Crime Victims Cases

The Law Office of Belluck & Fox Brings Cases on Behalf of the Victims of Crime

• Victims of Drunk Drivers and Dram Shop Cases
• Victims of Drivers Using Cell Phones
• Assault and Homicide
• Date Rape
• Inadequate Security against Building Owners
• Police Brutality

At Belluck & Fox, we are committed to bringing civil justice to criminal acts. We can advise you whether it would be worthwhile to sue the perpetrator. Even if you cannot sue the perpetrator, you may be able to bring an action against the owner or manager of the property where the crime occurred for their failure to provide adequate security or lighting.

In many states a victim can "walk" a criminal conviction into civil court. This means that a victim would not have to prove the crime was committed. Instead, the issues are the physical and emotional damage experienced by the crime victim. In many states, such as New York, the time to bring a case is extended for crime victims.

Jordan Fox, one of the partners at Belluck & Fox, is a former homicide and sex crimes prosecutor in Brooklyn. He also served on the Mayor's Criminal Justice Advisory Council under David Dinkins. After his term as a prosecutor, Jordan has secured over $50 million in verdicts on behalf of civil litigants and municipalities. His partner Joseph Belluck has advocated on behalf of the victims of the World Trade Center attack as a director of Trial Lawyer Cares, a volunteer organization of attorneys. Jordan and Joe understand the devastating impact of crime on the victims and their families. They will personally review your situation and provide guidance without any cost or obligation. Click here to write to Jordan and Joe.

The types of cases that can be brought include:

Cell Phone Accidents: Cell phone subscriptions now exceed the birthrate, with 40,000 people subscribing a day. Unfortunately, the use of a cell phone in a car can have fatal consequences. A 1997 in the New England Journal of Medicine established that the risk of a traffic accident while using a cellular phone is the same as that while driving drunk. Cell phone users are 400-500 percent more likely to get into traffic accidents than those that do no use them. Cell phone records can establish that the driver was using a cell phone at the time of an accident. It can also reveal witnesses, i.e . the other party to the cell phone conversation who may have heard the driver say something before or after the crash. Even if no criminal charges are filed against the driver, a victim may be able to bring an action for damages.

Drunk Driving Accidents: Drunk drivers destroy lives. Sometimes these drivers are criminally prosecuted. But not always. And even if they are prosecuted, the punishment can be a slap on the wrist in relation to the devastation that their acts have inflicted on victims and their families. One option for families affected by DWI accidents is to bring a suit against the driver, or the bar owner who sold him the liquor.

Inadequate Security Cases: Building owners and tenants who fail to provide adequate security on their premises may be held responsible for crimes committed on their premises if the crimes were reasonably foreseeable. If the building is in a high risk area, or there is a history of crimes, owners have a responsibility to provide adequate protection through security, locks and lighting to its visitors, customers and employees. If you or a loved one was assaulted in an apartment, hotel, motel, parking lot, mall or club, or other facilities, we will evaluate any claim you may have against the building owners.

Crime victims turn to the criminal justice system to prosecute and punish the perpetrators of crime. Crime victims are also entitled to seek civil justice to address the full impact of these crimes on their lives and the lives of their loved ones. We can help. Contact us and we will evaluate any potential claim that you have against the perpetrators of crime and those who enabled, through their negligence, the crime to occur.

Links For The Victims of Crime

Department of Justice Crime Victim Site: Useful links regarding a variety of crimes and compensation programs

Link to State Compensation Programs: individual states have programs that can provide assistance and compensation to crime victims. The states include New York, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The National Center for the Victims of Crime: resources for the victims of crime seeking civil action

For frequently asked questions about crime victims and criminal cases, click here: Crime Victims and Criminal Cases FAQs.

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