Criminal injuries compensation
If you have ever been the innocent victim of a violent crime or assault, you are entitled to compensation for your criminal injuries. Suffering from a violent crime can be devastating and cause physical and emotional trauma, and claiming compensation after such an ordeal may be daunting. However, HNK Solicitors are here to help you every step of the way, making the process as easy and stress-free as possible.
You can make a criminal injury claim from the government-run Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) and compensation ranges from £1,000 to £500,000, depending on the severity of your injuries. Our dedicated lawyers will fight to secure the compensation you deserve to help get you back on your feet, cover the cost of medical treatment, long and short-term care or loss of earnings.
Our team of expert criminal injuries lawyers have a wide range of experience and extensive knowledge in dealing with applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). We deal with applications from the outset until conclusion, assisting our clients through the many stages of the claims process. If decisions made by the CICA are incorrect, we deal with the necessary review application on behalf of our clients and ultimately appeal any incorrect decision before the Tribunals Service. We have dedicated team of solicitors who will represent you at any appeal hearings if needed. HNK can even offer a no-win-no-fee service.
We will assign you a dedicated case handler who will be there to support you and offer advice and guidance whenever you need it. We understand talking about your ordeal and claiming compensation can be difficult, that’s why all our lawyers are highly trained to handle each case sensitively, with care and consideration.
You may be able to claim compensation
If you (or a loved one) has suffered from:
An injury in an act of violence in England, Scotland or Wales (including both physical and mental injuries)
Sexual abuse
Domestic abuse
Elder abuse
Child abuse in care homes
Child abuse in schools
Patient and hospital abuse
Psychological damage from witnessing a violent crime happen to a loved one
Injury when taking reasonable steps to stop or prevent a crime
What should you do?
You need to make your application for compensation from the CICA within two years from the date of the incident which caused your injuries, or within two years of reporting it to the police if the claim relates to sexual / physical abuse.
This 2-year time limit can also be waived if the applicant can provide exceptional circumstances that prevented them from applying earlier. E.g. if you were not mentally or physically able to deal with a claim or if you were advised by a police officer not to claim before a trial end. Our Lawyers have extensive experience in presenting ‘out of time’ applications to the CICA and understand the evidence required in support of such applications. We will assist you in approaching your application in the best way to achieve a positive outcome.
How do I claim?
Step 1
Get in touch using our contact forms or any details provided throughout the site.
Step 2
We will arrange a free consultation with you to discuss your claim.
Step 3
If you have a valid claim, we will accept your case on a No Win No Fee basis.
Step 4
HNK Client Successful in £28,000 Sexual Misconduct and Misfeasance Case Against The Chief Constable of Sussex Police
What we can do for you
As leading criminal injury lawyers, we work closely alongside the CICA to secure you the compensation and justice you deserve. We offer a free no-obligation consultation and a no-win-no-fee service, which means it costs you nothing to get started and there is no financial risk to you.
Given the volume of claims we deal with, we have a dedicated team at the CICA who oversee all of the applications we submit on behalf of our clients. This ensures that any applications we submit are dealt with efficiently and promptly. This isn’t a service that is afforded to applicants who apply direct without our assistance, or to all other firms of solicitors.
We have helped people from all over England, Scotland and Wales claim compensation over the years from the CICA. We work closely with our clients and their family, to ensure they receive the support they need to help get their life back on track. Even if the perpetrator of your crime was never identified, caught or convicted we may still be able to obtain your compensation.
Free Consultation
We offer a free, no-obligation consultation where we will help assess your claim with discretion and sensitivity and offer honest advice.
No-Win-No-Fee
We can offer a no-win-no-fee service which means it costs you nothing upfront and you only have to pay if your application is successful and you receive compensation. As a standard we charge a set fee of either £500 or 25% Plus VAT (whichever is the greatest) from the compensation you receive. No matter how long your claim takes to conclude, or how much work we have to invest in the matter, our fee remains fixed.
