If you survived a sexual assault but aren’t ready to contact police, you might still opt to get a forensic exam. This will collect and preserve evidence of your assault in case you later want to report it or act on it. To remove financial barriers, Colorado has a program that covers all evidence collection costs.
The SAVE Program Pays for Medical Evidence Collection
Colorado’s Sexual Assault Victim Emergency Payment Program, also known as SAVE, offers financial aid to survivors who choose not to report their assault to police. It applies in cases where:
- The survivor reports the assault to medical providers under their name, but does not initiate a police investigation. Providers collect and test evidence and notify police without including your name. This is also known as a “medical report.”
- The survivor reports the assault to medical providers and remains anonymous with respect to the police. The evidence is forwarded to law enforcement for storage, but without your name or identifying information. It is not forensically tested unless and until you request it. This is also known as an “anonymous report.”
The cost to have medical personnel collect forensic evidence after a sexual assault should not stand in the way of that happening. Colorado’s SAVE program covers collection costs for medical or anonymous reports, plus some injury treatment expenses.
There is a limit to how much the SAVE program will pay. That limit changes from year to year. It is meant to cover the cost of the medical forensic examination – the collection of the evidence. SAVE can also cover co-pays and deductibles if you file an insurance claim.
Note that in cases where the survivor reports the sexual assault to the police, law enforcement will pay for the evidence collection portion of the medical exam.
Greer Law Can Help You With Civil Claims of Sexual Assault
At Greer Law, we help clients who have survived sexual assault. Survivors can often recover financial compensation from those responsible for their attack. Liable parties may include the attacker, their employer, accomplices, or the property owner where the assault occurred.
We know how difficult it can be to decide to sue anyone responsible for your sexual assault. Our goal is not to convince you to sue. We give you the information you need to make that decision on your own, when you’re ready. And keep in mind that if you’ve suffered an attack, Colorado’s SAVE program will pay for collecting and preserving any evidence you may have on the person who attacked you. That can help enormously if you later decide to sue or report it to the police.
To learn more about how Greer Law can help you recover compensation for your sexual assault, call us at 303-331-6460, or reach out to us online. We’re here to listen and to help.
