Unfortunately we live in a society where people are the victims of assault.

There is a government body called the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) which compensates the innocent victims of crimes of violence.

There is a set criteria to be eligible for an award under this scheme and if you have been injured in an attack then we can advise you on whether an application should be made. 

There is also a 2 year time limit for submitting an application.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for an award the CICA will consider 3 factors:-

1. The assault needs to have been reported to the Police as soon as possible and you must cooperate with the Police enquiries.  It does not matter if your assailant is not ultimately apprehended by the police or subsequently prosecuted.
2. That your injuries are sufficiently serious to qualify for an award. The CICA operate a tariff scheme which lists all possible injuries to the human body and then applies a scale of award dependent on the severity of that injury. The minimum award is £1,000 and the maximum £500,000. The CICA will make an award for minor injuries where there are 3 separate injuries which necessitate medical treatment on at least 2 occasions within a 6 week period.
3. The applicant’s own character both at the time of the assault, i.e. whether you became involved in violence and will also take into account any history of convictions. This may serve to reduce or completely extinguish any award.

The scheme also covers injuries caused by dogs either by the dog being set upon you or where the owner has been reckless as to keeping the dog restrained or where the dog has a history of having attacked someone else.

How much will it cost?

The CICA do not pay Solicitor's legal fees in pursuing applications to it and so, at Jackson & Canter we will consider entering into a Contingency Fee Agreement with you whereby our costs are paid out of any award you receive, up to a maximum of 15% of that award and subject to a minimum of £500, plus VAT

In the event that your application is not successful then there is no charge for the cost of the work that we have carried out on your behalf.

Contact us

Please then contact Stuart Capstick or Richard Airey on 0151 282 1700 to discuss making an application to the CICA.