Human Trafficking Lawsuits: Know Your Legal Rights and Options

What is human trafficking?

Under U.S. law, human trafficking includes:

• Sex trafficking – a commercial sex act induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or any commercial sex act involving a minor; and
• Labor trafficking – recruiting, transporting, harboring, or obtaining a person for labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion for involuntary servitude, debt bondage, or slavery.

Trafficking is widespread and profitable. The International Labour Organization estimates 27.6 million people in forced labor on any given day, with illegal profits recently updated to $236 billion annually, which is driven largely by sexual exploitation.

Who can be held liable in a human trafficking lawsuit?

Survivors can sue traffickers and also businesses and third parties that knowingly benefit from, or are willfully blind to, a trafficking venture—including those that provide the space, tools, or financial rails that make trafficking possible. Examples include:

• Hotels/motels and hospitality brands that ignore red flags or profit from repeated trafficking on-site.
• Transportation companies (rideshare, bus, airlines, trucking, taxis) facilitating movement while ignoring warning signs.
• Online platforms/websites that knowingly benefit from ads, posts, or activity tied to trafficking.
• Property owners/landlords renting locations used for exploitation.
• Employers, labor contractors, and staffing agencies involved in coerced labor schemes.
• Financial institutions/payment processors that knowingly process and profit from trafficking transactions.

These claims often proceed under the federal civil remedy in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), 18 U.S.C. § 1595, which allows actions against those who knowingly benefit from participating in a trafficking venture (a standard Congress expanded in 2008 and has clarified through subsequent amendments).

Buyers (“patrons”) can also face criminal exposure. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 clarified that patronizing or soliciting victims can be prosecuted, putting traffickers and buyers on equal footing in appropriate cases.

What compensation can survivors seek?

Every case is different, but civil lawsuits can pursue:

• Medical and mental-health care costs, including long-term counseling.
• Lost income and loss of future earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering and other non-economic damages.
• Punitive damages (to punish and deter egregious conduct).
• Attorneys’ fees and costs, where allowed by statute.
• Injunctive relief, such as policy changes and training at businesses implicated.

Available remedies come from federal law (e.g., TVPRA) and state civil-trafficking statutes, which frequently authorize compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief, and fee-shifting.

How long do I have to file a trafficking claim?

Under the federal TVPRA civil remedy, a survivor generally has the later of:

• 10 years after the cause of action arose, or
• 10 years after turning 18 if the survivor was a minor at the time.

Please note that state laws vary. Many states provide additional civil causes of action with their own deadlines, discovery rules, and occasional “revival” windows. Reforms change frequently – sometimes expanding time to file and, in some jurisdictions, limiting revival for already-expired claims – so getting individualized legal advice quickly is critical.

Why hire a human trafficking lawyer – and why hire Pond Lehocky Giordano?

• Trauma-informed advocacy. We coordinate with medical and counseling providers and adapt strategy to your healing timeline—not the other way around.
• Experience with complex defendants. Trafficking cases often pit survivors against corporations (hospitality, transportation, platforms, finance). Our team knows how to uncover internal policies, training gaps, payment patterns, and prior incident histories that prove knowledge and benefit under § 1595.
• Resources to investigate thoroughly. From digital forensics and payment-flow analysis to industry-standard security and compliance benchmarks, we build fact-rich complaints that withstand motions and drive settlement leverage.
• Holistic damages presentation. We document the full impact—medical, psychological, vocational—to maximize recovery under federal and state law.
• Coordination with authorities when appropriate. Civil cases can proceed alongside or after criminal investigations by DOJ, DHS, and state agencies; we help you navigate those intersections safely.
• Free, confidential case review: Talking to us doesn’t obligate you to file. It gives you options. Call or message Pond Lehocky Giordano today.

How we work with you

• Private intake with a trauma-informed attorney.
• Safety planning and strategy discussion tailored to your goals.
• Evidence review (digital trail, payment flows, property records, incident logs, platform policies).
• File and fight – pursue compensation and injunctive relief while minimizing re-traumatization.

You’ve been through enough. Reach out to Pond Lehocky Giordano for a confidential, no-cost consultation and let us help you pursue accountability and the resources you need to rebuild. Call us at 1-800-568-7500 or contact us online today.