Learn About The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
If you have been the victim of a violent crime, you will know about the large impact that this can have on your life. There are a wide range of crimes and an even wider range of injuries that they can cause. You could be left unable to work, with mobility problems, and in the most serious of cases, left with life-altering symptoms. To help assist the victims of violent crime, the government set up the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority (CICA), and its main role is to administer the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
This guide will tell you exactly what the CICA is, how you can claim criminal injury compensation through them and also give you some guidance on how the compensation awards from the CICA are determined. We will touch on how you could benefit from working with a No Win No Fee solicitor on our panel for your claim.
If you would like to discuss making a CICA claim with our team, you can do so 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, free of charge, and with no obligation to proceed.
- Please contact us on 020 8050 2736
- Claim online
- Or engage with the live chat on the screen.
Choose A Section or Browse Our Guide
- What Is The CICA?
- What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?
- How To Claim Criminal Injuries Compensation
- Potential Compensation You Could Receive From A CICA Claim
- How Can A No Win No Fee Solicitor Help You Claim Criminal Injuries Compensation?
- More Resources About Claiming With The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
What Is The CICA?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) was initiated by the Government to help the victims of violent crime. It administers the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the Scheme), under which victims can obtain criminal injuries compensation if they are the victim of a violent crime.
The Scheme covers England, Scotland, and Wales. It applies a tariff system to injuries that are caused by violent crime. It is wholly funded by the Government. The CICA do encourage you to try to obtain compensation via a different avenue before using them, e.g. directly against the perpetrator. However, this may not always be possible as you may not know the perpetrator or whether they have the funds to compensate you, for example.
Continue reading this guide to learn more about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. You can also contact our advisors to discuss your potential claim.
What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is used by the CICA to assess eligible claims. Some examples of crimes of violence listed within the Scheme that you could claim for include:
- Sexual abuse.
- Assault.
- Arson.
Additionally, the Scheme lists a set amount of compensation (a tariff) for certain injuries, provided a violent crime caused them, and you meet the eligibility criteria.
It allows you to claim for up to three separate injuries, although the figures for each injury will not be added together. You will receive 100% of the tariff figure for your most significant injury, 30% of the tariff figure for your second most significant injury and finally, 15% for your third most serious injury under the multiple injuries formula. It is not possible to claim for more than three injuries.
The injuries claimed can be physical in nature, e.g. a broken leg or a broken nose, or they can be psychological or both. It also is not relevant what violent crime caused the injury, so the compensation would remain the same if you broke your arm being the victim of actual bodily harm (ABH) or grievous bodily harm (GBH), even though one is a more serious crime.
There are some eligibility criteria that you will need to meet if you wish to bring a claim and we will discuss these below.
Continue reading this guide for more information. You can also contact one of our advisors to discuss your case.
How To Claim Criminal Injuries Compensation
To make a claim for damages under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, you will have to demonstrate several things:
- The violent crime took place in England, Scotland or Wales. Or that it occurred in another relevant place.
- That you were injured in a crime of violence as defined by the Scheme
- e.g. common assault or sexual assault.
- You have reported the crime to the police.
- That you meet the residency requirements
- You must be able to provide medical evidence of your injuries.
- Your claim is within the time limit (this is generally two years).
To see whether you may have an eligible criminal injury claim, you can contact our advisors.
Potential Compensation You Could Receive From A CICA Claim
The damages for your injuries awarded by the CICA are in a fixed tariff system, as detailed above. When deciding how much compensation to award you for these injuries, i.e. which tariff they fall in, the CICA will consider several factors:
- The type of injury suffered, e.g. a fractured skull, scarring, PTSD.
- How severe the injuries are.
- Whether or not the symptoms are permanent.
If you have ongoing and significant problems, your injuries are more likely to result in a higher tariff figure than if you have fully recovered.
For illustrative purposes, below is a table of some examples of CICA payouts that could be awarded for various injuries. These have been taken from the fixed tariff within the Scheme. Please note that the top-line figure does not come from the tariff.
| Injury | Compensation Tariff | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries with Special Expenses + Lost Earnings | Up to £500,000 | Damages for suffering significant injuries with extensive loss of earnings and other financial losses. |
| Paraplegia | £175,000 | Substantially complete paraplegia. |
| Arm | £82,000 | Paralysis or equivalent loss of function in both arms. |
| Leg | £44,000 | Loss of one leg above the knee. |
| Burns | £33,000 | Affects many area of the body covering 25% of the skin. Significant scarring. |
| Mental Injury | £27,000 | A seriously disabling mental injury that is permanent. |
| Eye | £27,000 | Loss of one eye. |
| Epilepsy | £13,500 | Partially controlled with medication. |
| Facial Scarring | £11,000 | Serious disfigurement of the face. |
| Pelvis | £11,000 | Fractured pelvis causing a continuing significant disability. |
Claiming Financial Losses Through The CICA Compensation Tariff
There is also the possibility of claiming financial losses and out-of-pocket expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses are known as ‘special expenses’ and can include things like:
- Equipment that you now need because of your injuries, e.g. an adapted car.
- Damaged property that you relied upon as a physical aid, e.g. your glasses need replacing.
- Adaptions to your home that are necessary, e.g. installing a ramp.
- Care costs for care that assist you with your bodily functions or food preparation.
However, in order to receive special expenses, you must be able to prove that all these costs were reasonable and necessary. They must also be directly related to your injuries and not be available for free elsewhere.
Furthermore, you may be able to receive compensation for any lost earnings you have expereinced, but certain eligibility requirements will need to be met.
If you would like to discuss your specific claim or learn more about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, please contact our team today.
How Can A No Win No Fee Solicitor Help You Claim Criminal Injuries Compensation?
A solicitor can help you with claiming through the Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme in several ways by:
- Completing your case in a timely manner.
- Filling in documents for you and help you with the application process.
- Liaising with the CICA.
- Making sure that you claim all the damages that you are entitled to.
Our panel of criminal injury solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis. If your case is a strong one, then you may be offered a Conditional Fee Agreement, which comes with several advantages, including:
- Not having to pay upfront fees for their services.
- No ongoing service fees.
- If your claim is unsuccessful, you pay nothing for their completed work.
If your case wins, then there will be a success fee due to your solicitor. This success fee is a percentage of the compensation awarded to you and is only payable at the end of a successful case. It is legally capped (i.e. it has a maximum figure), which means that you keep the bulk of your compensation.
If you would like to work with one of the experienced criminal injury lawyers from our panel, contact us today so we can help you start the claims process.
- Please contact us on 020 8050 2736
- Claim online
- Or engage with the live chat on the screen.
More Resources About Claiming With The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
If you have further questions about making a CICA claim, then perhaps these other resources might be useful to you.
Internal resources:
- Find out more about how to claim compensation for an assault leading to a broken jaw.
- Learn how you can claim compensation for domestic abuse.
- Is there an average payout for an assault at work?
External resources:
- If you are unable to work, you can claim statutory sick pay (SSP).
- The CICA release yearly statistics about the awards they make.
- Do you know how to report a crime incident online to the Police?
Thank you for reading our guide ‘Important Information About The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme’.
