How Much Compensation for Criminal Injuries Can I Claim?

By Brett Williams. Last Updated 20th August 2021. Welcome to our guide about determining how much compensation for criminal injuries you could claim for. Here, there is a complete in-depth guide for making a personal injury claim for compensation for criminal injuries, as well as information on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). If you have been the victim of some form of criminal violence that has resulted in an actual injury, or some form of psychological problem, then this guide is for you. It covers the process of applying for compensation either directly or through CICA.

If you are ready to begin your CICA claim without reading this guide, then please call Accident Claims UK on 0800 073 8801 now, and we will help you to start claiming compensation today.

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A Guide To Claiming Compensation For Criminal Injuries

Man wearing a balaclava breaking into a house

So, you’re wondering how much compensation for criminal injuries you could claim for. Well, this detailed guide to claiming compensation for both physical injuries and psychological damage that has been caused by criminal violence is aimed at educating victims of these events about the process of making a claim that their personal injury lawyer will follow.

It includes all of the information you will need to educate yourself about how your claim will proceed. You won’t find an online personal injury claims calculator on this page, as these are notoriously inaccurate, although you will find details on typical compensation payments. It also covers vital information such as the personal injury claims time limit. This guide contains additional information to discover how much compensation for criminal injuries you could claim for, such as:

  • A look at the legal definition of criminal injuries and how the law affects people injured in such a manner.
  • Details on just who can claim compensation for criminal injury, including the victim themselves and other legal entities that will have a right to claim.
  • An explanation of all of the different types of criminal injury compensation, and also an introduction to the special Government body dealing with such claims (CICA).
  • A list of steps that you can take to make sure that you have the best chance possible of winning your claim for criminal injury compensation.
  • Information on how to start your claim and how Accident Claims UK can assist you with this.
  • A discussion of how criminal injury claims work if the perpetrator was never convicted.
  • A list of the types of damages that a compensation claim for criminal injuries might include as part of the overall settlement.
  • A table that includes a list of typical compensation amounts that are paid as compensation for criminal injuries.
  • An introduction to the No Win No Fee criminal injuries claims service operated by Accident Claims UK, as well as the reasons why we believe this is the very best way to make such a claim.

Once if you have finished reading this guide, if you still require some further information, or if you have any unanswered questions about what victims of violent crimes could receive, then please call us on the number at the bottom of this page. We will do our best to help you further to determine how much compensation for criminal injuries you may receive.

What Are Defined As ‘Criminal Injuries’?

When you contact a criminal injury compensation to claim criminal injury compensation, your lawyer will first need to discern whether your case is actually a real criminal injury, and therefore eligible to claim criminal injuries compensation. A criminal injury, in the eyes of the law, has to fulfil the following criteria:

  1. The location where the injury occurred is a major factor. You must have been in Scotland, England or Wales when the injury occurred.
  2. There is a time limit for claiming criminal injury compensation, and this time limit is 2 years.
  3. There is a minimum amount of compensation that a personal injury lawyer can claim for you. This limit is £1,000. If the damages you wish to claim are less than this, then you won’t be able to proceed.
  4. There must be a recorded criminal incident with a Police crime number that matches the event you wish to claim criminal injury compensation.

To find out if you are eligible in your case to claim criminal injuries compensation, call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page today.

Who Can Claim Criminal Injury Compensation?

When it comes to figuring out how much compensation for criminal injuries you may claim for, note that generally, it will be the victim who will receive a CICA criminal injury award. However, in some cases, such as those where the victim is either unable to make their own claim, or they died as a result of the injury, then certain other legal entities can make a claim, and these are:

  • The victim’s dependants – this means children and the partner of the victim who has suffered due to the loss of the victim, will always have a right to attempt to claim compensation.
  • Immediate family members of the victim – if there are no dependents, then any immediate family members who have suffered a loss to the victim’s death can claim.
  • The estate of the victim – for example, if the victim was the owner of a small business, and their loss will cause the business significant harm, it can make a claim.

To find out if you are eligible to claim No Win No Fee CICA compensation, call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page.

What Are The Different Types Of Criminal Injury Compensation

Graph showing violent and sexual offences which included sharp objects from 2015-2017

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41677046

The graph above gives a good indication of the most common ways that criminal injuries happen. However, when you claim, you will need to determine which category your claim actually fits into.

To answer the question, if I claim criminal injuries compensation, how long does it take to process the claim? Much of the answer depends on the type of injury and how it happened. When you fill out a criminal injuries compensation form, to start a claim for victim support compensation, you will have to detail how the injury was caused. The typical ways that criminal injuries occur are:

  • Assault – this is a very broad category. It can be simply an assault, where the victim was attacked, or it can be assault during another crime, such as a robbery, mugging or burglary.
  • Sexual assault – this includes rape, sexual molestation, and a variety of other sexually focused physical attacks.
  • Historical abuse – this allows victims of abuse that occurred over the long term to come forward at a later stage and make a claim.

