Criminal Injury Claims
CICA Claims
If you are the innocent victim of a crime it is possible to seek damages via a Government body. Our specialist criminal injury lawyers specialise in helping people bring these claims. Read on to find out about the CICA claims process and how our lawyers can help.
“Fielding a first class, very well resourced team of litigators, the personal injury department at Osbornes is rated for its diverse workload of complex, high-value injury claims.”
“Osbornes is a well-regarded personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims.”
Claiming CICA Compensation
An innocent victim of a crime of violence can make a personal injury claim to the government body, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), for compensation.
The CICA scheme has its own rules, and they are applied strictly. Claims take a long time to be dealt with. It is important to seek legal advice before submitting a compensation claim application and dealing with the CICA decision. We often successfully appeal against decisions on behalf of our clients.
What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is a government-funded program designed to provide financial assistance to victims of violent crime in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), the scheme aims to compensate individuals who have suffered physical or psychological injuries due to a crime.
The compensation scheme covers a range of benefits, including payments for physical injuries, loss of earnings, and special expenses incurred due to the crime. This initiative ensures that victims of violent crime receive the support they need to recover and rebuild their lives.
Eligibility for Compensation
You must meet specific criteria to be eligible for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Firstly, you need to be a victim of a violent crime that occurred in England, Scotland, or Wales.
The crime must have resulted in psychological or physical injuries. It is crucial to report the crime to the police as soon as reasonably practicable and cooperate fully with their investigation.
Additionally, you must not be responsible for the crime or have contributed to the circumstances leading to your injury. The scheme also has residency and nationality requirements that you must meet to qualify for compensation. By fulfilling these criteria, you can access the scheme’s financial support to aid your recovery.
What medical evidence has to be proven?
To be successful in any CICA claim, it has to be established that you are the innocent victim of a violent crime. If this is proved, the State will compensate you as long as your injuries have a tariff value exceeding £1000.
If the CICA believes that you have provoked or willingly participated in the assault, they can withhold or reduce compensation. This is also true if you have a criminal record or an unspent criminal conviction.
The application process
Applying for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme involves submitting an application online or by post.
To support your claim, you will need to provide several pieces of evidence, including a crime reference number from the police, medical evidence to substantiate your physical or psychological injuries, and documentation of any loss of earnings or extraordinary expenses.
Additionally, a personal statement detailing the circumstances of the crime and its impact on your life is required.
Once your application is received, the CICA will assess it, and you may be asked to provide further evidence or attend a medical examination. If your application is successful, you will receive a payment based on the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life.
Given the complexity of the application process, it is advisable to seek the assistance of a criminal injury lawyer to ensure you receive the maximum compensation you are entitled to. Professional guidance can help navigate the intricacies of the compensation scheme and improve the likelihood of a successful claim.
What you need to do first when claiming compensation
It is crucial that you report the crime to the police as soon as it occurs to allow the police time to investigate the assault and bring the assailant to court on criminal charges. If the assault occurred during your employment, you must also report it to your employers. Reporting the crime promptly is crucial for those seeking compensation through the CICA.
How long do you have to start your claim?
The general rule in CICA claims is that the CICA application must be lodged within 2 years of the assault date. If you take longer to apply, the CICA may not be willing to consider and investigate the compensation claim.
What should I do if the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority rejects the claim?
If the CICA accepts your personal injury claim, they will assess and pay you compensation. They will provide you with details as to how this has been calculated. Claiming compensation can be complex, and understanding the reasons for rejection is crucial for a successful appeal.
If they reject it, the CICA can be asked why they have turned the claim down. CICA can review the decision if it believes it is wrong and does not accept the reasons for the award or why the claim has been rejected. This request for a review must be made within 90 days of the initial decision.
If you still do not accept the CICA’s decision after the review, you can formally appeal. The appeal must be lodged again within 90 days of the review decision.
Get in touch
Get in touch with our personal injury solicitors today on 020 7485 8811 or complete our contact form below for a confidential, no-obligation discussion about your situation. Our team is ready to provide guidance and support.
Speak to a CICA Solicitor
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Osbornes Law is a really strong team with a lot of depth.
Osbornes work professionally as a team, responding diligently to emails or telephone calls.
Stephanie Prior is noted for her huge experience and intricate understanding of sexual abuse claims, and works closely with the NAPAC.
Osbornes deals with fatalities incurred during traffic and workplace accidents.
Osbornes clients are individuals whose cases are treated with the focus required when dealing with life changing injuries.
Fielding a ‘first class, very well resourced’ team of litigators, the personal injury department at Osbornes is rated for its diverse workload of complex, high-value injury claims, representing both domestic and international claimants.
Osbornes is an excellent firm, made up of lawyers with flair and pedigree.
Osbornes lawyers are smart, well trained, experienced and well managed.
Osbornes personal injury practice is first class; very well resourced and second to none.
Osbornes is becoming one of the top players in the claimant personal injury market. A large team with a great number of very high quality solicitors.
Osbornes is a highly proficient serious injury firm. They bring all the benefits of the biggest firms in the market but none of the downsides.
It has considerable experience in cases arising from motor accidents and accidents at work
Osbornes prepares cases well; the whole team is good and lawyers there know their stuff.
They deal with people compassionately and take on the right amount of detail. The firm has some really brilliant key solicitors.
The personal injury team is responsive and its level of service towards clients and other professionals is exceptional and high quality
The team offers specialist expertise in cycling-related injury claims and regularly acts for foreign nationals.
It has considerable experience in cases arising from motor accidents and accidents at work
Osbornes is a well-regarded personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims.
