RHODE ISLAND CRIME VICTIM
LITIGATION
How Civil Litigation
Can Help Rhode Island Victims of Crime
More than 24 million
Americans are victimized by crime each year. Often
crime victims are left with expenses for
medical procedures, physical rehabilitation,
counseling, and lost wages. Many crime victims
and their families are unaware that there are
two systems of justice in which to hold the offender
accountable, the criminal justice system and the
civil justice system.
The civil justice
system does not attempt to determine an offender’s
guilt or innocence. Rather, civil courts attempt to
determine if an offender or a third-party is liable
for the injuries sustained as a result of the
crime. If defendants are found civilly liable, they
may be ordered to pay monetary damages.
While money awarded
in civil lawsuits can never fully compensate a
victim for the trauma of victimization or the loss
of a loves one, it can be a valuable resource to
help crime victims rebuild their lives. In
addition, the exposure to civil liability serves as
motivation for landlords, businesses, and other
proprietors to enact the security measures necessary
to prevent future harm.
Victims can consider
suing perpetrators or other responsible parties.
Some examples of other parties who might share some
responsibility for the crime include hotel owners
who fail to provide security measures, shopping
malls that fail to provide adequate security,
parents who allow children access to firearms, and
bar owners who serve alcohol to intoxicated persons.
Examples of crimes
include:
Attorney
Mark Mandell
is currently on the board of the
National
Center for the Victims of Crime
and has been president of the
National Crime Victim's Bar
Association.