To find out which category your criminal injury case fits into, call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page to find out.

What Should You Do If You Are The Victim Of Criminal Injuries?

As part of the criminal injuries compensation scheme 2017, several challenges need to be overcome before your legal team can successfully make a criminal injury claim. This problem is exacerbated due to regional differences in the criminal injuries compensation act. For example, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in Glasgow may have different rules for claiming than in the UK. To have the best chance of making a claim, there are some steps you can take that will assist your lawyer. And these could determine how much compensation for criminal injuries you could feasibly claim for. They include:

  1. Gather evidence – if you can, and in many cases, you will not be able to, you should try and gather photographic and video evidence. Of course, due to the nature of criminal acts, you will not be able to gather such evidence during the event, but you could revisit the scene to try and find any details that might help your claim.
  2. Track down any witnesses – if there were witnesses to the act which caused your criminal injury, then make sure to find out who they were and get their contact details so that their testimony can be called upon to support your claim.
  3. Get a medical opinion – on the severity of your injuries and the long-term prognosis for your recovery.
  4. Contact the police – every case of compensation for a criminal injury needs to have an associated crime number, so you need to make sure that the police are aware of the crime taking place.
  5. Document any losses – if you have lost out financially in any way due to your injury, list it down so that you can work out exactly what you have lost.

Once you have taken these steps, contact Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page so that we can help you to begin the claims process for a criminal injury.

Starting Your Criminal Injury Compensation Claim

Starting your claim for criminal damage compensation and getting answers to questions such as, how much compensation can I claim for an assault? It’s very easy. All you need to do is call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page. We are experienced criminal assault compensation lawyers and will walk you through the entire process of making a claim. We will begin by asking you questions such as:

  • When did the event take place that caused your injury?
  • Where did the event take place that caused your injury?
  • Has the perpetrator been apprehended by the police?
  • How severe is your injury?
  • What is the long-term prognosis for making a full recovery from your injury?
  • Have you suffered any psychological problems due to the event that caused your injury?
  • What effects have your injury had on your quality of life?
  • Have you suffered any financial losses due to your injury?

Once we have the answers to these questions, we will have a much better idea of how your case is shaped, and we will then offer you some free legal advice on what we think you should do next. In most cases, this advice will be to use the Accident Claims UK criminal injury claims service to get you the maximum amount of compensation you are eligible for.

Can I Claim Criminal Injuries Compensation If No One Was Convicted?

The ability to make claims through CICA, such as criminal assault compensation claims and sexual assault compensation claims, is not limited by the fact that the perpetrator has not been apprehended.

As long as your claim fulfils all of the criteria that were detailed in a previous section of this guide, then you will still be able to make a claim, as it is CICA that will pay the compensation, not the actual person who caused the injury.

Accident Claims UK can help you claim compensation from CICA if the person who caused your criminal injury has not been caught. And we can inform you about how much compensation for criminal injuries is appropriate for your situation. Contact us at the number at the bottom of this page to find out how.

What Can You Include In A Criminal Damage Compensation Claim?

Every claim for a criminal injury is different. For example, sexual abuse claims may be very different from assault claims regarding the type of damages you can claim. However, typically each claim will contain a mixture of general damages and special damages, similar to these below:

  • General damages – these are all the damages paid for the actual physical aspects of the injury. It includes the initial pain and suffering of the event; it also covers any ongoing psychological damage such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. If your injury is likely to have a permanent effect on your quality of life, the provision for this is also made under the heading of general damages.
  • Special damages – these are all the damages that relate to the non-physical aspects of your injury. This means financial losses, such as lost income through missing work, any medical costs for treatment or prescription charges, and travel costs. If your injury will have a permanent impact on your ability to earn an income in any way, these also goes under the heading of special damages.

To find out exactly what damages you can claim in your specific case, contact Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page.

CICA Criminal Injury Award Calculator

As mentioned at the top of this guide, we have not provided an inaccurate online criminal injury compensation calculator. However, below you will find a table that contains typical compensation amounts for various injuries and medical conditions.

Edit
Injury Severity Notes Amount
Mental anguish Minor to moderate Mild shock and trauma caused by criminal violence Up to £4,380
Psychiatric damage Severe Long-term mental problems, such as new phobias, heavy depression and life-changing anxiety. The condition will last for a long time. £51,460 to £108,620
Psychiatric damage Moderate to severe Long-term mental problems, such as new phobias, heavy depression and life-changing anxiety. The condition will heal over time. £17,900 to £51,460
Psychiatric damage Moderate Medium-term mental problems, such as depression and anxiety that will eventually heal with no permanent effect. £5,500 to £17,900
Psychiatric damage Less severe Short-term anxiety and stress, which will heal fairly quickly. £1,440 to £5,500
Post-traumatic stress disorder Severe Long-term effects that will cause a significant loss of quality of life for the foreseeable future. £56,180 to £94,470
Post-traumatic stress disorder Moderate to severe Long-term effects that will cause a significant loss of quality of life for the mid-term £21,730 to £56,180
Post-traumatic stress disorder Moderate Medium-term effects that will cause a minor loss of quality of life for the short-term £7,680 to £21,730
Post-traumatic stress disorder Less severe Short-term effects, which will have very minor effects on quality of life, that will heal quickly. £3,710 to £7,680

For a much more accurate estimate of how much compensation for criminal injuries you can likely claim for, then contact Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page to find out.