Their team includes bright, hard-working solicitors dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for their clients from partner level to paralegal. Their client care is exceptional.
They are a team who are highly respected in the PI sector.
This is an excellent PI team doing a broad range of PI work.
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims, with notable strength in acting for European clients for whom English is not a first language.
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims.
"They punch well above their weight. The quality of service they provide equals that of any of the larger top-name firms in this area"
Ben Posford is fiercely bright, with an unrivalled passion for his clients’ cases. His encyclopaedic knowledge of all things PI is second to none. His foresight and commercial nous have propelled Osbornes into the highest echelons of the market where they rightly belong.
The firm has an excellent and innovative line in cases involving non-English speaking claimants, managed by recruiting paralegals with multi-language skills – an impressive route for expansion of the caseload.
Great expanding team with expertise and respect in the sector. Led by a commercially savvy and business minded team.
A really excellent group of PI solicitors, notable for their individual quality.’
A niche firm that punches well above its weight in the catastrophic injury sector, borne out by the quality of work they obtain.
This combination of experience and diligence reaps massive rewards for clients, Osbornes being well known in the industry as a fantastic firm.
The Osbornes personal injury team now comprises some of the most technically adept and hard hitting lawyers in the business.
Excellent coverage of personal injury, and traumatic brain injury. There is a real specialism in claimants who do not speak English as a first language.
The group is noted for its expertise in matters relating to cycling injuries, and is the official legal partner of the London Cycling Campaign charity.
To complement its strong reputation for high-value and complex personal injury work, the firm continues to develop its 'excellent and innovative line in cases involving non-English speaking claimants'
"Osbornes comprises some of the most technically adept and hard hitting lawyers in the business"
"A small but high-powered team, dealing with cases of significant value and complexity."
"An excellent firm which achieves fantastic outcomes for clients."
"Osbornes Law have captured the magic of keeping the customer service levels of a smaller firm whilst having all the expertise and power of the biggest firms."
"A superb boutique catastrophic injury firm."
"Really good at dealing with people who have suffered a serious injury."
"Affable and charming with very good client-handling skills."
"superb firm with consummate professionals and a human touch."
Osbornes now has a team of highly experienced personal injury lawyers; particularly strong on high-value quantum cases, workplace accidents and claims involving foreign workers injured in the UK.
The team provides fantastic strength-in-depth for personal injury claims. It is also particularly well placed to service clients from Eastern Europe with specialist native language speakers. From the smallest case to a multimillion-pound spinal injury case, Osbornes has the right staff to manage every claim.
Ben Posford remains pre-eminent in his field with expert understanding of litigating cases of the upmost severity. His experience builds on Stuart Kightley’s running of the firm with recent partner additions of Rob Aylott making a fantastic addition.
A firm going from strength-to strength-which retains its client care whilst being able to offer a full personal injury service.
Beneath Ben Posford’s calm and reassuring presence, which clients love, lies a formidable tactical and legal brain. His experience tells and he gets it right at every stage of the process from arranging the best possible rehabilitation, to ensuring, so far as possible, a polite relationship with those acting for the defendant in order to ensure best and early resolution of the claim.
"Clients say he is very impressive, in terms of both his experience and his management of the personal injury team."
"They have an expanding profile in personal injury and clinical negligence and offer a superb, broad service in accidents abroad, enabled by their recruitment of bilingual legal executives who can guide non-English speakers through complex litigation."
"Solid personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims arising from fatalities and severe head and spinal injuries."
"Offers specialist expertise in cycling-related injury claims."
"Offers specialist expertise in cauda equina syndrome cases."
"An exceptional outfit. They take on difficult cases, fight hard and win."
"Stuart Kightley is an incredibly empathetic solicitor who is very knowledgeable about traumatic brain injury."
"They are an outstanding firm to work with. They are consistently impressive in their work."
"Osbornes often handles claims valued at over £1m, particularly relating to severe brain and spinal cord injuries and niche areas such as cauda equina syndrome and cycling accidents."
"The hard-working, thorough and committed Robert Aylott, who brings significant heavyweight personal injury experience."
"Key team members include the energetic and personable Stuart Kightley who is head of the personal injury department."
Thank you for the hard work and patience and for being so patient with my constant questions.
"I have found Osbornes to be thorough, clear and understanding from the initial call. They do exactly what they say they will and with passion! I would recommend them to anyone".
Very good efficient service. Would not hesitate to use again.
I will use Osbornes for any future needs.
I don't think I could have asked for anything more. One of the best dealings I've had with the legal profession.
Sam was excellent and very professional in dealing with our claim.
Head of the personal injury department, Stuart Kightley is a first-rate practitioner, wholly focused on getting his client the best outcome in a pragmatic, sensible and consensual manner.
As a real specialist in spinal cord injuries, Ben Posford is always looking at new angles on how to maximise his cases.
Ben Posford is one of the best catastrophic injury lawyers around.
They provide exceptional service, great knowledge and understanding of the law, excellent client care and tactical nous
Stuart Kightley is praised for his expertise in catastrophic and fatal claims. Clients say he is very impressive, in terms of both his experience and his management of the personal injury team.
My claim was dealt with efficiently and professionally. Communication was excellent, and timely. Shrewd and sound advice was provided at every stage of the claim from beginning through to completion. On the basis of my personal experience I would strongly recommend Osbornes.
I just wish to thank you for your hard work and successful outcome. I am pleased with the result and would recommend you and your firm to anyone in the future.
Ben Posford … is ‘tactically astute’ and ‘one of the best personal injury solicitors around’.
Ben Posford ‘knows how to maximise the value of the claim for his clients’.
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