§15-23-3. Definitions.  


Latest version.
  • THIS SECTION WAS AMENDED BY ACT 2014-335 IN THE 2014 REGULAR SESSION, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2014. TO SEE THE AMENDED VERSION, SEE THE VERSION LABELED PENDING.

    As used in this article the following words shall include, but are not limited to the following meanings unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:

    (1) COMMISSION. The Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission as created by Section 15-23-4.

    (2) CRIMINALLY INJURIOUS CONDUCT. Criminally injurious conduct includes any of the following acts:

    a. An act occurring or attempted within the geographical boundaries of this state which results in serious personal injury or death to a victim for which punishment by fine, imprisonment, or death may be imposed.

    b. An act occurring or attempted outside the geographical boundaries of this state in another state of the United States of America which is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or death and which results in personal injury or death to a citizen of this state, and shall include an act of terrorism, as defined in Section 2331 of Title 18, United States Code, committed outside of the United States, against a resident of this state; provided however, the citizen at the time such act was committed had a permanent place of residence within the geographical boundaries of this state, and in addition thereto any of the following circumstances apply, that the citizen:

    1. Had a permanent place of employment located within the geographical boundaries of this state.

    2. Was a member of the regular Armed Forces of the United States of America; or the United States Coast Guard; or was a full-time member of the Alabama National Guard, Alabama Air National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Naval Reserve, or U.S. Air Force Reserve.

    3. Was retired and receiving Social Security or other retirement income.

    4. Was 60 years of age or older.

    5. Was temporarily in another state of the United States of America for the purpose of receiving medical treatment.

    6. Was temporarily in another state of the United States of America for the purpose of performing employment-related duties required by an employer located within the geographical boundaries of this state as an express condition of employment or employee benefits.

    7. Was temporarily in another state of the United States of America for the purpose of receiving occupational, vocational, or other job-related training or instruction required by an employer located within the geographical boundaries of this state as an express condition of employment or employee benefits.

    8. Was a full-time student at an academic institution, college, or university located in another state of the United States of America.

    9. Had not departed the geographical boundaries of this state for a period exceeding 30 days or with the intention of becoming a citizen of another state or establishing a permanent place of residence in another state.

    The term "criminally injurious conduct" shall not mean: An act committed outside the geographical boundaries of this state upon a person who was not at the time a citizen of Alabama, or an act committed outside the geographical boundaries of this state upon a person who at the time had departed the geographical boundaries of this state for the purpose of becoming a citizen of, or establishing a permanent place of residence in, another state.

    (3) VICTIM. A person who suffered serious personal injury or death as a result of criminally injurious conduct.

    (4) DEPENDENT. A natural person wholly or partially dependent upon the victim for care or support, and includes a child of the victim born after the death of the victim where the death occurred as a result of criminally injurious conduct.

    (5) CLAIMANT. Any of the following persons applying for compensation under this article:

    a. A victim.

    b. A dependent of a deceased victim, if such victim died as a result of criminally injurious conduct.

    c. A person authorized to act on behalf of a victim or a dependent of a deceased victim if such victim died as a result of criminally injurious conduct.

    (6) ALLOWANCE EXPENSE. Charges incurred for needed products, services, and accommodations, including, but not limited to, medical care, rehabilitation, rehabilitative occupational rehabilitation, rehabilitative occupational training, and other remedial treatment and care. It also includes a total charge not in excess of five thousand dollars ($5,000) for expenses related to funeral, cremation, or burial.

    (7) WORK LOSS. Loss of income from work the victim or claimant would have performed if the victim had not been injured or died, reduced by any income from substitute work actually performed by the victim or claimant or by income the victim or claimant would have earned in available appropriate substitute work which he or she was capable of performing but unreasonably failed to undertake.

    (8) REPLACEMENT SERVICES LOSS. Expenses reasonably incurred in obtaining ordinary and necessary services in lieu of those the victim would have performed, not for income, but for the benefit of self or family, if the victim had not been injured or died.

    (9) ECONOMIC LOSS OF A DEPENDENT. A loss after the death or injury of the victim of contributions of things of economic value to the dependent, not including services which would have been received from the victim if he or she had not suffered the fatal injury, less expenses of the dependent avoided by reason of death or injury of the victim.

    (10) REPLACEMENT SERVICES LOSS OF DEPENDENT. The loss reasonably incurred by dependents after death of the victim in obtaining ordinary and necessary services in lieu of those the deceased victim would have performed for their benefit had the deceased victim not suffered the fatal injury, less expenses of the dependent avoided by reason of death of the victim and not subtracted in calculating the economic loss of the dependent.

    (11) ECONOMIC LOSS. Monetary detriment consisting only of allowable expense, work loss, replacement services loss and, if injury causes death, economic loss and replacement services loss of a dependent, but shall not include noneconomic loss or noneconomic detriment.

    (12) NONECONOMIC LOSS or DETRIMENT. Pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, and nonpecuniary damage.

    (13) COLLATERAL SOURCE. Source of income, financial or other benefits or advantages for economic loss other than the compensation paid by the compensation commission which the claimant has received or is entitled to receive or is readily available to the claimant, from any one or more of the following:

    a. The offender.

    b. The government of the United States or any agency thereof, in the form of benefits, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, a state or any of its political subdivisions or an instrumentality of two or more states, unless the law providing for the benefits or advantages makes them excessive or secondary to benefits under this article.

    c. Any temporary nonoccupational disability insurance.

    d. Workers' compensation.

    e. Wage continuation programs of any employer.

    f. Proceeds of a contract of insurance payable to the claimant for loss which the victim sustained because of the criminally injurious conduct.

    g. A contract providing prepaid hospital and other health care services or benefits for disability.

    (14) OFFICE OF PROSECUTION SERVICES. The Office of Prosecution Services as established by Section 12-17-230.

(Acts 1984, No. 84-658, p. 1308, §3; Acts 1986, No. 86-510, p. 993, §1; Acts 1990, No. 90-470, p. 677, §1; Act 98-492, p. 945, §1.)