Real Justice for Crime Victims with Compassionate Legal Help
Crime victims deserve way more than what the justice system provides. While prosecutors are fighting for the state and defense attorneys are defending the accused, crime victims need lawyers who are dedicated to fighting solely for their rights.
Give us a call at (833) 372-3529 for a free consultation. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
When the justice system lets down victims by dismissing cases, acquitting defendants, or making bad plea deals, civil lawsuits can help victims get the compensation and accountability they so rightfully deserve. We know from our experience that crime victims are left to deal with all sorts of issues that go way beyond what happens in court – medical bills, lost pay, emotional trauma, and more.
Why Crime Victims Need People in Their Corner
The justice system can’t be expected to advocate for victims of crime. Prosecutors focus on proving the defendant is guilty to win a conviction and sentence rather than on securing compensation for the victim. This means victims often do not have someone fighting for their personal interests and financial recovery.
Criminal cases can really fall apart – charges are dismissed because of some technical issue, defendants get found not guilty even though there’s clear evidence, or the defendant gets off with a slap on the wrist and the victim gets nothing back. Even when the defendant is convicted, the court orders restitution, but it’s often not enough to cover the full cost of what the victim went through – and sometimes it’s just plain uncollectible.
Civil lawsuits work a bit differently. They do not require proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but just a preponderance of evidence is enough. So, it is easier to hold the responsible parties accountable. The good news is that these cases can go forward even if the criminal case does not pan out.
The benefits of having a dedicated lawyer include getting paid for all the damages you’ve suffered, holding responsible parties accountable through the courts, getting closure and some measure of validation for what you went through, making sure the people who did this can’t do it to someone else in the future, and getting support every step of the way through the process. Crime victims often face years, even decades, of medical treatment, lost career opportunities, emotional counseling bills, and all sorts of other life-changing consequences that demand comprehensive support.
Our Crime Victim Legal Services
Personal Representation for Crime Victims
We file personal injury lawsuits against the people who committed crimes against you for assault, battery, sexual assault, robbery, and other violent crimes that have left you with physical, emotional, and financial scars. We pursue wrongful death claims for family members of homicide victims, to help loved ones get compensation for their loss and to hold those responsible accountable in the civil courts.
We also handle civil rights violations and institutional abuse cases where government entities, schools, churches, or other organizations have violated your rights or enabled abuse through their policies and practices. Our comprehensive approach ensures you get compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and future care costs while we push to get you the maximum settlement.
Holding Institutions Accountable
Property owners, businesses, and organizations have a responsibility to provide a safe environment for visitors, employees, and residents. We pursue negligent security claims against hotels, apartment buildings, shopping centers, schools, and other entities when they fail to provide adequate lighting, broken locks, absent security personnel, or ignore known crime patterns that put people at risk.
Workplace violence cases involve holding employers responsible when they fail to implement safety measures, ignore threats from employees or customers, or create a work environment that enables criminal behavior. We also pursue liability claims against organizations that covered up abuse, failed to do background checks, or knowingly promoted individuals with a history of violence.
Bars and nightclubs can be held liable for serving too much booze to visibly intoxicated patrons who go on to commit crimes, and security companies can be sued for failing to provide adequate protection despite their contractual obligations.
The Types of Crime Victims We Help
Survivors of Sexual Assault and Rape deal with a unique set of challenges in both the justice system and in civil court. We represent people who were date raped, assaulted by an acquaintance, attacked by a stranger, or the victims of institutional abuse. Our lawyers get it – these cases are incredibly sensitive so we work closely with counselors and victim advocates to support our clients while pursuing compensation for trauma, medical treatment, lost wages, and ongoing therapy needs.
People Who Were Physically Assaulted and Batterred may have suffered a range of injuries from broken bones and brain damage to permanent injury and disfigurement. We sue the perpetrators and any other responsible parties for medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. These cases can include random stranger attacks, domestic violence incidents, bar fights, and other assaults that occurred while another crime was being committed.
Families of Homicide Victims can file wrongful death lawsuits even if the person who committed the crime was never caught or was acquitted in court. We help family members pursue compensation for funeral costs, lost financial support, loss of companionship, and the emotional trauma of losing a loved one to violence. These cases can hold perpetrators or negligent parties accountable when the justice system fails.
Child Sexual Abuse Survivors can pursue a civil claim even years after the abuse occurred. Thanks to longer-than-you’d-expect statutes of limitations and rules of discovery that help out victims who were too young to even know they had rights. We’re here to help adult survivors fight for justice against people who abused them, as well as schools, youth programs, churches, and other institutions that covered up abuse.
Workplace Violence Victims include people who’ve been hurt in mass shootings, attacked by coworkers or customers, and put through a living hell due to threats that make their workplaces feel like a war zone. Employers have a responsibility to keep their workplaces safe and can be held accountable when they ignore warning signs, don’t do enough to prevent violence or don’t do much of anything when a threat is reported. We help people get compensation for physical injuries, PTSD, lost opportunities in their careers, and ongoing medical bills.
Robbery and Theft Victims often suffer physical injuries that could have been prevented if the property owner had just taken some basic precautions to keep the place safe. Landlords and business owners can be held accountable when they know there’s been a history of crime in the area or that they haven’t done enough to stop it from happening again.
