guide
- Why Families Trust Horowitz Law
- What Can a Civil Lawsuit Accomplish?
- How Do Camps Fail to Keep Children Safe?
- The Legal Framework for Holding a Camp Accountable
- Interacting with the Camp and Its Insurance Company
- Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Child's Case
- Frequently Asked Questions About Orlando Summer Camp Abuse Claims
- Your Family’s Path to Accountability Starts Here
Why Families Trust Horowitz Law
Our firm is built on a specific mission: representing survivors of sexual abuse. We do not handle any other type of case.
A Singular Focus on Survivor Justice
Our founder, Adam Horowitz, has dedicated his career to this work for over 25 years. This concentrated experience allows us to direct all our resources and knowledge toward securing justice for survivors.
Adam’s work on high-profile cases, including the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, has made him a voice for accountability, with national media outlets like The New York Times and CNN seeking his commentary.
A Record of Holding Institutions Accountable
We have a long history of successfully representing survivors in cases against summer camps, schools, religious institutions, and other youth organizations. Our efforts have led to numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements, including a landmark jury award exceeding $70 million for a survivor of sexual assault.
Serving Orlando and Central Florida
From our office in Orlando, we represent families throughout Florida. We make it easy for families to get help without needing to travel, offering confidential consultations by phone, video conference, or email. Our office is located at 17 E Pine St, Orlando, FL 32801, a short walk from CityArts Art Gallery and a four-minute drive from the Central Business District.
Our Commitment to You:
- No-Cost Case Review: We will listen to you and explain your family's legal options without charge or obligation.
- No Win, No Fee: We work on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
- Personalized Attention: You will work directly with our team, who are consistently recognized by former clients for their dedication and compassion.
- Clear Communication: Our team is fluent in Spanish and provides translators for other languages to ensure you understand every step.
What Can a Civil Lawsuit Accomplish?
A civil lawsuit cannot erase what happened, but it can provide the financial resources needed for your child and family to heal. The objective is to cover every cost, including past, present, and future, that stems from the abuse.
In Florida, this compensation, called damages, falls into three main categories.
Economic Damages: Covering Verifiable Costs
This is compensation for direct, calculable financial losses your family has incurred. Think of it as reimbursement for every bill related to the incident.
Examples include:
- Therapy and counseling bills for your child and family.
- Tuition for a different school or program, if a change is needed.
- Lost wages for parents who missed work for appointments or to care for their child.
- Any other documented expenses.
Non-Economic Damages: Acknowledging the Personal Harm
This addresses the emotional and psychological toll of the abuse, which has no price tag. It is a legal acknowledgment of the personal suffering involved.
This includes compensation for:
- Emotional distress and mental anguish.
- Pain and suffering.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Diagnosed psychological conditions like PTSD, anxiety, or depression.
Punitive Damages: A Penalty for Reckless Behavior
When a camp’s actions show a conscious disregard for safety, a jury might award punitive damages. Florida law allows these damages not to compensate your family, but to punish the defendant and deter other organizations from similar conduct.
How Do Camps Fail to Keep Children Safe?
Orlando and the surrounding counties of Orange, Seminole, and Osceola host thousands of children in camps each summer. Negligence can occur at any type of camp if basic safety protocols are ignored.
Common Safety Failures at Florida Camps
Most cases of abuse at camps are preventable. They typically happen when an organization fails in one of these key areas:
- Lax Background Checks: A camp must conduct Level 2 national criminal background checks on all staff and volunteers who have contact with children, as required by Florida law. A failure to do so is a direct violation of their duty.
- Insufficient Training: Staff must be trained to recognize signs of abuse, maintain appropriate boundaries, and understand their legal duty as mandatory reporters in Florida.
- Inadequate Supervision: Florida's maximum staff-to-child ratio for school-age children is 1-to-25, though quality standards recommend much lower ratios. Camps that are understaffed or have blind spots on the property create opportunities for predators.
- Ignoring Warnings: One of the most serious failures is when camp leadership dismisses or fails to act on complaints from children or parents about an employee's troubling behavior.
What are Florida’s Mandatory Reporting Laws?
Florida law states that any person who suspects a child is being abused has a legal obligation to report it to the Florida Department of Children and Families Abuse Hotline. For camp counselors, directors, and staff, it's a legal obligation. A camp’s failure to train its employees on this duty, or an employee’s failure to make a report, is a form of negligence.
The Legal Framework for Holding a Camp Accountable
To succeed, we must demonstrate that the camp itself was negligent. This means we build a case showing the camp failed in its duty to create a safe environment, and this failure directly led to your child’s harm.
What Does Negligence Mean in This Context?
