CICA Claims Solicitors

What Is a Criminal Injury?

A criminal injury is a physical or psychological injury suffered by an innocent person as a result of a violent criminal act.

Under the CICA scheme, compensation may be awarded for:

• Physical injuries (such as fractures, burns, or scarring)
• Psychological injuries (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression)
• Certain financial losses directly linked to the injury, such as loss of earnings or care costs (subject to strict criteria)

What Crimes Can I Claim For?

You may be eligible to claim criminal injuries compensation if you were the victim of a violent crime, whether or not anyone was charged or convicted.

• Physical assault
• Sexual assault (single incident or repeated abuse)
• Historic sexual abuse
• Domestic abuse or violence
• Terrorist attacks (including incidents abroad involving British nationals)
• Fatal criminal injuries (claims by dependants or those who paid funeral costs)

Who Can Claim Compensation for a Criminal Injury?

You may be eligible to make a CICA claim if:

• You were injured as a result of a violent crime in England / Wales
• The incident was reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable
• You cooperated fully with the police investigation
• You meet the CICA residency and immigration requirements
• You do not have unspent criminal convictions that would prevent an award

CICA Claim Time limits

• Most CICA claims must be made within two (2) years of the incident
• Children have until their 20th birthday to make a claim
• The time limit may be extended in exceptional circumstances, such as historic sexual abuse or where mental health issues prevented an earlier application

Our expert solicitors can advise whether an exception applies in your case.

Alisha Butler
CICA Solicitor | Director

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Alisha Butler
Solicitor & Director

“We regularly help clients bring claims outside the usual time limits where there is compelling medical or psychological evidence.

Gathering the evidence and submitting it to the CICA in a comprehensive way can often mean a time limit will be extended”

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How Much Could I Claim?

The CICA operates a fixed tariff scheme, which sets out compensation amounts for specific physical and psychological injuries.

Awards can range from £1,000 to £250,000, depending on:

• The type and severity of the injury
• Whether the injury is physical, psychological, or both
• Whether there is a permanent disability

Additional payments may be available for:

• Loss of earnings
• Special care or equipment needs

Our solicitors will assess your injuries against the CICA Tariff of Injuries and ensure the correct award category is applied.

Case Study: £22,000 Award for Historic Sexual Abuse

Phoenix Legal Solicitors acted for a woman who experienced historic sexual abuse during childhood.

As a result of the abuse, she developed a permanent and moderately disabling mental illness, confirmed by psychiatric evidence, which significantly affected her ability to work and carry out daily activities.

Under the CICA scheme, compensation is awarded for either the sexual assault or the resulting mental injury — whichever attracts the higher tariff.

Our solicitors identified that the psychiatric injury attracted the higher award and successfully secured £22,000 compensation for our client.

Why Should I Use A Solicitor For My Criminal Injuries Claim?

Dealing with a claim on your own can be confusing and time consuming. Awards can also be complex and disputing an award requires specialist knowledge about the differing criteria for each award.

This is why we would recommend using an experience legal team, who know what evidence is needed to ensure maximum awards for your injuries.