Permits hit and run victims suffering serious bodily injury to recover under the crime victim compensation program.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would expand Rhode Island's Crime Victim Compensation Program to include people who are seriously injured in hit-and-run accidents. Currently, this program provides financial assistance to victims of violent crimes to help cover costs like medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses related to their injuries. Under existing rules, hit-and-run victims may not qualify for this aid because the driver who caused the accident is unknown and hasn't been criminally charged.

Under this bill, if someone is seriously hurt in a hit-and-run — meaning the driver fled the scene without stopping — they would be able to apply for compensation through this state program, even if the responsible driver is never identified or caught. The key requirement is that the victim must have suffered a "serious bodily injury," which typically refers to significant physical harm rather than minor injuries.

This bill primarily affects Rhode Island residents (or others injured in the state) who are victims of hit-and-run crashes and may be facing large medical bills or lost income with no clear way to recover those costs. Without this change, such victims may have limited options if they lack adequate insurance coverage or cannot identify the at-fault driver. The bill has been referred to the House Finance Committee, which will likely consider the potential cost to the state program before it moves forward.