You are a party, not a witness
This is the first thing people do not know. A victim can take an active part: reviewing the file, requesting evidence, appealing certain decisions.
If you simply wait to be summoned, the investigation proceeds without your involvement and you learn what happened only at the end.
A civil claim within the criminal case
Losses can be claimed within the criminal proceedings themselves, instead of through separate civil proceedings.
The advantage is that it saves time and builds on evidence already gathered. But there is a deadline for bringing it, at the start of the trial stage. Missing it does not extinguish your right, but it sends you to separate proceedings.
So the conversation belongs before the first hearing, not after the verdict.
If an investigation is refused
A refusal can be appealed. Many people accept the decision refusing to open a case because it sounds final.
If you have received such a document, bring exactly that. It usually states to whom and within what period it can be appealed.
What helps the investigation
Everything gathered early. Medical records from day one. Photographs. Names and numbers of witnesses. Messages and recordings, if any. A list of the losses and documents for them.
What is not documented in the first days is usually not recovered afterwards.
If you are a foreign national harmed in Bulgaria
You are entitled to an interpreter and to information in a language you understand. You do not need to remain in the country throughout the proceedings, but taking part requires representation. It is handled through a power of attorney.
Related
Personal injury compensation, road accident compensation.
What I will need
Everything received from the police or prosecution, the file number included. Medical records. Evidence of the losses. Your own account, in detail and in chronological order.
This page provides general information and does not constitute legal advice on any specific case. Rights and deadlines depend on the facts and the applicable law.