CICA claims

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a government funded organisation set up to compensate innocent victims of violent crimes.

Your application for compensation will be submitted under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (2012). This scheme details various set-tariff awards, depending on your injuries, treatment and recovery. You can find a link to our criminal injuries compensation calculator here, to see how much compensation you may be entitled to.

Under the CICA scheme 2012, awards may be payable for physical, sexual, psychological and fatal injuries. All applications are dealt with sensitively and professionally.

Our criminal injuries experts will dedicate their time, experience, and knowledge of the governments scheme to assist you in achieving the highest sum of compensation available for your injury. We understand that every person we help, has a different story to tell, and that is why we believe that your claim should be handled with compassion and empathy.

The way they dealt with my case was 2nd to none, always very professional yet compassionate and caring about sensitive matters. Can’t thank them enough for what they done for me.

We do this on a no win no fee basis, which means you only have legal costs to pay if you are successful. Our fee is usually the equivalent of 25% of any compensation awarded to you, and this is deducted from your compensation at the end of your claim. If your claim is unsuccessful for any reason, you have nothing to pay. We make it that simple.

Just call 0113 320 5000 and a member of our dedicated CICA specialists will help you today. Or email cica@winstonsolicitors.co.uk.

We will advise you on how best to claim the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to. We help you complete the claim form and our criminal injury lawyers will correspond with the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority (CICA) on your behalf. This means we negotiate with the CICA to ensure you receive the maximum you are entitled to, and only if you are successful do you pay any legal costs. The amount is usually just 25% of your compensation.

There are certain criteria that need to be met in order to be eligible for compensation under the CICA scheme 2012; the main ones are listed below:

To bring forward a CICA claim:

• The incident must have occurred in the UK, and you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK at the time
• The incident can relate to any injury caused by a deliberate act of violence.
• The crime must have been reported to the police (Usually within 48 hours)
• Usually, a claim must be made within two years. There are some exceptions to this rule. Please note, for children, the two-year time limit runs up until their 20th birthday.
• An applicant’s ‘conduct’ must not have contributed to the crime(s) *
• All previous criminal convictions of an applicant MUST be spent
• The injuries must fall under the CICA compensation scheme
• Claims regarding sexual abuse rely heavily on police evidence
• Claims for ‘mental injury’ are assessed strictly. An applicant can ONLY claim for mental health where they have been clinically diagnosed by a psychologist or psychiatrist in relation to their mental health (a GP, Counselling, mental health advisor, psychological therapist are simply not enough)
• The offender must not be able to benefit from any award made to you. This applies mainly to domestic abuse cases.

What CANNOT be claimed:

• “Minor” physical injuries such as a broken nose, broken ribs, bruising or a black eye are not claimable.
• “Minor” and short-lived psychological injuries – this would refer to depression and anxiety treated solely by a GP with no other formal treatment or diagnosis.
• Damaged or lost/stolen property cannot be claimed for.
• Road Traffic offences are excluded – unless the vehicle has been used as a weapon with the intent to cause injury
• Dog bite/ Animal attack – unless the animal was used as a weapon and ordered to attack purely to cause injury.

If you meet these criteria, the chances are you may have prospects of a successful claim. Please call 0113 320 5000 to discuss your claim, or email cica@winstonsolicitors.co.uk .

You may also apply online here.