Experts in Criminal Injury Claims

What is a criminal injuries claim?

A criminal injuries compensation claim is a specific claim you can make if you have been the victim of crime or abuse that cause physical or psychological harm; this includes individuals who may have been witness to a crime affecting a close friend or relative.

While many of us will be lucky enough to go our entire lives without ever being the victim of crime, for some people, it’s an unavoidable reality.

Not only can crime affect victims financially, emotionally, and psychologically, but in cases of violent crime, it can leave a person with physical injuries that often make it difficult to move forward and live without pain.

The legacy of a crime can be far-reaching, in many cases touching every part of the affected person’s life. But it can also affect those close to the victim, especially if they witnessed the event or lost someone close to them as a result of the crime.

While no substitute for ensuring the crime never occurred in the first place, a criminal compensation claim is designed to provide a victim or their loved ones with the financial support necessary to help them recover from the tragedy.

Therefore, if you or a close relative was the victim of a crime that caused injury, you are entitled to make a criminal compensation claim. Speak to our experts when you feel ready, and we’ll introduce you to our criminal injury solicitors.

What qualifies as a criminal injury?

Crimes that qualify as criminal injury, and therefore make you eligible for a criminal compensation claim, are numerous and extensive. We can’t provide the full list here as every criminal injury claim is different, but below are the most common examples of how criminal injury may occur:

• Assault, either physical or sexual
• Hit-and-run
• Abuse at work
• Physical harm to a child from a person in a position of trust
• Suffering an injury while trying to prevent a crime from occurring
• Enduring emotional or psychological damage while witnessing a close relative or friend’s injury in a crime

While not a direct result of being injured in a crime, you can also make a criminal injury claim if you were financially dependent on someone who is killed or permanently incapacitated by a crime.

How to claim criminal injuries

You can choose to pursue a criminal injuries claim independently, however, in most cases when someone wishes to make a criminal injuries claim, they will discuss their claim with an expert to help determine whether it can be taken to the CICA.

The CICA (Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority) is the government body responsible for investigating and helping victims win criminal damage compensation in England, Scotland or Wales.

In order to seek compensation from the CICA, there are five crucial steps to follow:

• The incident must be reported to the police within 48 hours, or as soon as possible based on the circumstances
• Your injuries, be they physical or psychological, must be enough to meet the minimum criminal injuries compensation payout
• The incident must have happened in the last two years, though this may be waived depending on certain factors
• The incident must have occurred in either England, Wales, or Scotland
• You must have no unspent criminal convictions other than driving offences

The CICA pays out over £200 million to victims of criminal injuries in England, Scotland, and Wales, every year and is the most reliable method to gaining criminal justice compensation.

Once you’ve agreed to work with the CICA, they will investigate your claim to determine what level of compensation you’re eligible for. To assist the CICA, you can provide them with the following:

• The date and location of the crime
• The police station where it was reported
• The crime reference number
• Your GP’s name and address
• Details of previous CICA applications
• Details of any unspent criminal convictions
• Proof of identity for you or anyone you’re responsible for who was involved in the crime

If you are unsure whether you are eligible to make a criminal injuries compensation claim with the CICA, you can contact our team and we’ll put you in touch with compensation lawyers to examine your case.

How much can you receive in criminal damage compensation?

Like all claim cases, the amount you can receive will vary depending on numerous factors. With a criminal injuries compensation claim, this can include:

• The severity and number of injuries you received
• Care you might need, now and in the future
• Loss of earnings, now or in the future
• Support required for dependants
• Potential funeral costs

The criminal injuries compensation payout received will likely differ from case to case. Criminal justice compensation awarded by the CICA can range anywhere from a £1,000 payout to a £500,000 payout.

Should you decide to pursue a claim, we will match you with one of a select group of criminal injury lawyers who will do their utmost to secure the highest payment in the shortest amount of time. We also know how traumatic and stressful it can be to go through the claims process, that’s why we also offer a no-win, no-fee* agreement so don’t have to pay any costs upfront and nothing at all in the unlikely event that your claim is unsuccessful.

*Condition may apply