Crime Victims: There are Steps You Can Take to Ensure that You Receive Full Compensation for Your Personal Injury

Finch McCranie, LLP is a personal injury law firm based in Atlanta, Georgia that has helped many crime victims obtain civil damages from their perpetrators or attackers.

Compensation for Crime Victims
Have you or your loved one been seriously injured because someone committed a crime? Often, victims of assault and battery incidents, drunk driving accidents, domestic violence offenses, attempted murder, rape, and child molestation are either seriously undercompensated or not compensated at all for their physical and emotional injuries.

One reason for this is that the criminal justice system in the United States provides limited financial relief to victims of crimes and their families. A person convicted of a crime, however, can sometimes be ordered to pay restitution to his or her victim as part of a criminal sentence. The amount of restitution may cover the costs of the injured person's medical expenses and any damaged property. Sometimes, a criminal sentence can require the person convicted of the crime to pay future-related costs.

A criminal sentence, however, can never fully compensate victims for their mental, physical, and emotional pain and suffering—the costs of which are greater than expenses that are considered "out-out-pocket." Many people say that this problem is proof that victims of crimes are ignored for the most part by the criminal justice system.

There are other remedies that an injured crime victim can pursue, however, to obtain compensation. Even though most people charged with committing crimes do not have a great deal of money or other assets, many of them own real estate and have regular jobs. In certain cases, such as motor vehicle-related crimes and crimes in stores, hotels, apartments, and shopping malls, there may be liability coverage that a victim can pursue for compensation. Prosecutors usually have access to limited resources and tend to be very busy. Crime victims are frequently not informed about whether these resources exist.

What can you do to make sure that you receive as much compensation as possible if you are an injury victim of a crime committed in Georgia? The easiest and most effective way for you to be compensated is to contact an Atlanta, Georgia personal injury lawyer.

An experienced personal injury attorney may be able to find assets and pursue other avenues of recovery and will often agree to represent you on a contingent fee basis. This means that you will only pay attorney fees if you receive your financial recovery. At Finch McCranie, LLP, we represent all of our personal injury clients on a contingent fee basis.

By speaking with a personal injury lawyer—whether or not you receive additional recovery beyond what the criminal prosecution manages to impose—you can rest easier knowing that you and your injury attorney did everything to make sure that you received the largest compensation possible.

To schedule your free consultation with one of our experienced Atlanta, Georgia personal injury lawyers, call Finch McCranie, LLP at —toll-free—(800) 228-9159 or at (404) 658-9070 to schedule your free consultation. You can also contact us online.