Maria lived in Limerick with her partner for five years. What started as occasional arguments gradually became physical. There were nights when she felt scared in her own home. When the violence escalated one evening, Maria made the difficult decision to leave. She stayed with her sister, gathered her things, and began the process of rebuilding her life. But the injuries and the trauma didn't simply disappear.
At the time Maria left, the Gardaí were investigating what had happened, and criminal charges were pending. Maria wanted more than to see justice in the criminal courts — she also wanted to recover compensation for her injuries, her lost wages while she recovered, and the pain she'd endured. She wasn't sure if she could pursue both a criminal case and a civil claim at the same time, or what her rights actually were. The legal landscape felt confusing and overwhelming.
Maria learned that she could pursue a civil assault compensation claim in parallel with the criminal proceedings. Her solicitor explained that the two systems work differently: the criminal case focuses on punishment and the state's case against her partner, while the civil claim is about her own recovery and losses. This gave Maria a clearer path forward. She documented her injuries, gathered medical records, and worked with her solicitor to build her case for compensation that reflected what she'd been through and the costs she'd faced.