Being the victim of a crime is a traumatic event in itself, and the after effects can linger for many years. It doesn’t really matter what the nature of the crime is, it could be something which seems relatively trivial, such as having a purse or wallet lifted from a bag, or something which is obviously serious like a severe beating or a damaging physical attack, it can still have a major impact on an innocent victims life. Whether the trauma is physical or psychological in nature doesn’t really matter, if you are an innocent person who’s been injured during the perpetration of a criminal act by another party, you may well be able to claim criminal injury compensation.
Claims such as this are often dealt with by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), which was set up in 1996 and works as a financial safeguard for anyone wishing to pursue such a claim. CICA is funded by the government, and what this means is that the claim in question isn’t dependent upon the financial situation of the person who committed the crime. Indeed, it’s not even necessary for anyone to have been convicted or even charged with the offence in question, providing your personal injury lawyer can demonstrate any of the following:
- You have been injured during a crime carried out by somebody else.
- You are suffering long term psychological trauma after witnessing a crime carried out by someone else.
- You have lost a loved one following a criminal act.
- You are suffering mental stress and trauma caused by the effects of a crime on somebody who is close to you.
Claims for criminal injury compensation are often amongst the longest and most complex which we pursue, and it’s for this reason that we feel it is vitally important that people wishing to claim this type of compensation secure the services of an expert injury lawyer with experience in the field. If you come to us that’s exactly what you’ll get and we’ll do our utmost to ensure that you receive every penny of any compensation which is due to you. The amount of compensation payable in cases such as this will vary depending upon the precise circumstances of your case, with money awarded for things such as expenses and loss of earnings, and a set fee paid which is based upon the type and severity of the injury you’ve received.
Clearly, no amount of compensation could possibly alleviate the suffering caused by being the victim of a crime, but we feel it’s only fair that any financial losses caused by another’s criminal activity be recovered, and that the victims of crime receive compensation which can help them and their families feel that justice has been done.
It should be remembered that a criminal injuries claim can be pursued even if you don’t know the name or identity of the person responsible. As long as it can be demonstrated that a crime has taken place, and that this crime has led to you, an innocent bystander, suffering an injury of any kind, then you may be able to pursue a personal injury case. Being the victim of a crime is unfair enough in itself; we think it’s only right that you should be able to make a claim for the compensation which is the least you deserve.