As a Victim of a Crime You Have the Right to File Action
Regardless of the outcome of the criminal prosecution, or even if there was no prosecution, crime victims can file civil lawsuits against offenders and other responsible parties. Unlike the criminal justice process, the civil justice system does not attempt to determine an offender’s guilt or innocence. Offenders are also not put in prison. Rather, civil courts attempt to ascertain whether an offender or a third party is liable for the injuries sustained as a result of the crime. If defendants are found civilly liable, courts may order them to pay monetary damages to victims. While money awarded in civil lawsuits can never fully compensate a victim for the trauma of victimization or the loss of a loved one, it can be a valuable resource to help crime victims rebuild their lives. Moreover, the exposure to civil liability is a powerful incentive for landlords, businessmen, and other proprietors to enact the security measures necessary to prevent future victimizations. Lawsuits alleging inadequate or negligent security can involve situations where a tenant, renter, guest, customer, ticket-holder, passenger, patient or employee is physically injured or psychologically traumatized due to:
or other crime which takes place at any of the following locations:
Helpful Links/Resources for Crime Victims:
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The Lindsey Firm, P.C. (Law Office of Stephanie R. Lindsey) serves clients throughout the state of Georgia including but not limited to Covington, Conyers, Lithonia, Monroe, Loganville, Snellville, and the Atlanta metro area.