Human Trafficking Attorney in Florida: Signs, Survivor Rights & Civil Claims
Updated: 6 days ago
Florida ranks third in the nation for reported human trafficking cases. Victims include children, teenagers, and adults - many of whom live in our communities without us knowing. Florida law gives trafficking survivors the right to pursue civil claims against traffickers and the businesses that enabled them. The G Law Group represents human trafficking survivors in Miami and across South Florida.
What Is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking is defined under Florida Statute § 787.06 as transporting, soliciting, recruiting, harboring, providing, enticing, maintaining, or obtaining another person for the purpose of exploitation.
It takes two primary forms:
Sex trafficking (inducing commercial sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion, or involving anyone under 18)
Labor trafficking (using force, fraud, or coercion to compel labor or services)
Florida consistently ranks among the top three states for reported trafficking cases, driven by its tourism industry, major transportation hubs, and large vulnerable populations.
Florida Human Trafficking Statistics
According to the Florida Department of Children and Families’ 2023–2024 Annual Report, more than 2,100 reports of human trafficking involving minors were received statewide in a single year.
More than 80% of those victims lived at home at the time, disproving the assumption that trafficking primarily targets children in foster care. Miami-Dade County is consistently among Florida’s highest-trafficking areas.
<h2>Survivor Rights: Civil Claims for Human Trafficking Victims
Being a victim of human trafficking is not just a criminal justice matter, survivors have civil legal rights too. Under Florida Statute § 787.061, victims have a civil cause of action against their traffickers and, in many cases, against third parties who knowingly facilitated or benefited from the trafficking, including hotels, online platforms, and other businesses.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
Potential defendants include:
Individual traffickers and their associates
Hotels or accommodation businesses that knowingly allowed trafficking on their property
Online platforms that facilitated recruitment or advertising
Businesses that benefited financially from trafficked labour
Any party that knowingly participated
The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (“TVPRA”) also provides a civil cause of action with a 10-year statute of limitations after the cause arose, or 10 years after the victim turns 18.
What Compensation Can Survivors Recover?
Survivors may recover: economic damages (lost wages, earning capacity); non-economic damages (pain, suffering, emotional distress); punitive damages in egregious cases; and attorneys’ fees. Civil claims are separate from criminal prosecutions and use a lower burden of proof (preponderance of the evidence).
Statute of Limitations for Human Trafficking Civil Claims
Under Florida Statute § 95.11(8) and (10), adult survivors can generally file up to 7 years after turning 18, or 4 years after leaving the abuser’s control, or 4 years after discovering the injury whichever is later. Federal TVPRA claims against third-party beneficiaries have a 10-year statute of limitations. Because timelines vary by claim type, contact a human trafficking attorney as soon as possible.
Real-World Case: Human Trafficking in Miami-Dade County
The following news story is just one tragic example of how often victims can slip through cracks.
This case in Medley highlights how Miami has become the number one spot in Florida for human sex trafficking. Nationwide, Florida ranks third in human sex trafficking (The Women's Fund, 2021). Sadly, 67% of sex trafficking victims tend to be either local girls/women or vulnerable children that are either runaways or slipped through the cracks of the child welfare system.
For this young woman, it was an armed robbery at gunpoint that saved her from this vicious cycle of abuse. If it wasn’t for the astute training and persistence of MPD officers, this woman may have very well slipped through the cracks again. Luckily, these officers did not ignore the telltale signs.
How to Recognise Human Trafficking: Key Warning Signs
The US Department of State has a list of potential indicators for human trafficking victims:
Living with employer
Poor living conditions
Multiple people in cramped space
Inability to speak to individual alone
Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed
Employer is holding identity documents
Signs of physical abuse
Submissive or fearful
Unpaid or paid very little
Under 18 and in prostitution
This young woman’s devastating story highlights how human trafficking is happening right in front of our eyes and how we should be more aware about the signs victims are demonstrating. We at The G Law Group ask that you please educate yourselves, so that we may all take action when trafficking is staring at us in the face.
Raising awareness about human and sex trafficking is one of our missions at the G Law Group.
Please review the following resources to educate yourself on this important topic:
If you or someone you know may be the victim of human trafficking, call the human trafficking hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888.
Contact a Human Trafficking Attorney in Florida Today
If you or someone you know is a survivor of human trafficking in Florida, civil legal action may be available to you, and you don't have to go through it alone. The G Law Group's human trafficking attorneys represent survivors across Miami and South Florida, pursuing claims against traffickers and the businesses that enabled them.
Call us now at (305) 709-8877 for a free, confidential case evaluation.
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