Anyone who's been a victim of crime knows how upset and angry and violated you can feel because of it.
What a lot of them don't know, however, is that it's possible to be entitled to compensation, depending on the crime that was committed and how things took place.
If you think you might be entitled to compensation for a crime committed against you, there are several things you need to do and specific people that you'll need to talk to in order to get help.
Notify The Authorities The first thing any crime victim should do - other than get immediate medical attention if it's needed - is to let the authorities know that a crime has been committed.
Everything from murder to identity theft to a purse snatching can have important evidence surrounding it.
If the police don't get there quickly, some of that evidence can be lost.
The sooner you tell them about the crime the sooner they can start working to help you - and the more information you'll be able to tell them.
Everything will still be fresh in your mind, making you more helpful to the police when they ask you questions about what happened to you.
Get A Good Lawyer Don't try to do things alone.
The person who committed the crime against you will have a lawyer, and if you're trying to get compensation for your injuries you should have one, as well.
Whether the person who committed the crime is convicted of it or not, you still may be able to get damages.
In other words, don't let a lack of conviction in criminal court stop you from pursuing a civil case against the offender.
A lawyer can help you do that, and it's never a good idea to approach the offender directly or try to handle a court case on your own.
There are too many subtleties to the law for you to grasp quickly, and a lawyer will know much more about what you should do.
Be Realistic About Your Case It's very important to be reasonable and realistic.
Getting compensation is important, and you certainly should have that, but asking for millions when the crime wasn't that serious isn't the way to go.
Even 'pain and suffering' doesn't cost that much, and people are likely not going to side with you if they assume you're only after a lot of money for a relatively small crime.
In cases where the crime is much more serious, more compensation may be in order.
Whatever you decide to do about getting compensation, you should still report the crime.
The offender should have to answer to authorities for what he or she has done, even if you never seek compensation for damages.
Don't just let that person get away with committing a crime.
Be sure to talk to police and any other necessary authority figures until the case is resolved.