Civil Rights Violation Case Calculator

Common civil rights claims include excessive police force, false arrest, First Amendment retaliation, housing discrimination (Fair Housing Act), employment discrimination (Title VII, ADA, ADEA), school discrimination (Title IX), and denial of public accommodations. Federal Section 1983 claims require a state actor (government official or employee).

Civil rights damages include economic losses (medical bills, lost wages, lost opportunities), emotional distress and psychological harm, and in some cases punitive damages. Federal civil rights statutes also provide for attorney's fee awards, which makes these cases attractive to civil rights attorneys on contingency.

Section 1983 claims borrow the state's personal injury statute of limitations — typically 2–3 years. Claims against government entities may have much shorter notice-of-claim deadlines (60–180 days). Employment discrimination claims under Title VII require EEOC charges within 180–300 days of the discriminatory act.

Yes, with some limitations. Under Section 1983, you can sue individual government officers but typically not the government entity itself unless you can show a policy, custom, or failure to train caused the violation (a Monell claim). Qualified immunity may protect individual officers unless the violated right was 'clearly established' at the time.