Criminal Injury Compensation
Compensation for victims of crime
What is a criminal injury?
You may claim criminal injury compensation if you have suffered an injury, physical or psychological, because of an attack of criminal intent. If a relative was fatally injured by a criminal attack you can also claim. Other types of claim include funeral expenses, income loss and special expenses.
When can a criminal injury compensation claim be made?
Generally you have two years after the injury was suffered to lodge a compensation appeal with CICA (Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority), however this may be wavered in special circumstances such as an adult claiming for abuse they suffered as a child.
Where can a claim be made?
CICA’s jurisdiction covers the three countries of Great Britain, England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own scheme. There are similar compensation bodies in all European Union states and around the world in many others including the US, Australia and Canada. For a full list see the criminal injury compensation abroad section.
Who can help me with my claim?
The Police - It is necessary in almost all cases of criminal injury compensation to have informed the police of the offence that caused the incident. The first thing that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) will do upon receiving your application is to contact the police to verify that you were injured by a criminal act.
CICA – or the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is the body that cover most criminal compensation claims in Great Britain. To apply for compensation go to their website where you can fill out a form online, print one out, or request one by phoning: 0800 358 3601
How much compensation can I get for a criminal injury?
Compensation awards – your injuries must be serious enough to warrant over £1000 in compensation, and the maximum award is £250000; this includes claims for multiple injuries. However, income loss and special expenses can boost the award to £500000. Most injuries carry a fixed bracket from within which CICA will take the figure that represents the amount of money you will receive in compensation.
Cost – CICA do not pay legal fees should you require their accumulation; the same is true for most other countries. A 'contingency fee arrangement' may be made with a lawyer, however, which sees them taking a percentage of the compensation if successful.
Accident claims and personal injury advice
The amount of people making claims for accidents in the UK is constantly on the rise. It is estimated that there are over 11 million accidents that cause personal injury each year.
All about the no win no claim system
Every day, someone in the UK will be injured as a result of unfortunate accidents that could have been prevented and were by no means their own fault.
What you need to know about personal injury law firms
If you were unfortunate enough to have suffered a personal injury that wasn’t your fault, you may want to make a claim for compensation for any undue distress or inconvenience caused.