Sometimes your civil case ends up in criminal court. Who better to have working to defend your rights and get you justice on your civil case, than a team of lawyers who were former prosecutors and know how the criminal justice system works and how it can impact your civil case?
Whether it’s a car accident, negligent security, or assault and battery case, if you have been hurt, you have the legal right to sue the responsible party in civil court to recover for your injuries. Sometimes, the defendant’s conduct is so awful that they are charged with a crime. How does a criminal case affect the civil one? What can you expect from the criminal justice system?
How criminal cases affect civil ones
Sometimes, a conviction in criminal court can help prove a civil case. Other times, that same criminal conviction, which seems to be a win for an injured person, can be disastrous. Part of the reason is because many insurance policies do not cover damages that were caused by someone’s intentional conduct. Therefore, a “win” in criminal court can lead to an injured person recovering nothing in civil court, because the criminal conviction allowed the insurance company to walk away and leave the defendant – who is often an individual with no resources to pay damages – being the only one financially responsible.
What can help your case
Sometimes, evidence recovered by law enforcement during the criminal investigation can be very beneficial to the civil case.
There was a law passed in Pennsylvania in 2022 that gave crime victims who are also civil plaintiffs the right to access evidence developed by law enforcement during the criminal investigation when it is essential to proving the civil case. 18 P.A.C.S. §9158 defines the rights of these victims and the process through which their attorneys can request evidence from prosecutors or law enforcement.
Working across case lines
There are times when it may be essential to allow a prosecutor to understand the potential negative repercussions of certain outcomes in criminal court. It is important for your injury attorney to have a good working relationship and open line of communication with the prosecutor’s office, so that you can get some measure of justice in criminal court and also preserve the viability of your claim and recovery in civil court.
While the rules of procedure, evidence, and the burden of proof can all differ in criminal court and civil court, when your injury case ends up in both courts, you must have a team of attorneys who understand both, have worked in both, and who know how to protect your rights at every stage, in order to get you the justice you deserve.
Who we are
We are former prosecutors. We have decades of experience handling the most serious cases in the criminal justice system. We have working relationships with prosecutors in pretty much every district attorney’s office in the area. We are perfectly positioned to work as your liaisons with the criminal justice system and the prosecutors who will be handling the criminal case.
Let us help
We have obtained millions of dollars for clients who were injured in acts of negligence or crime. We would welcome an opportunity to discuss the details of your case, and we charge absolutely nothing for a consultation. Please contact us to arrange a time to meet.
How to reach us:
- Text 215.372.8528
- Call 215.981.0999
- Message us through our website by clicking here.