Minnesota Statutes 541.073 – Actions for Damages Due to Sexual Abuse; Special Provisions
Subdivision 1.Definition.
As used in this section:
Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 541.073
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Minor: means an individual under the age of 18. See Minnesota Statutes 645.451
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
- Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
(1) “sexual abuse” means conduct described in sections 609.342 to 609.3451 and 609.3458; and
(2) “person” includes a natural person, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, organization, association, or other entity.
Subd. 2.Limitations period.
(a) An action for damages based on sexual abuse: (1) must be commenced within six years of the alleged sexual abuse in the case of alleged sexual abuse of an individual 18 years or older; (2) may be commenced at any time in the case of alleged sexual abuse of an individual under the age of 18, except as provided for in subdivision 4; and (3) must be commenced before the plaintiff is 24 years of age in a claim against a natural person alleged to have sexually abused a minor when that natural person was under 14 years of age.
(b) The plaintiff need not establish which act in a continuous series of sexual abuse acts by the defendant caused the injury.
(c) This section does not affect the suspension of the statute of limitations during a period of disability under section 541.15.
Subd. 3.Applicability.
This section applies to an action for damages commenced against a person who was a cause of the plaintiff’s damages either by (1) committing sexual abuse against the plaintiff, or (2) negligence.
Subd. 4.Vicarious liability or respondeat superior claims.
A claim for vicarious liability or liability under the doctrine of respondeat superior must be commenced within six years of the alleged sexual abuse, provided that if the plaintiff was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged abuse, the claim must be commenced before the plaintiff is 24 years of age. This subdivision does not limit the availability of these claims under other law.
Subd. 5.Title.
This section may be cited as the “Child Victims Act.”