Criminal Injury Compensation

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to a criminal action or assault, you could be entitled to compensation from the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority. Our team of specialist personal injury solicitors has been winning criminal injury claims and supporting clients across the South West for more than 40 years. We can help you secure the justice and the compensation you deserve, providing expert, jargon-free legal advice that will help you achieve the best possible outcome.

Suffering a criminal injury can be extremely traumatic as well as painful and disruptive. In the immediate aftermath, compensation may not be top of your priorities but, depending on the circumstances, you may be able to claim a sum and this may help you get your life back on track. Making a claim cannot undo what has been done to you, but it can make things easier if you or your family member has to take time off work, travel for treatment or make alternations in their home. Our dedicated team will do everything they can to ensure your life can return to normal as quickly as possible. We can also put you in touch with a number of organisations that can help you with support and assistance.

Criminal injury compensation claims

Our experienced personal injury solicitors are APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) accredited specialists and the team is ranked highly in the Legal 500 directory. We also have strong relationships with leading medical professionals and experts, enabling us to give you the very best advice, delivered with sensitivity by specialist personal injury lawyers. We can help you with any kind of criminal injury claim.

We understand that starting a legal claim for a criminal injury can be confusing and unsettling. We’re here to explain your rights and options and to handle every aspect of the claim process so that you can focus on recovery. We will help you secure the resources you need, whether that means medical treatment, financial compensation, or both.

What is a criminal injury?

A criminal injury is an injury resulting from a criminal act of violence. Typical examples include assault (actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm) and physical or sexual abuse but it could also include psychological trauma or injuries sustained from bar or club injury, domestic violence, dog attacks or mental abuse.

In order to be eligible to claim for a criminal injury, the crime must have happened in England, Wales or Scotland and been reported to the police and, where possible, you must have helped the police with their investigation. The report and any evidence gathered by the police are vital to your criminal injury compensation claim. However, you do not have to wait until the perpetrator(s) have been convicted to bring a claim.

You can claim for yourself or on behalf of a family member who has been injured as a result of a criminal act and who is unable to claim for themselves. This includes a family member who lacks the mental capacity or a child under 18 years old, or if your family member died from their injuries.

Contingency Fee Agreements in criminal injuries compensation

Your criminal injuries compensation claim may be eligible for a Contingency Fee Agreement which means that if your claim is unsuccessful, you pay nothing. Our specialist team will be able to advise you further on this.

How long do I have to make a criminal injury compensation claim?

You usually have two years from the date of the accident or knowing about your injury, to submit your claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. There are some exceptions, which our specialist criminal injury solicitors can advise you on. We recommend that you contact us as soon as possible, so our personal injury lawyers can explain the process of claiming compensation, start your claim and help you access any other support and/or rehabilitation you need.

How much compensation could I receive?

Every injury is different is different and so is its impact on you or your loved one. That’s why it is important to get expert advice from qualified specialist lawyers who really understand the unique nature of each personal injury claim and who are experienced in working with medical professionals to truly understand the impact of your injuries and how these may affect you in the long term.

The amount you can claim will depend on a number of factors, including the severity of your injury, any financial losses you have suffered or will suffer in the future, and any changes to your lifestyle that you have to make as a result of your injuries. Whatever the injury, our specialist personal injury lawyers will ensure that you get the compensation and support you are entitled to.

Injuries are covered within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority’s tariff system, which has set figures for the sums that can be claimed. In the case of claims for compensation for physical injuries, you will need input from a medical expert, usually your GP, while in the case of psychological trauma, you will need to provide medical evidence from a psychiatrist to support the claim.

Whatever the injury, our specialist personal injury lawyers have long experience of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority’s tariff and will ensure that you get the compensation and support you deserve.