Do you have any idea how serious violent crime is in the United States? Let’s take a look at the latest statistics: Last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released, Crime in the United States, 2015, an annual compilation of reported crimes in the United States. The report revealed a 3.9 percent increase in violent crime in 2015, compared to the previous year. How many violent crimes were there in 2015 nationwide? According to the report, there were 1,197,704 reported violent crimes across the nation in 2015 alone.

Here are some other statistics from the FBI’s report:

• Nationwide, there were roughly 15,696 murders.
• In 2015, there were approximately 90,185 reported rapes.
• Across the nation, there were nearly 327,380 robberies.
• In all of the nation’s murders committed in 2015, 71.5% of them involved a firearm.
• The top violent crime was aggravated assault, accounting for 63.8% of the violent crimes.
• The second leading violent crime was robbery, accounting for 27.3% of all violent crimes reported in 2015.
• The third leading violent crime in 2015 was rape, coming in at 7.5%.

While New Jersey can be a great place to live, there is no question that it has its fair share of violent crimes that are committed against innocent victims. What many crime victims do not realize is that they may be able to receive compensation through filing a personal injury claim, even if the perpetrator of the crime was arrested, awaiting trial, imprisoned, or “at large.”

For example, let’s say that one night a woman had just used an ATM to withdraw $300 from her bank account. Suppose a robber approached her at gunpoint and told her to hand over the $300 she just withdrew, plus her ATM card. He wants her to try to take more money out of her account, but she can’t because it’s after hours and she withdrew the bank’s daily limit.

When the masked man demands the woman’s diamond wedding ring and she refuses, he flies into a rage and brutally attacks her, putting her into a coma. The robber flees in her car, and is never apprehended by the authorities.

Even though the woman’s attacker was never caught, she still has grounds to file a personal injury claim. In this case, the most likely choice would be to file a claim against the bank’s property insurance policy. This is just one example, but every day, innocent people are attacked in situations where they can file a personal injury claim against one of the following:

• An insurance policy (e.g. auto, workers’ comp, or property insurance).
• A liable third party (e.g. property owner, employer, school, business, etc.).
• The offender or attacker, if he or she has personal assets.

If you or someone you love is a victim of a violent assault or a sexual assault, or another crime, you may be entitled to compensation under the law. To learn more about your rights as a crime victim, contact our firm for a consultation with a top-rated New Jersey personal injury attorney.