This guide will look at how to use a criminal injury claim calculator. For the purposes of this guide, we will be looking at claims made through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
We examine CICA claim eligibility criteria. Additionally, we look at examples of crimes of violence that can be compensated through their scheme.
Criminal injury claim calculator guide
You require evidence to make a claim through CICA. We take a look at what evidence could support a CICA claim. Furthermore, this guide will address factors that could impact your case.
We examine the two heads that could form your claim if you’re awarded a settlement. Our guide will also include examples of what could be included in a claim through the CICA.
In conclusion, we look at the option of funding a solicitor through a No Win No Fee arrangement. A solicitor could help you apply for compensation through CICA. Additionally, a solicitor may help gather evidence as well as ensure that you are claiming for the full amount of the value of your criminal injuries.
Speak to a member of the team about the criminal injury claim calculator today:
- Make a claim online.
- Call the number at the top of the page.
- Use the live chat.
Choose A Section
- What Is A Criminal Injury Claim Calculator?
- Potential Criminal Injuries
- Proving A Criminal Injury Claim
- How To Use A Criminal Injury Claim Calculator
- Steps To Get A No Win No Fee Agreement
- More Information On Using A Criminal Injury Claim Calculator
What Is A Criminal Injury Claim Calculator?
In order to make a personal injury claim you must be able to identify the perpetrator of the crime. Additionally, they must have available funds to pay your compensation. In a personal injury claim, you will claim against the perpetrator of the criminal act that resulted in your injuries.
This is not always possible. If this is the case, you might be able to claim through CICA.
CICA is a Ministry of Justice-sponsored agency. They pay compensation to victims of violent crimes.
Eligibility criteria apply to making a CICA claim. This includes:
- Having a crime reference number. You must report the crime that caused your injuries. Even if the perpetrator may not have been caught and prosecuted, you could still make a claim.
- The crime must have taken place in England, Wales, Scotland or another relevant place. Relevant places are defined by the CICA.
- Experiencing injuries due to the crime of violence. These could be physical, mental or both.
- You might be able to claim as a witness if you saw, or were present in the immediate aftermath of, a loved one sustaining an injury because of a crime of violence and experienced mental health injuries as a result.
- Additionally, claiming time limits apply. This is usually two years from the time you reported the incident to the police. Exceptions apply in some cases, which our team of advisors can give you more information on.
Talk to our advisors to learn more about using a criminal injury claim calculator and the eligibility requirements for claiming through the CICA.
Current Criminal Injury Statistics
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects recorded criminal offence occurrences. This includes information on the police recorded crimes for England and Wales occurring between April 2021 and March 2022.
4,395,074 recorded victim-based crimes occurred during that time frame. Of these:
- 2,103,151 were violence against the person crimes, including 566,603 recorded violence with injury crimes.
- 194,683 sexual offences.
Potential Criminal Injuries
A crime of violence has a definition under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. It includes physical attacks, but also violent acts or omissions of a violent nature that cause injury. It can also include sexual assault, arson and certain threats.
Crimes of violence can include:
- Sexual offences, including sexual assault and rape.
- Common assault. This is where someone inflicts violence on someone or threatens to, as long as they think they will be attacked. For example, a shove could be considered common assault as well as threats.
- Actual bodily harm (ABH). This is a violent act that interferes with the health or comfort of the victim in a way that is more than transient.
- Grievous bodily harm (GBH). This is causing serious harm to another person. It does not have to be permanent or dangerous, for example, a broken bone.
Speak to our team to learn more about using a criminal injury claim calculator and advice on what injuries you could claim for.
Proving A Criminal Injury Claim
To make a CICA claim, you must be able to prove the crime occurred and caused your injuries. Evidence includes:
- A police reference number. You do not need evidence of the crime occurring. The police and CICA can liaise. It’ll be the police who investigate the crime.
- Proof of residency.
- Medical evidence. You’ll be expected to cover the cost of this up to £50.
- If claiming for special expenses, you must be able to prove that the cost is necessary and occurred as a direct result of the injury.
Other factors may impact your CICA eligibility. These include:
- Your character. This can include things such as whether you have any unspent convictions, even if they have nothing to do with what you are claiming for.
- If you’ve cooperated with the police in their investigations.
- Whether you could have claimed through another channel. The CICA should only be used as a last resort in claiming criminal injuries compensation.
You may wish to engage the services of a solicitor. They could help file your CICA claim.
One of our advisors could put you in touch with a No Win No Fee criminal injury solicitor if your claim seems valid. Contact us for further information on the criminal injury claim calculator.
How To Use A Criminal Injury Claim Calculator
Valuations from a criminal injury claim calculator are based on the tariff of injuries provided by CICA. Additionally, you may qualify for special expenses.
Payment for Injuries
Under this first head of your claim, you will be compensated for your injuries. CICA will only pay for three injuries. The multiple injury formula is as follows:
- 100% compensation for the highest valued injury.
- 30% compensation for the second highest valued injury.
- 15% compensation for the third highest valued injury.
If any of the injuries are of equal value, then the multiple injury formula will still apply.
Additionally, if the crime of violence results in a pregnancy, pregnancy loss or contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD), you might be able to receive compensation from another tariff that is not subjected to this formula.
The table below includes examples of criminal injuries compensation amounts from the CICA tariff of injuries.
[table id=26 /]
Special Expenses
Under this head of your claim, you could recover costs incurred as a direct result of your injuries. In order to do so, the expense needs to be:
- Necessary.
- Incurred as a direct result of the injury.
- Reasonable
- Not available for free from another source.
Special expenses could recover costs such as:
- Replacement or repair costs if any equipment you rely on was damaged in the violent crime, such as eyeglasses.
- Treatment costs that are either on the NHS or where the costs would have been the same if the treatment was provided by the NHS.
- Equipment and adaptation costs.
- Loss of earnings.
Special expenses could be awarded if you can prove that you were unable to work for at least 28 full weeks following the violent crime. All special expenses are awarded from the date of the injury, except for loss of earnings. This will only be awarded from the 29th week onwards.
Free advice on applying for criminal injuries compensation is available from our advisors.
Steps To Get A No Win No Fee Agreement
A No Win No Fee solicitor specialising in criminal injury claims could provide legal representation through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a kind of No Win No Fee agreement that is popular with claimants.
A specialist criminal injury No Win No Fee solicitor won’t charge you an upfront fee for their services. If your claim succeeds, a success fee, which is legally capped, will be taken from your award. Unsuccessful claims will not have to pay a success fee nor will they have to pay for their lawyers’ services.
Ask About How To Use A Criminal Injury Claim Calculator
Our advisors can help estimate your criminal injury compensation and give you advice on using a criminal injury claim calculator. If your claim seems legitimate, you could be passed on to one of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel that specialise in criminal injury claims.
Get in contact today:
- Make a claim online.
- Call the number at the top of the page.
- Use the live chat.
More Information On Using A Criminal Injury Claim Calculator
Below, we have included some links that may prove useful to you:
Writer Danielle Brisk
Publisher Fern Smithers
