Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 99 - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (§§ 99-NEW-001 — 99-51-3) › Chapter 41 - MISSISSIPPI CRIME VICTIMS' COMPENSATION ACT (§§ 99-41-1 — 99-41-31) › Section 99-41-5 - Definitions

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the term:
(a)
"Allowable expense" means reasonable charges incurred for reasonably needed:
(i)
Products, services and accommodations, including, but not limited to, medical care, rehabilitation, rehabilitative occupational training and other remedial treatment and care, but not to exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00);
(ii)
Mental health counseling and care not to exceed Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($3,500.00) for the victim and victim's family member; provided, however, if there is more than one (1) family member, the amount of compensation awarded shall be prorated and not to exceed Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($3,500.00);
(iii)
Expenses related to funeral, cremation or burial, but not to exceed a total charge of Six Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($6,500.00) and transportation costs to arrange or attend services, but not to exceed Eight Hundred Dollars ($800.00); and
(iv)
Necessary expenses, including, but not limited to, temporary housing and relocation assistance for victims of domestic violence in imminent danger, crime scene cleanup, court-related travel, execution travel, property damage repair and replacement costs for windows, doors, locks or other security devices of a residential dwelling. The division shall establish, by administrative rule, guidelines and monetary limits for such expenses.
(b)
"Claimant" means any of the following persons applying for compensation under this chapter:
(i)
A victim;
(ii)
A dependent of a victim who has died because of criminally injurious conduct;
(iii)
The surviving parent, spouse, child or any person who is legally obligated to pay or has paid medical, funeral or other allowable expenses incurred as a result of the criminally injurious conduct which caused the victim's injuries and/or death;
(iv)
Family members of the victim who incur mental health counseling expenses as a result of the criminally injurious conduct which caused the victim's injuries and/or death; or
(v)
A person authorized to act on behalf of any of the persons enumerated in subparagraphs (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of this paragraph; however, "claimant" shall not include any of the following: provider or creditor of victim; assignee of provider or creditor, including a collection agency; or another person or entity other than those enumerated in this paragraph.
(c)
"Collateral source" means a source of benefits or advantages for economic loss for which the claimant would otherwise be eligible to receive compensation under this chapter which the claimant has received, or which is readily available to the claimant, from any one or more of the following:
(i)
The offender;
(ii)
The government of the United States or any agency thereof, a state or any of its political subdivisions or an instrumentality of two (2) or more states;
(iii)
Social security, Medicare and Medicaid;
(iv)
Workers' compensation;
(v)
Wage continuation programs of any employer;
(vi)
Proceeds of a contract of insurance payable to the claimant for loss which the victim sustained because of the criminally injurious conduct;
(vii)
A contract providing prepaid hospital and other health care services or benefits for disability; or
(viii)
Any temporary nonoccupational disability insurance.
(d)
"Criminally injurious conduct" means an act occurring or attempted within the geographical boundaries of this state, or to a resident of Mississippi while that resident is within any other state of the United States or any foreign country, which state or foreign country does not provide compensation for those injuries caused by an act for which compensation would be available had the act occurred in Mississippi, and which act results in personal injury or death to a victim for which punishment by fine, imprisonment or death may be imposed. For purposes of this chapter, "criminally injurious conduct" shall also include federal offenses committed within the state that result in personal injury or death to a victim and which are punishable by fine, imprisonment or death, and delinquent acts as defined in Section
43-21-105
which result in personal injury or death to a victim and which, if committed by an adult, would be a crime punishable by fine, imprisonment or death.
(e)
"Dependent" means 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.
(f)
"Economic loss of a dependent" means loss, after death of the victim, of contributions or 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 of the victim.
(g)
"Economic loss" means monetary detriment consisting only of allowable expense, work loss and, if injury causes death, economic loss of a dependent, but shall not include noneconomic loss or noneconomic detriment.
(h)
"Family member" means the victim's spouse, parent, grandparent, stepparent, child, stepchild, grandchild, brother, sister, half brother, half sister or spouse's parent.
(i)
"Hospital ancillary services" means those hospital support services other than room, board and medical and nursing services that are provided to hospital patients in the course of care including, but not limited to, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy and physical therapy services.
(j)
"Noneconomic loss or detriment" means pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment and nonpecuniary damage.
(k)
"Work loss" means loss of income from work the victim or claimant would have performed if the victim had not been injured, but 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 that he or she was capable of performing, but unreasonably failed to undertake.
(l)
"Victim" means a person who suffers personal injury or death as a result of criminally injurious conduct, regardless of whether that person was the intended victim of the criminally injurious conduct. This definition may include a person who suffers personal injury or death as a result of criminally injurious conduct while going to the aid of another person or a duly sworn law enforcement officer, or while attempting to prevent a crime from occurring.
Laws, 1990, ch. 509, § 3; Laws, 1996, ch. 506, § 1; Laws, 1998, ch. 484, § 1; Laws, 2002, ch. 352, § 1; Laws, 2004, ch. 355, § 4; Laws, 2007, ch. 587, § 2; Laws, 2012, ch. 503, § 1, eff. 7/1/2012.