- Duty of Care: Summer camps have a legal duty to act reasonably to protect the children under their supervision. This includes everything from hiring safe employees to having sound safety policies.
- Breach of Duty: A camp breaches this duty when it fails to meet that standard. For instance, hiring a counselor without a completed background check is a clear breach.
- Causation: We must connect the camp’s breach directly to the harm your child suffered. The link must be clear: the camp's mistake created the opportunity for the abuser to act.
- Vicarious Liability: This legal concept holds an employer responsible for an employee's actions performed within the scope of their job. If a counselor harmed a child during camp activities, the camp itself may be held liable for those wrongful acts.
What Does a Civil Investigation Involve?
Once you decide to move forward, our firm takes on the burden of building the case. We launch a thorough investigation designed to uncover the facts and document the camp's failures. This process includes:
- Preserving Evidence: We immediately send legal notices to the camp to preserve all relevant records, including personnel files, training manuals, incident reports, and electronic communications.
- Interviewing Witnesses: We identify and speak with former employees, other parents, or anyone else who may have knowledge of the camp's safety practices or prior incidents.
- Requesting Official Records: We obtain police reports, records from child protective services, and any state licensing or inspection reports for the camp.
- Consulting Experts: We may work with child psychologists to document the extent of the trauma or security experts to evaluate the camp’s supervision and safety protocols.
Is There a Deadline for Filing a Lawsuit in Florida?
Yes, the law sets a deadline for filing a lawsuit, known as the statute of limitations. For cases involving childhood sexual abuse in Florida, these timelines have been extended by recent changes in the law.
In some situations, such as when the abuse happened before the survivor was 16, there may be no time limit to file a civil claim. For general negligence claims against an institution, a four-year deadline typically applies.
It is always best to act quickly. Evidence can disappear, witnesses' memories can fade, and employee records might be lost. An attorney can determine the specific deadline that applies to your family's situation.
Interacting with the Camp and Its Insurance Company
Once abuse is reported, the camp’s insurance company will launch its own investigation. Their goal is to protect their client and minimize any financial payout. They are businesses balancing paying claims with remaining profitable.
Common Tactics to Watch For:
- Requests for a Recorded Statement: An insurance adjuster will likely call and ask for your recorded account of events. They are trained to ask leading questions that could later be used to argue that the harm was not as severe as claimed, or that someone else bears some responsibility. You are not obligated to provide one.
- A Quick Settlement Offer: An insurer might offer an early settlement before the full extent of your child’s long-term needs, like future therapy, is understood. Accepting such an offer closes the case for good. It's better not to sign any documents until the full scope of damages is known.
Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Child's Case
While our legal team manages the investigation and legal strategy, there are several things you can do to support your case.
Practical Steps for Parents:
- Keep a Private Journal: Document any changes in your child’s behavior, conversations about the incident, and appointments with doctors or therapists. Note all communications with the camp or authorities.
- Organize Your Documents: Gather all paperwork related to the camp, such as registration forms, handbooks, emails, and payment receipts.
- Attend All Appointments: Make sure your child attends every scheduled therapy session or medical appointment. This not only supports their healing but also creates an official record of the harm they have endured.
- Limit Social Media Use: Do not post any details about the incident, your child, or your legal case online. Insurance companies actively search social media for any information they can use to weaken a claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Orlando Summer Camp Abuse Claims
What if my child is afraid or unwilling to talk about what happened?
This is extremely common and perfectly normal. A child should never be forced to recount a traumatic experience. We work with experienced child therapists who can help children feel safe. The legal process can move forward at a pace that is comfortable for your child, and in many cases, a child's direct testimony is not required to build a successful negligence case against the institution.
Can the camp be liable if another camper was the abuser, not a staff member?
Yes. A camp’s duty of care includes protecting children from harm inflicted by other campers. If the camp was negligent in its supervision, for example, by failing to maintain proper staff-to-camper ratios or ignoring bullying, it can be held responsible for not preventing the abuse.
The camp is run by a respected church in our community. Does that change things?
No. Religious and non-profit organizations must follow the same negligence laws as any for-profit business. They have the same legal duty to protect children. Our firm has significant experience handling cases against religious institutions and understands the specific dynamics involved.
Your Family’s Path to Accountability Starts Here
Learning that your child was hurt in a place you trusted is a difficult reality to face. But you do not have to handle the path forward by yourself. You have the right to get answers and hold the responsible parties accountable for their failures. Let our Orlando sexual abuse attorneys handle the complexities of the legal system so you can focus on what is most important: your child’s well-being. For a completely confidential and free conversation about your situation, call us today at (954) 641-2100.