A common impediment to recovering money for victims of sexual abuse or other violent crimes is that a perpetrator may not have money or assets. The Tort Victim Compensation Fund (TVCF) was established in 1987 to provide compensation to individuals who have been injured but have been unable to collect on their personal injury or wrongful death judgments because the tortfeasor had no insurance coverage or other funds to pay the judgment. The TVCF is funded by punitive damage awards in civil case but it has been underfunded since its creation. In the last few years, payouts have been only $0.34 to $0.44 on the dollar for a judgment and the total available in the fund each year has ranged from $2 million to $5 million. T his year, however, after a $2.1 billion judgment against Johnson & Johnson became final, $480 million dollars from the punitive damages award was paid into this fund. This is an incredible opportunity for crime victims to access much deserved financial
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