News Article

Compensation for Criminal Injuries

01Dec

Compensation for Criminal Injuries

It can be a very traumatic experience if you are the victim of a crime. If when you have suffered a personal injury because of that criminal act, you may have to cope with the pain and inconvenience this has caused. In more severe circumstances, you could even end up with life threatening or life changing injuries.

If you have been the victim of an assault or a mugging where the least of your worries is the money or credit card you’ve had stolen, there is help out there for you. Any person who has suffered criminal injuries has the right to claim compensation through the Government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority or CICA.

You can also get free legal advice about where you go next from DSM Legal if you think you have a reason to make a claim.

What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority?

The CICA is an executive branch of the Government, tasked with giving those who have suffered an injury, because of criminal activity through no fault of their own, to access compensation. It was established back in 1996 and is funded by the Ministry of Justice. In order to claim, a person has to show that a crime has been committed and that an injury was caused because of this. Typical claims are for injuries caused by muggings, assault and sexual assault, including rape.

The crime must always be reported to the police, but it doesn’t matter whether someone has been arrested, charged or sentenced in court for the offence. As long as there is evidence that a crime was committed and that you were a victim because of it, you have the opportunity to claim compensation for your injuries.

Why Get Legal Advice After A Criminal Injury?

criminal injury compensationBecoming the victim of a crime will undoubtedly be a distressing experience for most of us. You need all the support you can get. At DSM Legal, we have the expert teams on hand who can help you claim for compensation. You may have been injured and recovered successfully or your injuries might impact on your daily living or ability to work. We can help if you have a physical injury or a psychological condition like PTSD because of your experience.

A qualified solicitor will be able to look at your case closely and then give you the advice you need and help if you want to move onto the next step and make a claim. You need to have made this claim within two years of the incident occurring, so if you’ve been wondering if you should get some legal advice, then now is the time to do so.

At DSM Legal we operate a no win no fee service which means you don’t have to fork out for legal fees and you only pay if we win your case. Our team will sit down with you and assess whether there is a case for compensation and then explain what your options are going forward. While our office is based in Warrington, we can handle compensation claims all over England and Wales.

Contact the friendly team at DSM Legal today if you want specialist advice on criminal injury compensation.