Criminal Injury Compensation Claim

You could be entitled to £15,000 or more for criminal injury!

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If you have been the victim of a crime you probably suffered distress and trauma, and possibly physical injury as a result. If so, you may be eligible for compensation. There are several different routes to compensation for criminal acts.

Civil action for personal injury compensation

The same laws which give you the right to compensation for injury due to other’s negligence also apply to malicious intent, such as the commission of a crime. You could launch a civil action and sue the person for the harm he or she has done you. In this case, the amount of compensation would be determined by the guidelines described elsewhere on this site. You will need a solicitor to do this, so contact us to see how we could act for you on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)

CICA is a government body responsible for assessing and awarding compensation to victims of violent crime. You must show that you suffered physical or mental injury as the result of violent criminal action, which can include injuries sustained while trying to prevent a crime of which you weren’t the original victim.

Criminal injury compensation awards can range from £1,000 to £250,000.

Injury Compensation awarded by a Criminal Court

If a person is convicted of the crime in which you were injured, the criminal court may order him or her to pay you compensation. The court will determine the amount and enforce payment, but the financial situation of the offender must be taken into account when deciding the amount of compensation awarded.

Personal Injury Claim Solicitors in Durham

If you have suffered an injury which wasn’t your fault, you should consult a specialist personal injury solicitor. The effects of an injury can be wide ranging and more than your legal rights are involved in determining your eligibility for, and amount of, compensation. For this reason, a solicitor requires a combination of legal and medical expertise, and most personal injury solicitors will have built up a list of useful contacts and barristers’ chambers to call on when specialist advice is required.

How can I recognise a specialist personal injury solicitor?

In the first instance, check that your solicitor’s firm includes lawyers who are accredited members of the two principle legal bodies in this field; the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIC) and the Law Society’s personal injury panel. You should also ask if they have solicitors who belong to associations for the specific injury your claim is about – for example the Spinal Injuries Association or the Headway Panel.

You should also ask your solicitor about their record in personal injury claims. Can they give you any case histories of successful claims similar to yours?

How can I pay the solicitor’s bills for my personal injury claim?

With the exception of medical negligence, legal aid is generally no longer available for personal injury claims. This means you will have to agree payment with the solicitor yourself. Fortunately, solicitors are able to act on a Conditional Fee (“No Win, No Fee”) basis. This means your solicitor bears the cost of the claim until you have been awarded compensation. Depending on the type of agreement you have, your solicitor will then either claim his fees from your opponent, or take a percentage of your compensation as a “success fee”.

Will my solicitor charge me for costs if I lose my personal injury claim?

Before agreeing to work on a conditional fee basis, a competent personal injury solicitor will assess the merits of the claim. If you and your solicitor decide to proceed you may have to take out an insurance policy to cover both your and your opponent’s solicitors’ fees in the event that you lose your claim.