Nobody wants to be a victim of a crime, yet no matter how diligent you are, it can still happen. When a crime does happen, it is often confusing and traumatic. The first thing to do is remind yourself that there is help available.

First of all, it is important to contact the right people for help. If the situation is an emergency, call 911. It is an emergency if there is an injury or risk of injury, severe damage to property or risk of such, or a crime is occurring. If this is not the case, use the non-emergency phone number for your local police station.

There are three basic aspects of recovery after a crime has been committed. First, you may have to deal with medical issues. Be sure to let the medical staff know it was crime related and to involve the police as early as possible so that any evidence can be collected.

Second, you will need to deal with the authorities. This will include giving your statement and possible testimony at the offender’s trial. Sometimes the offender is caught quickly and other times it can take a long time to bring the person to justice. In some cases you are able to sue the offender to receive compensation. Attorneys who have gone through the LawQA sign up process stand ready for your questions.

Lastly, mental healing is part of the process. It is traumatic to recover from a crime. Seek help from a victim support organization or other professionals if you are having trouble getting past the event.

Whatever you do, don’t stay silent when a crime is committed against you. There is help.