Help for New York Crime Victims

Today is the first installment in a series of blogs on resources for the injured and in need. Our community offers several services beyond the most basic emergency response. I hope that these blogs will help ease the burden.

Today’s post is on assistance for crime victims.

The New York Office of Victims Services provides support to crime victims and their families for:

Medical and burial expenses
Lost earnings
Counseling costs
Crime scene clean up
Cost of repair or replacement of property
Court transportation costs
Domestic violence shelters
Limited attorney’s fees
And more

If you think you were a victim of a crime in New York, and need support, click here: https://ovs.ny.gov/.   An investigator will be assigned to your case to guide you through the process.

Crime victims may also be entitled to civil damages under law from people who should have prevented crime in the first place.

For example, people who were hurt by drunk drivers may be entitled to money damages in a personal injury lawsuit against the intoxicated driver and their insurance company.

A bar or restaurant, that overserves an obviously drunk patron, could be liable under the dram shop laws for harm caused by their drunk patron.

Victims of abuse, at school or in other institutions, may be entitled to compensation for having suffered egregious wrongs.

New York landlords are legally required to provide security for tenants. Our community knows that crimes often occur where security is lax. Landlords can take concrete steps to keep tenants safe, like having working locks on inner and outer doors. Tenants who were hurt because a landlord did not secure the building may be entitled to money damages from the landlord for negligent security.

A similar rule, requiring security, applies to hotel managers and owners of commercial properties, like malls and shopping centers.

The above are just a few ways in which a crime victim might be entitled to civil damages and assistance.

Victims of crime are not alone or without recourse. Help may be a phone call away.