You may be entitled to compensation
If you have been the victim of a terrorist attack, or if you were very near a terrorist attack, you may have been subjected to a crime. In that case you may be entitled to compensation for the injury (both physical and psychological) that the crime caused you.
Different types of compensation
There are different types of compensation. You may be eligible for:
- Damages paid by the perpetrator of the crime
- Insurance payments from an insurance company
- Criminal injuries compensation paid by the Swedish Crime Victim Authority.
Damages
When there is one or several perpetrators to a crime, a prosecution may be brought against them, and crime victims may make claims for damages in a court of law. Damages are a compensation payment from perpetrator to crime victim for the injuries caused by the crime. If you want to claim damages you should tell the police when they question you about the incident. It’s a good idea to state that you want to claim damages from the perpetrator as early as possible in the legal process.
A counsel for the injured party can help you make a claim for damages. If you don’t have a counsel for the injured party the prosecutor will help you arrange one. Once the court has approved your claim for damages, the perpetrator has to pay you. The Enforcement Authority can help you collect the money, at no charge.
Insurance payment
If the perpetrator died in connection with the crime, or if there are other reasons why the perpetrator cannot be tried for the crime, you may be entitled to an insurance payment. You may also be entitled to a certain amount of compensation from an insurance company even if the perpetrator has paid damages to you. The terms and conditions of the insurance policy determine how much compensation you can receive.
Contact you insurance company or companies to get information about what you are entitled to. You may be comprehended by an insurance policy taken out by your employer or by the person you are living with. If the crime was perpetrated with the help of a vehicle, compensation may be paid out for personal injury from third party liability insurance taken out for the vehicle, if the policy’s terms and conditions allow for that.
If you were subjected to a crime during working hours you may be eligible for personal injury compensation through your employer’s insurance with AFA Försäkring. The Swedish Consumers’ Insurance Bureau provides impartial advice on insurance matters. You may also be insured through your union. Ask someone close to you help you work out what insurance policies you are covered by.
Criminal injuries compensation
Criminal injuries compensation is compensation paid by the state. You may be eligible for criminal injuries compensation if you cannot get full compensation for your injuries by other means (damages or insurance payments). Under Swedish legislation on criminal injuries compensation, the same rules apply for terrorist crimes as for other crimes.
On the Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority's website you will find more information about compensation in the event of crime. There you can also make an application for criminal injuries compensation online or forms, which are available in both Swedish and English.
If you have questions regarding your right to criminal injuries compensation, you can contact the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority.