If you've been the victim of a criminal injury, our team of Personal Injury Lawyers are here to help.
Mown Down Running Away From Assailants
A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim is a vital process for victims of violent crimes.
Many people don’t realise that if they have been injured after a criminal incident they could be able to make a claim with CICA.
The specialist personal injury claims solicitors in the team here at Lanyon Bowdler can help you claim the compensation you are entitled to, even if the assailant has yet to be identified. The financial compensation can be used to help pay for rehabilitation and medical fees, along with covering any loss of earnings that followed the incident.
We are proud of our reputation for down-to-earth yet professional legal advice, and our solicitors would be happy to chat with you on the phone, or at a free consultation.
Karen Clarke is a Criminal Injury Claims specialist. She leads our team of Criminal Injury Solicitors as a Partner in our firm.
She is highly experienced in making Criminal Injury Compensation Claims through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
She concentrates on complex cases, maximising payouts for clients who suffered a more serious impact from their injuries than they had realised.
Clients have highlighted her personal an warm approach to their cases. Karen is recognised as a Recommended Lawyer in the 2025 edition of the Legal 500.
Thankfully, the risk of being the victim of a crime has fallen steadily in the UK over recent years, falling by over 60% since its peak in 1995. But when a violent crime does occur, it is always a distressing and traumatic time for the victim.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) was established to compensate people who have suffered serious criminal injuries – even if the person responsible has not been found. The following conditions need to be met to be able to make a claim in this way:
If you are not sure whether your case meets these criteria, the best thing to do is to get in touch with our No Win No Fee Solicitors to talk it through. If the crime happened abroad, you may be eligible under a scheme of the country where the crime occurred.
At Lanyon Bowdler, we have years of experience specialising in criminal injury claims. Get in touch today and we would be more than happy to help.
The CICA compensation scheme was established to support innocent victims who have suffered serious criminal injuries, both physical and psychological.
The legal professionals here at Lanyon Bowdler can provide you with specialist assistance.
We have a dedicated Court of Protection Team, who can assist if you need to set up a Personal Injury Trust in relation to any award the CICA have made, or are proposing to make.
In some circumstances the CICA will require you to have a Professional Trustee, or it may simply be that you would prefer to have a Professional Trustee, and we do also offer a Personal Trustee service for the ongoing administration of your Personal Injury Trust, should it be required.
The CICA can award compensation ranging from £1,000 to £500,000.
The award you can receive for your criminal injury is calculated based on the CICA tariff, which accounts for both physical and psychological distress caused by the event. You may claim for up to 3 injuries caused by the same incident, with compensation awarded as follows:
Additional compensation can be awarded for Special Damages, which include all expenses and losses you have incurred as a result of your injury. This includes medical expenses, loss of earnings, and costs of adaptations to home and vehicles amongst others.
You may also claim Bereavement Payments for the loss of a loved one following a criminal injury, which is valued at £11,000.
If you have gone through the process of claiming compensation for a criminal injury with CICA and feel like your claim has been undervalued, there are ways to contest the decision.
The first step to take involves applying for a review of your case. You may then begin an appeal if you feel like CICA has undervalued your claim because of an incorrect application of the law or misunderstanding of the facts of the case.
It is important to note that you cannot appeal a CICA decision on the sole basis that you are unhappy with the amount of compensation you have been awarded. You must prove a fundamental error in the application of the law.
The time limit to apply for an appeal with CICA is 90 days from the receipt of the review decision letter. You may be able to extend this time limit for reasons such as the need for additional medical reports.
Appeals for CICA decisions are made through the First-Tier Tribunal, which is a separate, independent entity to CICA. They will only look into the CICA’s application of the law, to ensure it is correct and fair.
You may, after the application, receive a response from the CICA to which you must respond within one month. The Tribunal will review your application and the responses, and set a hearing with a Judge if they believe you have a reasonable case.
The Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme 2012 defines the term Crime of Violence in Annex B. This is considered any crime that involves:
Other circumstances may bring an act to be considered a crime of violence, and some exceptions may apply to cases that would otherwise be considered violent crimes (such as injuries caused by vehicles or animals).
Some applications for Criminal Injury Compensation may be affected, or rejected entirely, on the basis of the conduct of the applicant. This is particularly important for those with previous criminal convictions which are considered unspent at the time of application. For example:
Other restrictions apply for different types of criminal convictions.
Unlike other types of personal injury claims, the general time limit for Criminal Injury Compensation Claims is 2 years from the date of the criminal incident, however some exceptions may apply for injuries that are only found or fully diagnosed at a later date, or if the application could not have reasonably been made earlier.
People under the age of 18 or those lacking mental capacity may begin the compensation process for 2 years after they cease to be considered within their definition.
If you are looking to make a Criminal Injury Compensation Claim, contact Lanyon Bowdler today.
Our team of Personal Injury Lawyers are national leaders in this area of law, as highlighted by our consistent presence in the Legal 500 and Chambers UK recommendations. Our Criminal Injury Solicitors help clients through the process of getting compensation for their injury on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning you run no financial risk when you pursue compensation with us.
Give us a call or complete our online enquiry form, to see how we can help. You can visit us in our offices in Shrewsbury, Bromyard, Hereford, Ludlow, Oswestry, Telford, and Conwy in North Wales. We have been recognised as a leading firm of Solicitors in Shropshire, Herefordshire, Mid and North Wales and the Midlands, with decades of experience with CICA and making Criminal Injury Compensation Claims in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Worcester. Wherever you are in England or Wales, we can represent you.
Remember: If you have suffered because of a violent crime it is important that you report it to the Police as soon as possible, and co-operate with them in order to bring the offender to justice.
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