Trained Experts
All our criminal injuries lawyers are highly trained to deal with these sensitive cases with care and consideration. They have years of experience in dealing with applications to the CICA and want to help you get the compensation you deserve, so you can rest assured they have your best interests at heart.
FAQ
It is as simple as getting in touch with us and one of our expert criminal injury lawyers will provide you with a free, no-obligation consultation which will assess whether you are entitled to compensation.
If we believe you have a strong case, our experts can advise you about how much compensation you can expect, any costs and can even take care of the application process on your behalf.
All you need to do to start the process is:
- Provide us with brief details in regards to the criminal matter and any injuries you sustained.
- Your police / crime reference number. If you do not know this you can contact the police to request your unique number.
- Details of any treatment providers (GP / Hospital / Counselling provider). Provided you have co-operated with the police throughout their investigation and you can provide us with some brief details, we can begin the process of submitting your application.
If you satisfy the criteria, you could be entitled to compensation ranging from £1000 to £500,000, depending on the severity of your injuries.
The compensation depends on the type of injuries you sustained, examples of some of the most common awards received are:
- A strained neck or whiplash lasting more than 13 weeks: £1,000
- Fractured jaw: £1,500
- Significant scarring to the face: £2,400
- Fractured skull requiring an operation: £4,600
- Loss of a front tooth: £1,500
- Funeral payments: a maximum of £5,000
- Bereavement payments: maximum of £11,000
- Repeated rapes over a period exceeding 3 years: £44,000
- Nonpenetrative sexual acts over clothing: £1,000
A CICA case can be lengthy, complex and a difficult process. Many innocent victims of crime expect the CICA to be sympathetic and make the process as easy as possible when they apply for compensation. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Having an experienced CICA solicitor can be the difference between a successful or rejected claim and a solicitor is much more likely to get you the amount you deserve. Our team of highly trained criminal injury lawyers have expert knowledge in CICA cases and a wide range of experience so they know the best steps on how to proceed. They can also make this process much easier and less stressful for you by guiding you through the process, chasing up and securing any evidence, medical reports, police statements or social service reports which may be needed to support your case. Our lawyers take away the stress of you having to deal with your own application, leaving you to focus on your recovery.
We also have a dedicated team at the CICA who oversee all of the applications we submit on behalf of our clients. This ensures that any applications we submit are dealt with efficiently and promptly. This isn’t a service that is afforded to applicants who apply direct without our assistance, or to all other firms of solicitors.
If the CICA make a decision in regards to your application, our dedicated lawyers provide you with advice in regards to the merits of the decision. If the CICA make an offer of compensation which is not correct, or if they refuse an application, our lawyers can guide you through the process of applying for a review / appealing the decision.
Our knowledge of the CICA Scheme 2012 is extensive, this equips our lawyers with the understanding required to challenge any in-correct decision made by the CICA. If the CICA do not put right any in-correct decisions they make, we will represent our clients before the Appeals Tribunal whereby our advocacy skills are put to good use. Such assistance throughout the process isn’t afforded to an unrepresented applicant.
There is no specific timescale that the CICA works too but they try to aim to make a decision on applications within 1 year. It can take longer in more complex cases where high-value settlements are required. We find that for more complex cases it usually takes on average 24 months for a case to conclude.
Timescales vary from case to case, dependent on the amount of evidence that is needed and the severity of the crime and injury. HNK Solicitors will ensure you are kept regularly updated about your case’s progress, no matter how long it takes for you to get justice. We will do everything we can to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve as quickly as possible and will keep you informed every step of the way.
Under the CICA scheme, children are entitled to compensation but an adult has to make the application for them. The adult will act as what is known as a litigation friend.
The adult must provide proof of their relationship to the child to the CICA. If an incident occurred during childhood you can still report it after the age of 18. From the date it was disclosed to the police, you have two years to pursue the claim with the CICA.
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