Victims of Elder Abuse are often targeted for financial scams, physical abuse, and other forms of exploitation. We help people get justice against the people who did this to them, as well as the facilities and companies that failed to keep them safe.
School Violence and Bullying Victims can sometimes hold the school responsible for not doing enough to stop violence or for ignoring patterns of bullying that led to serious physical or sexual attacks. We help people get compensation and justice when schools failed to protect them.
Our Legal Process for Crime Victims
Step 1: Free & Confidential Consultation
Our process starts with a meeting where we take a long, hard look at your case and explain all the options you have through a civil lawsuit. We review police reports, medical records, witness statements, and other evidence to get a clear picture of what happened and who might be responsible. We also explain the difference between a civil case, which is about getting compensation, and a criminal case, which is about sentencing someone to prison.
We want to make sure you know your rights and that we’re working to protect them. We also want to make sure you understand how we work with law enforcement while we’re going through a civil case.
Step 2: Thorough Case Investigation
Next, we dig deeper to get more evidence that can help us build a strong case. We work with private investigators, expert witnesses, and other specialists who can help us get to the truth. We identify anyone who might be liable, from the person who did the damage, the property owner, the employer or any other institution that might have contributed to the problem.
We work with experts like doctors to document the extent of your injuries, economists to figure out how much money you lost out, and victim advocates who can help you with all the support services you need. We also coordinate with the DA’s office when there are criminal charges pending to make sure our civil case doesn’t get in the way.
Step 3: Strategic Legal Action
We file lawsuits before the statute of limitations runs out, which varies by state and type of crime, but often gives you more time than you think to get justice. Our strategy is to push for a fair settlement while getting ready for trial if a settlement can’t be reached.
If the same person is involved in a criminal case, we make sure our civil case doesn’t interfere, while still getting you the compensation you need. We manage all the legal work, from discovery to depositions to court appearances, and keep you in the loop on all the big decisions.
Step 4: Recovery and Resolution
Our goal is to get you all the compensation you’re owed – medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and anything else that was neglected or ruined because of what happened. We push insurance companies and defendants to pay up, and if that doesn’t work, we take it to a jury.
Beyond just the money, we want to get some justice for you and to make sure that what happened to you doesn’t happen to anyone else. We stay in touch with you throughout the whole process and make connections with support services, counseling, and other resources to help you heal and move forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue even if no criminal charges were filed?
Yes, you can. Civil and criminal cases are completely separate, and the decision not to file criminal charges is no problem at all for us. Civil lawsuits use the preponderance of evidence standard – which means you’ve got to prove it’s more likely than not that the defendant caused your injuries, rather than the super-high ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ standard which is required in criminal cases. That lower burden of proof makes it a lot easier to hold people accountable through civil litigation, even when criminal prosecution isn’t even possible.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit as a crime victim?
Statutes of limitations for crime victim civil claims vary widely depending on the type of crime and the jurisdiction. In Pennsylvania, for example, victims typically have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury claim, but in some cases, this timeline can be extended. Child sex abuse survivors in Pennsylvania have a longer period to file claims and can do so until they turn 55.
The discovery rule is a big deal here – it says that the clock starts ticking when the victim figures out there’s a connection between their injuries and the criminal act that was done to them. This is especially helpful for cases where memories were repressed, or the injuries didn’t show up right away, or when the victim didn’t even realize what was going on at first. Getting in touch with an experienced attorney ASAP is super important to make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to file a claim.
What kind of compensation can crime victims recover?
Crime victims can get all sorts of compensation for the financial damages they suffered – that includes medical bills, hospital stays, therapy costs, prescriptions, rehab services, lost work time, and a reduced ability to earn money because of their injuries. And then there’s non-economic damages, which are the money for pain and suffering, emotional distress, losing out on the things you used to enjoy, and the overall psychological trauma that comes with being a victim.
In cases where the defendant just did something really bad or neglectful, the court might even award punitive damages to punish them and try to stop them from doing it again. If someone you love gets killed in a crime, you can get compensation for funeral expenses, lost financial support, the loss of companionship, and your own emotional pain from losing them.
Do you work with victims who can’t afford your legal fees?
Yeah, we do. We handle cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay us any attorney fees unless we actually get you some money through a settlement or a court verdict. We offer free initial consultations to make sure everyone can get a chance to talk to us, regardless of how much money they have. We also cover all the costs of the lawsuit and only ask for payment when we get you some compensation for your losses.
We know that getting victimized by a crime can be super expensive, and we never want worries about money to keep anyone from getting the justice and compensation they deserve. So we make it easy for you to get in touch with us and start the process.
Get Help from Our Crime Victim Lawyers
Get the Justice and Compensation You Deserve
You don’t have to face this alone. Our team includes former prosecutors and other experts who really understand both the way the justice system works and how to navigate the whole civil litigation process. We’re available 24/7 for emergencies and in urgent situations, because we know that getting victimized by a crime can create a whole lot of immediate needs.
We’ll meet with you at the hospital, at home, or somewhere else that’s more convenient for you, even if you can’t make it to our office. Our confidentiality policies are rock-solid, and we handle these cases with the utmost care and sensitivity – because we want you to feel safe and supported as we fight to get you the accountability and compensation you need.
Get Justice Now. Call us today at (833) 372-3529.
All consultations are completely confidential