Every day in West Virginia, innocent bystanders become the victims of violent crimes. In many of these cases, property owners or business owners should have done more to protect their customers. This is especially true when the property owner knew that the property was unsafe and did nothing to stop or prevent the crime.

Many victims of crimes believe that there is nothing more that can be done other than the criminal case against the person who committed the crime. Often, a victim is left feeling that the criminal received less than what they deserved and that more could have been done to prevent the crime. This is where the "civil side" of a criminal case can become a powerful tool to help victims.

Rist Law Offices represents victims of violent crimes throughout West Virginia in civil litigation. As opposed to a criminal case where the person who committed the crime is put on trial to determine their guilt and sentence them to jail, the civil side of a case focuses on the recovery of compensation from any party whose negligence led to or failed to prevent the crime. We additionally help victims and their families to make claims for payment from the West Virginia Crime Victim Compensation Fund.

When a property owner has failed to take reasonable steps to insure safety and someone is the victim of a crime on their property, a claim can be made for monetary damages under a theory of law known as premises liability. Additionally, a security company can be held liable for negligence in failing to provide adequate security.

Owners of the following properties may be liable in a civil case when a crime occurs on their property:

   + Malls
   + Shopping centers
   + Apartment buildings
   + Bars
   + Hospitals
   + College and university campuses
   + High school campuses
   + Junior high campuses
   + Gas stations
   + Convenience stores
   + Fast food restaurants
   + Hotels and motels
   + Parking lots
   + Parking garages
   + Dorm rooms
   + Other properties


If you, a family member, or a friend has been the victim of a crime, contact a WV crime victim lawyer from Rist Law Offices for a free confidential consultation. We are sensitive to the issues that are being faced by crime victims and will take the time to thoroughly discuss every aspect of the case. We do not charge anything for discussing the case and all facts will be kept confidential. We accept all crime victim cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that we do not charge a fee until your case is settled or won in court.