No Win No Fee Compensation Claims For Criminal Injuries

Accident Claims UK offers our No Win No Fee criminal injury claims service as the easiest, most effective way to make a compensation claim for a criminal injury.

There is absolutely no charge to start your claim. And even if it takes several months to process your claim, we won’t ask you to pay anything. If we fail to claim for some reason, which is unlikely, then you forget about paying us anything. The only time we will ask you to pay is when you receive compensation payment for CICA. This makes out claims service an entirely financially risk-free way to make a claim.

How We Can Help You Make A Criminal Injuries Compensation Claim

Here at Accident Claims UK, we are experienced in claiming compensation for criminal injuries, as well as specialists in delicate cases such as claiming for historical abuse compensation and claiming compensation for sexual abuse.

Our team of solicitors have decades of experience in helping clients claim the compensation they deserve. At the start of the claim they’ll carry out groundwork to gather evidence to support your claim. They’ll then compile your claim and file it with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority for you.

Importantly, you won’t need to discuss your case with the CICA as your solicitor will take on all communication for you. This is to try to prevent you from having complex or technical questions fired at you. Ultimately, your solicitor will do all they can to try and make sure you are fully compensated. During the claims process, you’ll be able to ask any questions you need to and you’ll also be provided with regular updates.

If you’d like to know more about how we can help you claim compensation for criminal injuries, why not discuss your case with our team today?

Speak To Our Specialist Advisors Today

Are you ready to claim an event that resulted in a criminal injury? If you are, then please call Accident Claims UK on 0800 073 8801 now. When you call us, we will spend a little time asking you some questions to learn more about your claim. This includes a basic estimate on how much compensation for criminal injuries you might claim for. Once we have enough information, we will offer you some entirely free legal advice on what we believe you should do next. Typically, this advice will be to use our criminal injury claims service to get you the maximum compensation you are eligible for. You really have nothing to lose. Call us today so that we can begin to help you.

Helpful Links

At the link below, you will find full information published by the UK Government, describing the Government body set up to deal with such claims (CICA):

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority information

At the link below, you will find a full guide published by the UK Government on how to claim compensation if you have been the victim of a crime:

UK Government guide on claiming compensation as a victim of a crime.

At the link below, you will find information published by the UK Government on how to request your personal data from CICA under Data Protection Legislation law.

UK Government information on requesting your personal data from CICA

At the link below, you can find out what to do if you already have a criminal record but wish to claim damages after a separate assault.

I Have A Criminal Record. Am I Still Eligible To Claim Criminal Injuries Compensation

At the link below, we discuss the typical maximum payouts for criminal injuries compensation.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Maximum Payout

At the link below, we discuss how the claims process varies slightly for sexual abuse compensation.

Sexual Abuse Compensation

Find out below how to claim compensation for domestic abuse.

Domestic Abuse Compensation Claims

Other Guides Available

How Much Compensation For Criminal Injuries FAQs

What is victim compensation?

This is where the victim of an assault is financially reimbursed for any damages that they’ve incurred due to the attack. This includes medication, loss of income and any physiotherapy requirements. There could be additional funds for specific violent crimes or sexual assaults.

When can you claim for criminal injuries?

Any assault victim could contact the CICA at any time up to two years after the accident. Note that you need to have reported the incident to the police at the time for your claim to be eligible.

Could you claim compensation for criminal damage to a particular environment, such as a house?

This may depend on the extent of the damage, as well as the location. There also needs to be clear evidence linking the environment that has been damaged with the description of the assault. However, in theory, this is a possibility, especially for excessive attacks.

How long does it take for a victim to receive criminal injuries compensation?

The process generally takes up to twelve months from start to finish. This includes assessing the claim, gathering evidence and coming to a conclusion whereby the victim receives appropriate compensation. But each situation is different when it comes to severity, as well as the necessity for the victim to receive compensation based on their present-day health condition.

What is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme?

This is a Government-funded initiative that provides sufficient compensation for the victims of criminal assaults within the UK.

Is criminal compensation taxable?

No, any compensation and damages aren’t taxable for the recipient.

Do professional sportsmen pay tax on winnings?

Yes, in the cases of professional athletes, any winnings are taxable, as are government grants.

Does compensation count as income?

When noting how much money has been received for a tax form, compensation does have to be classed as a source of income.

Thank you for reading our guide about how much compensation for criminal injuries you may claim for.