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7 December 2005

CICA reform proposals punish victims of crime

Tom Jones, partner at Thompsons Solicitors, which represents people injured at work by crime, warns that the Home Office proposals to abolish the lower levels of compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme will punish and alienate victims.

"Emotional and practical support, as being proposed by the government, are important. But practical support must also mean financial support for, say, loss of earnings due to the injuries caused by the criminal act. If someone is injured at work due to employer negligence, they can claim compensation for loss of earnings and other losses, on their employer's insurance.

But someone who is assaulted at work, and the result is an injury such as fractures, trauma, or permanent scarring, but there is no negligence on the part of their employer, then they will be unable to claim a penny, according to these proposals.

"Compensation doesn't make up for the assault. But it does represent an acknowledgement by society of what has happened to them, and will assist with resulting loss and expenses. Society needs to decide whether it is right to pay compensation only if an injury is judged to be worth more than the levels of the CICA tariff that the government is proposing to abolish," says Mr Jones.

"The government risks alienating the very people who it claims it wants to engage with the political system - low paid workers such as NHS workers and shop workers who are assaulted at work. It needs to put more money into the criminal injuries compensation system, not take money from one set of victims and give it to another."

Compensation Claim Advice

If you have suffered an injury as a result of an accident which was not your fault, telephone us now for accurate claim advice.

There are strict time limits in place to make any personal injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.

Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.