Advice for victims of assault
Making a CICA claim for assault
If you’ve suffered physical or psychological injuries due to a violent crime, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
Being assaulted can have devastating and traumatic repercussions, which may result in life-long changes to your personality, health, lifestyle and mental well-being.
We’ll also guide you through every step of the compensation process, liaising on your behalf with the CICA – a government-run scheme set up to help blameless victims get their lives back on track.
Settlements range from £1,000 to £500,000 and are funded by taxpayers.
If you satisfy the criteria, the amount of compensation you receive will be assessed from a set tariff – brackets which the settlement amounts fall under – ranging from £1,000 to £500,000.
In cases which involve significant long-term psychological damage, payments can be substantially higher, and our solicitors will be able to advise you on this very specific and more complex area of the claims process.
Your pay-out will depend on the type of injuries you have sustained, but some of the most common awards received are:
| Examples of the most common serious assault awards received include: | |
|---|---|
| £4,600 | Depressed fracture of the skull requiring an operation |
| £6,200 | Fracture to the jaw requiring surgery with a continuing significant disability |
| £11,000 | Strained neck or whiplash, seriously disabling or permanent |
| £11,000 | Nose total loss of smell or taste |
| £11,000 | Severe burns |
| £16,500 | Minor Brain Injury lasting 6 months – 2 years |
| £22,000 | Significant brain injury lasting 2 years or more |
| £22,000 | Loss of sight (One eye) |
| £33,000 | Loss of sight (One eye, where the sight in the uninjured eye cannot be corrected better than 6/36) |
| Moderate brain damage (Some dependence on others, intellectual deficit, personality change, ability to work reduced, some effect on the sesnes) |
|
| £27,000 | – Slight |
| £55,000 | – Moderate |
| £82,000 | – Significant |
| £110,000 | Loss of sight (Both eyes) |
| £110,000 | Moderately severe brain damage |
| £175,000 | Very serious brain injury (Severe physical limitation, significant effect on the senses with little insight or significant reduction in life expectancy. Little or no meaningful response to the environment, little or no language function, double incontinence and need for full-time or all day care and some night nursing care.) |
| £250,000 | Very serious brain injury (No useful physical movement, significant effect on the senses and with some degree of insight. Little or no meaningful response to the environment, little or no language function, double incontinence and need for full-time nursing care.) |
| The pattern of repetitive incidents, non-consensual penile penetration over a period of time. | |
| £6,500 | Up to 3 years |
| £22,000 | Over 3 years |
| Physical, Domestic and Sexual Abuse | |
| £1,000 | Minor sexual assault, non-penetrative sexual physical act(s) over clothing |
| £2,000 | Serious sexual assault, non-penetrative sexual physical act(s) under clothing |
| £3,300 | Severe sexual assault, non-penile penetrative or oral-genital act(s) |
| £5,500 | A pattern of repetitive violence resulting in minor disfigurement |
| £8,200 | A persistent pattern of severe abuse lasting more than 3 years |
| £22,000 | Resulting in serious internal bodily injuries |
| Psychological Injuries as a result of Sexual Abuse | |
| £6,200 | Lasting 2 years or more up to 5 years |
| £13,500 | Lasting 5 years or more but not permanent |
| £19,000 | Permanent and moderately disabling |
| £27,000 | Permanent and seriously disabling |
To start a CICA claim, the matter must have been reported to the police, and in cases of assault this generally needs to have been done within 48 hours of the incident.
The CICA will apply for a report from the police and will then review your medical records and possibly ask your treating physicians for reports as to the nature and extent of your injuries.
In cases involving disabling mental injuries, the CICA sometimes commission an independent report or ask their in-house psychologist to review your medical records.
Yes. Every police force in England and Wales has a specialist unit to deal with assault complaints – and they treat all information with complete confidentiality.
You can still apply even if the perpetrator was never identified, charged or convicted or has since died.
Knowing when to apply is crucial and it’s important to fully understand your rights.
In most cases, your claim must be received by the CICA within two years of the date when the assault took place. In cases of domestic assaults, this can be within two years of the matter being reported to the police.
If you were assaulted when you were a minor, you have until your 20th birthday to submit your claim.
We advise not to wait for the outcome of a police investigation, court hearing or criminal case, before applying to the CICA.
It might feel like the ‘right’ thing to do, but from a legal perspective there is no reason to and if the criminal case takes more than two years (which they can), you could miss out on compensation if the time limit for claiming has passed.
In most assault cases, the CICA aim to settle your claim within at least 12-18 months but claims involving more serious and complex injuries can take longer. Equally some more straightforward cases can be dealt with in shorter period of time. No matter how long it takes, we support you at every step.
No, it will not be necessary to attend court. The CICA process stands completely separate to any criminal or civil proceedings. Where we have advised you to file a Notice of Appeal, it may be necessary to attend an Appeal Tribunal hearing in your local area, but we will represent you at that hearing.
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