In the state of Georgia, the Criminal justice coordinating program is responsible for administering the Georgia crime victim compensation program. The program helps victims and their families through the physical and emotional consequences of a crime. The victim’s compensation program in Georgia is meant to ease the monetary impact that the victim and their family have to face as a result. The financial benefit that a victim and their family receive helps them cover expenses such as medical bills, funeral expenses, mental health counseling, loss of earnings, and other expenses.
Victims can be able to explore the available legal options available to them through the civil justice system in Georgia. If you need to find more information regarding filing a private injury lawsuit so you can get compensated you can get in touch with an experienced crime victim attorney from Mark's law group.
The state of Georgia offers crime victims and their families $25,000 in terms of compensation through their criminal justice coordinating council. The Georgia crime victim compensation program has been put in place to reimburse victims for their out-of-pocket expenses in situations where no other funding source is available.
What is the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program?
When a crime such as sexual assault or another crime is committed against you it can change it can affect and change your life in many ways. Some of the adverse side effects of a crime may affect both the physical and mental health of an individual. You can as well be affected financially as a result of a crime. As the victim, if you do decide to report the crime to the relevant law enforcement agency and cooperate with them you can get financial compensation which will go a long way in helping cover the financial costs.
Victim compensation can be defined as direct financial reimbursement given to a victim for expenses that they have or are likely to incur as a result of a crime committed towards them. Every state has a crime victim compensation program that allocates funds to survivors of violent crimes and sexual assault.
Perpetrators of crimes in most states are required to pay court fees which then serve as a source of revenue toward the crime victim compensation program.
Who is eligible for Victim's Compensation in Georgia?
Below are some of the eligibility requirements for the victim’s compensation program in Georgia.
- If you were physically injured in a violent crime.
- If you were a witness to a violent crime.
- If as a result of trying to help a victim of a crime you got hurt.
- You can get compensation if you are a victim of family violence or if you are a parent of the victim of crime and then you relied on the offender for financial support.
- As a result of being present when a violent crime was being committed or after being threatened you have serious emotional and mental trauma.
FAQ: What to bring to a consultation with a personal injury lawyer?
So, what can be defined as a violent crime?
- Child abuse
- DUI Injuries
- Domestic violence
- Robbery
- Homicide
- Battery/Assault.
For you to be eligible for the victim compensation program there are certain terms that you would have to meet.
You should have reported the crime within 72 hours. However, if you cannot do so and show a good cause, an exception can be made.
You must file a claim within 3 years of either the crime or the demise of the victim. In the case, you were a minor you should file within 3 years from the time you turn 18 years.
What Compensation Can I Recover?
There are individuals that are not affected too much when a crime occurs. However, for some victims when a crime occurs it has a huge impact on how they go about their day-to-day life. Individuals that have had to deal with traumatic events in their lives before are likely to endure more suffering compared to those who have not. Also, depending on the nature of the crime the victim’s response is likely to heighten.
According to federal laws all state compensation programs are likely to cover the following victim's crime-related bills;
- Mental health counseling.
- Medical expenses.
- Burial expenses
- Loss of income
There are as well other costs that are covered by the program. The specific costs will vary from state to state.
Time Limits For Filing A Claim
In Georgia, the statute of limitation for a personal injury lawsuit or a wrongful death claim is usually a period of two years.
In the case where you are either suing the county, you will specifically need to file an ante-litem which is a specific notice letter for such cases. You will have to file the notice letter within a period of;
- 6 months if it is a claim against a city.
- 1-year period if it is a claim against a county or the state of Georgia.
In the case where you find that you have acquired injuries as a result of a crime or the negligence of a property owner or manager, you should immediately contact a lawyer.
How To Submit Your Application
As a witness to a violent crime or as an individual that has experienced a violent crime you can apply for the crime victim assistance fund through these steps;
- Visit the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program's official website.
- On the website got to the Victims compensation page.
- Complete the eligibility quiz.
- Download the application.
- Carefully read the instructions before applying.
- Complete the application and provide signatures that are legible.
- Submit a copy of the official police report which contains the name of the victim or witness.
- After you are done send the application to the Georgia Crime Victims compensation office via mail.
FAQ: Should I accept the insurance company's settlement offer?
The state of Georgia has offered thousands of victim assistance for crime-related expenses and as a victim, you should submit a complete application to be eligible.
We work to protect the rights of crime victims by pushing for reimbursement for victims of crime through the victim assistance programs in Georgia. You can get in touch with a personal injury attorney from Mark's Law Group to help you with your crime victim lawsuit. We have helped direct victims access the crime victim program successfully and we would love to help you too.