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Criminal Injury Compensation Claims
Introduction to Criminal Injury Compensation Claims
About Criminal Injury Claims
Who would I make my Criminal Injury Claim for Compensation against?
Different ways to make a Criminal Injury Compensation Claim
Information about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
About the CICA
When Thompsons may be able to help
Criminal Injury Cases Thompsons may be able to help with
Helpful Links for Victims of Violent Crime
Further Assistance for Victims of Violent Crime
News Stories we have published about Criminal Injury Claims
Victims of Criminal Injuries we have helped
Criminal Injury cases we have fought and won
Examples of Criminal Injury Compensation Claims we have dealt with
Criminal Injury Compensation Claim Advice
How to begin a claim for Criminal Injury Compensation
Introduction to Criminal Injury Compensation Claims
About Criminal Injury Claims
If you are the victim of a violent crime in the UK you might not know that you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
The right to claim compensation will depend on the individual circumstances of the violent crime and within this page we hope to provide some helpful information.
If you still have questions you need answering or would like to know if we can help you with a personal injury claim for compensation, contact us on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
Who would I make my Criminal Injury Claim for Compensation against?
Different ways to make a Criminal Injury Compensation Claim
If you are the victim of a violent crime in the UK, there are three different ways you can make a personal injury claim for compensation for your injury.
The first is to make a personal injury compensation claim against the assailant directly; however, this is not usually recommended as even if your personal injury compensation claim is successful, it is difficult to enforce the judgment meaning you may win your case but still never receive the compensation from the guilty party.
The second way to make a personal injury compensation claim is against your employer. This would only apply if the attack / assault took place while you were at work and you feel that your employer exposed you to an unnecessary and foreseeable risk of personal injury which could have been avoided. In cases like this a personal injury lawyer might be able to make a claim against your employer as they would for any accident at work. To read more about how to make a claim against your employer after an attack, visit our Assaulted at Work Page .
The third route to take (and the one covered by this information page) is to make your personal injury claim against the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority which pays compensation to victims of violent crimes which have occurred in Great Britain (including British aircraft, hovercraft and ships but not Northern Ireland).
If you would like to know if we can help you with a Criminal Injury Claim complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
Information about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
About the CICA
The purpose of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is to compensate victims of violent crime.
Several special criteria apply to claims made via the CICA; however, including: -
- A two year deadline for making your personal injury compensation claim instead of the usual three year deadline for other personal injury compensation claims.
- No legal costs are payable, meaning that you must either deal with the CICA directly yourself and keep your full compensation award or appoint a personal injury solicitor to deal with the compensation claim for you and pay them a fee. If you are a Trade Union member you may be entitled to free legal advice via your scheme. Contact your Trade Union for more information.
- No personal injury valued at less than £1,000 will be considered as they deal with compensation claims for serious injuries only.
- Compensation is not paid for the first 28 weeks of lost earnings and the amounts are capped meaning that if you are a high earner, you may not be compensated fully for your lost earnings.
- Your own behaviour before, during and after the attack will be taken into account, as well as any criminal record you have and the manner in which you co-operate with the police (including reporting the assault to them with is a pre requisite term of the scheme.
It is possible that you could make a personal injury compensation claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority as well as against the assailant or your employer if appropriate; however the amount of compensation you receive from your employer would be deducted from any claim paid by the CICA.
All the CICA compensation would have to be refunded to the CICA if the civil damages exceeded any CICA award and all monies that you have received or may receive in the future as a result of the assault have to be declared to the CICA where some or all of that money may be taken into account.
For more information about whether we can help you with your Criminal Injury Compensation claim, contact us on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
When Thompsons may be able to help
Criminal Injury Cases Thompsons may be able to help with
We can usually help with cases where you feel your employer is responsible for the injury as the claim for compensation would be made against your employer rather than through the CICA and for more advice about this you should visit our Assaulted at Work page.
For cases made against the CICA however, as mentioned above, legal costs are not paid by the CICA and public funding is not normally available. Rather than paying legal costs from your compensation, we would usually recommend that you deal with the claim yourself without assistance from a solicitor.
Exceptions to this advice are where there are particular complexities or if you have suffered serious injuries or significant losses in which case we may be able to assist you by using our skill and experience to ensure you receive the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to. Examples of some of the cases we may be able to assist with include fatalities, loss of sight, paralysis, severe burns, loss of hearing, amputations, brain injury and any physical or psychological trauma which results in a long-term or permanent disability.
If we can assist with a criminal injury claim against the CICA, an appropriate charging arrangement will be agreed with you at the outset of the claim. We will explain fully how our charging system works before asking you to sign an agreement.
For more information about whether we can help you with your Criminal Injury Compensation Claim, contact us on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
Helpful Links for Victims of Violent Crime
Further Assistance for Victims of Violent Crime
Below, are some links which may be of use to you if you have been the victim of a violent crime.
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) - The CICA is responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme throughout England, Scotland and Wales. They pay compensation to eligible applicants who have been the victim of a violent crime.
Police - Find contact details for your local Police force.
Victim Support - Victim Support is the independent charity which helps people cope with the effects of crime. They provide free and confidential support and information to help you deal with your experience.
If you would like to find out if we can help you with a criminal injury claim for compensation with no obligation, contact us on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
News Stories we have published about Criminal Injury Claims
Victims of Criminal Injuries we have helped
Below, you will find links to a selection of news stories we have published on our website about Criminal Injury Compensation Claims we have dealt with in the past. These press releases all involve claims for compensation which Thompsons have made against the CICA (Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority).
Attacked firefighter’s successful claim
Thompsons demands criminal injury compensation review after payout for tragic boy
Machete attack children finally win compensation
Francesca Quintyne's legal team to act for other victims of machete attack
If you would like us to review the circumstances of your Criminal Injury Compensation Claim in more detail and let you know if we can help you make your claim, complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
Criminal Injury cases we have fought and won
Examples of Criminal Injury Compensation Claims we have dealt with
Below are just a couple of examples of some of the criminal injury cases we have dealt with against the CICA for people who have been injured due to a Criminal Assault.
•Shot by Armed Robbers - Our client in this case was working for a security company handling the transfers of cash. During routine visits he and his colleagues were confronted with armed robbers and, despite offering no resistance and dropping to the floor, our client was deliberately shot in the leg by one of the men. His injuries affected not only his knee but also his hip, thigh and ankle. He suffered extensively both from the original injury and ongoing health issues, made considerably worse by escalating financial hardship caused by being unable to work. He had to invest heavily in alterations to his home to accommodate his lack of mobility and was forced to make major changes to his lifestyle. Thompsons Solicitors presented his case to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and were successful in obtaining over £200,000.
•Assaulted by Youths - In this case, our client was employed as a caretaker at a High School. He was assaulted by a group of youths and suffered psychological injuries. With help from his Trade Union, Unison and Thompsons' specialist personal injury solicitors, he was awarded £11,246 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
To find out if Thompsons Solicitors can help with your Criminal Injury Compensation Claim call us on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
Criminal Injury Compensation Claim Advice
How to begin a claim for Criminal Injury Compensation
Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all matters relating to criminal injuries and assaults. We will be happy to advise you as to whether or not you have a valid compensation claim and will talk you through the entire process in plain English.
There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.
For more information, help or advice about making a criminal injury claim, telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online personal injury compensation claim forms.
Contact us about your accident or injury
Call us for free on 08000 224 224 Call us from your mobile on 0330 123 123 0 (charged at local number and free when covered by inclusive minutes) Request a call back Text CLAIM to 82010 (standard network rates apply)
