Laura Herrod
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (the "CICA") is a Government body which was created to compensate victims of serious and violent crimes. The purpose of the CICA is to provide compensation to blameless victims of crime who have sustained physical and/or psychological injuries.
Types of CICA claims include violent assaults, knife crime, victims of theft or robbery and domestic abuse. Claims can also be made for historic and present-day sexual, emotional and mental abuse, including abuse by individual perpetrators and within organisations. Compensation can also be claimed for online abuse i.e. obtaining and disclosing materials without a victim's consent with the intention of causing harm.
This blog primarily looks at physical assaults. Readers are referred to blogs by Kim Overton (Partner) and Jemma Burt (Chartered Legal Executive) if they would like further information in relation to abuse matters.
CICA Key Points:-
1.Time Limit – You have two years from the date of the incident to make a CICA claim (subject to a small number of exceptions, for example in cases involving abuse).
2.Eligibility – There are several eligibility requirements for making a CICA claim. These include, but are not limited to:
a. Reporting the crime to the police;
b. Cooperating with the police investigation; and
c. Not having unspent criminal convictions that result in certain sentences at the date of the application.
3.Compensation – You may be awarded compensation for injuries sustained as a result of the crime, including both physical and psychological harm. You may also be able to claim for certain other losses, including loss of earnings, private medical treatment and care costs.
Examples of CICA claims which we have handled:-
- Tina sustained significant physical and psychological injuries when she was attacked by her partner's brother with a knife at her home address.
- Oliver was at school when he was repeatedly punched by other pupils, sustaining a serious facial injury.
- Andrew was ambushed in an attack when he threatened to report his employer to the police for undertaking illegal activities. He was violently assaulted and repeatedly punched and kicked while on the ground.
Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.
If you have been the victim of an unprovoked violent crime, contact our Personal Injury Team today. We can assist with your CICA claim under a No Win, No Fee arrangement. This means you will not be required to pay any legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful. If your claim is successful, our fees are only payable as a previously agreed percentage of the compensation awarded. This type of agreement is also known as a contingency fee arrangement, where your lawyer’s payment depends on the outcome of your claim, ensuring you can pursue justice without the worry of upfront legal costs.