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If you have been the victim of a violent crime, you could be owed compensation. In this guide, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about making a criminal injury compensation claim.
Our guide takes you through what the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is when you could be eligible to make a claim through them. Additionally, we look at the potential compensation you could be awarded for your criminal injuries and how long you have to claim. We also look at whether someone needs to have been convicted of a crime before you make a claim.
Making a criminal injury claim could be complex. One of our specialist No Win No Fee solicitors could help you navigate the claims process. We end this guide by sharing the various benefits of working with one of them.
If, after reading our guide, you still have any questions or are ready to start your claim, speak to a member of our team.
- Send a message to our team using our ‘contact us’ page.
- Talk to an advisor by calling 0161 509 2856
- Message us through our live chat feature.
Browse Our Guide
- What Is The CICA?
- Can You Make A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim?
- How Much Criminal Injuries Compensation Could You Receive?
- Is There A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim Time Limit?
- Does It Matter If Nobody Is Convicted Of The Crime?
- What Is The Criminal Injury Compensation Claim Process?
- Why Use A No Win No Fee Solicitor For A CICA Claim?
- More Useful Information About Making CICA Claims
What Is The CICA?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is an agency sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. The CICA was established to compensate victims of violent crimes for their injuries and administers the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012.
The CICA applies to claimants in England, Scotland and Wales. The authority determines whether people have a valid criminal injury compensation claim and uses the tariff of injuries listed within The Scheme to determine how much compensation may be awarded for various injuries.
Claiming against the perpetrator of a violent crime is not always possible. The perpetrator may not have been identified, caught or convicted. They may also lack the funds to pay compensation. In such cases, claims can be made to the CICA.
To see if you can make a criminal injury compensation claim, contact us for free using the details above.
Can You Make A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim?
If you have been the victim of a violent crime in England, Scotland or Wales you could claim compensation through the CICA. To do so, there are criminal injuries compensation eligibility criteria which your claim must meet. These are:
- Be a victim of a violent crime: You will need to have been the victim of a violent crime as defined under The Scheme. Instances in which you could claim are defined in Annex B of the scheme and may include,
- Common assault, ABH and GBH.
- Abuse, sexual abuse and rape. This may include sexual abuse by a family friend or family member.
- Threats causing immediate fear of violence.
- Harm caused due to arson.
- Location: The incident took place in England, Scotland, Wales or another relevant place. Annex C of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme provides a full definition of relevant places.
- Reporting the incident: You will need to have reported the incident to the police.
Additionally, you will need to supply certain evidence to the CICA. This is:
- Medical evidence of the injuries you’re claiming for.
- Proof you meet the residency requirements.
- A crime reference number. You will have been given this when you reported the incident to the police.
The CICA will be able to obtain any further information they may need by liaising with the police.
To see if you could be eligible to claim criminal injury compensation, you can contact our advisors.
How Much Criminal Injuries Compensation Could You Receive?
If your criminal injury compensation claim is successful, you will be awarded a compensation payout. How much compensation you will be awarded for your injuries will depend on the type of injury you suffered and its severity.
Additionally, your injuries will be valued in line with the tariff set out within the CICA Scheme. The compensation amounts in the tariff are fixed. This means that your injury will be awarded the exact amount of compensation listed in the tariff.
In our table below, we have included examples of the potential compensation you could receive for different injuries.
Please note that the first row of the table has not been taken from the tariff and is inclusive of compensation for special expenses.
| Type Of Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries plus special expenses. | Serious injuries | Multiple and serious injuries with special expenses. | Up to £500,000+ |
| Brain damage | Moderately Severe | Serious mental or physical disability requiring professional care. | £110,000 |
| Moderate | Significant moderate brain damage causing a personality change with some dependence on others. | £82,000 | |
| Arm | Loss of. | One dominant arm. | £55,000 |
| Leg | Loss of. | One leg above the knee. | £44,000 |
| Mental injury | Seriously disabling | Permanent mental injury confirmed by diagnosis. | £27,000 |
| Ankle | Continuing significant disability | Both ankle have been dislocated or fractured. | £16,500 |
| Elbow | Continuing significant Disability | Dislocation or fracture of both elbows. | £11,000 |
| Pelvis | Continuing significant disability | A fractured pelvis. | £11,000 |
| Jaw | Continuing significant disability | Where an operation is required for a fractured jaw bone. | £6,200 |
Additionally, when pursuing compensation through the CICA, you could claim for your three highest-valued injuries. Under the multiple injuries formula, you could receive:
- 100% of the tariff for your injury with the highest value.
- 30% of the tariff for the second.
- 15% of the tariff for the third.
