Eligibility Requirements
The following are general eligibility requirements:
- Victim must be an innocent party of a violent crime (must have a physical injury). In child molestation cases, the mere touch of a child may constitute a physical injury.
- Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program can not pay for property loss or property crime.
- The crime must be reported to proper government authorities (i.e., law enforcement, child protective services, the courts, etc.) within 72 hours. The 72 hours may be waived for good cause shown.
- A criminal history will be provided and analyzed on victims 18 years of age and older.
- A parent of a child victim may be eligible for lost wages, to compensate for medical time spent off work with the child.
- Victims of domestic violence may be eligible for loss of support.
- Unless good cause is shown, applications must be submitted within one year of the incident. Applications received two years after the crime cannot be considered for compensation.
- The victim must not have contributed to the offense.
- Victims of crime occurring on or after July 1, 2002, may be eligible for up to $25,000. Claims received regarding crimes occurring prior to July 1, 2002, are not eligible for more than $10,000 in compensation benefits.
- Serious injury by vehicle may be considered when “Whoever, without malice, shall cause bodily harm to another by depriving him or a member of his body, rendering a member of his body useless, by seriously disfiguring his body or a member thereof or by causing organic brain damage which renders the body or any member thereof useless through the violation of Code Section 40-6-390 or 40-6-391 shall be guilty of the crime of Serious Injury by Vehicle.”