Further compensation could also be awarded if the incident caused you to become pregnant, contract a sexually transmitted infection or lose a foetus.
What Financial Losses Could Be Claimed For In CICA Claims?
Your CICA claim may also include compensation for special expenses. Special expenses may compensate you for:
- The costs of care that relate to preparing food or your bodily functions.
- Adaptations to your home, such as mobility equipment.
- Physical aids which were damaged in the incident, such as hearing aids.
These costs must have been necessary, reasonable, directly relating to your injuries, and not available for free anywhere else.
You may be able to claim compensation for any lost earnings the incident caused you to experience. However, you will need to prove that your case meets certain requirements in order to receive this.
Our team could help you assess how much criminal injuries compensation you could be eligible to claim. Contact them today.
Is There A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim Time Limit?
When starting a criminal injury compensation claim through the CICA, there is a time limit you must adhere to. This time limit is 2 years from the date the incident occurred. The CICA consider some exceptions to this time period, however you will need to prove that exception circumstances prevented you from claiming within these 2 years.
For those who suffered their injuries while under the age of 18, the time limits are as follows:
- If you reported the incident to the police before your 18th birthday, you will have 2 years from your 18th birthday to begin the claiming process.
- If you did not report the incident to the police, you will have 2 years to begin your claim from the date you make this report. You will also need to show that you could not make this report sooner due to exceptional circumstances.
Am I Able To Claim If I’ve Forgotten My Police Crime Reference Number?
As we have stated, in order to make a successful claim for criminal injury compensation, you will need a crime reference number. After you report a crime, the police should issue you with this number.
As part of your rights after a crime, you should be given the following information by the police:
- Written confirmation that the crime has been reported.
- Contact information for the officer dealing with your case.
- Your crime reference number.
If you have lost your crime reference number, you can contact the police officer handling your case or the police station where it was reported. They will have a record of it. Without your crime reference number, you have no proof that the injuries you suffered were a result of a crime of violence, and therefore the CICA may refuse your claim.
Whether you are claiming as the victim of a stab injury or as the family of a murder victim, our dedicated team of advisors are on hand to help you with your criminal injury compensation claim. Contact them today.
Does It Matter If Nobody Is Convicted Of The Crime?
Applications for compensation under the CICA do not require the perpetrator to have been identified, caught or convicted. The decision to award compensation is based on the available evidence and a balance of probabilities. This differs from the criteria of being beyond reasonable doubt, which must be met in criminal convictions.
The Scheme does require claimants to fully cooperate with the police so that reasonable steps can be taken to bring the perpetrator to justice.
For more information on how to apply for criminal injuries compensation through the CICA, you can contact our advisors.
What Is The Criminal Injury Compensation Claim Process?
When starting a criminal injury compensation claim through the CICA, they will ask you to provide the following items:
- The location and date of the crime.
- The police force you reported the incident to.
- Your crime reference number.
- Your GPs address and name.
- Details of any previous applications made to the CICA.
- Details of any unspent criminal convictions.
During the claims process, the CICA will ask the police for evidence and you for any additional information they may need. They will then make their decision and send this to you via post. The CICA aims to assess most applications within a year. However, more complex cases could take longer than this.
If you accept the payment you are offered by the CICA, you will have 56 days to return the acceptance form from the date it was sent to you.
If you have any further questions regarding the application process for making a CICA claim, you can contact our advisors.
Why Use A No Win No Fee Solicitor For A CICA Claim?
If you have a valid criminal injury compensation claim, one of the solicitors here at Advice could help you through the claiming process. Our solicitors have years of experience dealing with these types of claims. Additionally, they could help you to claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement.
Under this type of No Win No Fee agreement:
- There are no fees for your solicitor’s services at the beginning of your claim.
- There are no solicitor service fees to pay while to claim progresses.
- If your claim is not successful, you won’t pay your solicitor for their work on the case.
- If you are successful, a success fee will be taken from your compensation by your solicitor. This fee is a legally capped percentage.
To learn more about how a No Win No Fee solicitor from Advice could help you with making a claim through the CICA, you can contact our advisors:
- Contact an advisor by calling 0161 509 2856
- Use our ‘contact us’ page to request a call back from our team.
- Send a message using the live chat feature.
More Useful Information About Making CICA Claims
Here you can find some external resources which can help you with making a CICA claim:
- Victim Support can provide help and support if you are coping with a crime.
- Information on how to contact the police if you have been the victim of a crime.
- In this Crown Prosecution Service resource you can find out what support is available if you were the victim of a crime.
Thank you for reading our guide to pursuing a criminal injury compensation claim. If you still have any questions, please contact an advisor today.
