Making A Claim to the CICA
Every day of the week thousands of people are not claiming the compensation they are entitled to, they are the innocent victims of violent crime and they are failing to claim damages from the government via the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority.The CICA is a government funded organisation that pays compensation to the victims of violent crime but every year thousands and thousands of pounds go unclaimed because the victim does not know and is not told of the existence of the CICA.
The government are happy to spend millions on sending out leaflets saying that the best way to avoid the spread of swine-flu is to use a hankie, thanks for the advice; that's my tax money well spent. When did you last see a poster advising the little old lady down the street that she can claim damages after she was mugged for £25.00 the other week ? no, me neither.
The point of this areticle is raise awareness of the existence of the CICA so if you, or anyone you know, has been the victim of a violent crime in the past two years, that has has happended in Great Britian (England, Wales or Scotland) then a claim for compensation can be made.
How to bring a claim to the CICA
The basic requirements to bring a claim to the CICA are:
Myths about making a CICA claim.
There has to be a conviction - wrong there does not even have to be an arrest just evidence that more likely than not that you were the victim of a violent crime.
You need a solicitor -no, you don't you can do it yourself and the CICA are very helpful but if it is a big claim then you may want to bring in expert advice. Most solicitors will act for you on a contingency fee basis, this means that if your claim is successful they will retain a pre-agreed percentage (usually between 25% and 40 %) of your award but not charge you a penny if the claim fails. f they ask for cash upfront go and find another solicitor.
Any solicitor can do it -no they can't, don't just use your local solicitor, make sure they know what they are talking about. Ask them about the tariff system (the way to value an injury) - if they sound uncertain, move on; this is your claim and you deserve someone who knows what they are talking about.
The above information is only a rough guide and if you think you may have a claim then seek legal advice as soon as possible; remember, to stand the best chance of a succesful claim you need to lodge your claim with the CICA within two years of the incident.
The government are happy to spend millions on sending out leaflets saying that the best way to avoid the spread of swine-flu is to use a hankie, thanks for the advice; that's my tax money well spent. When did you last see a poster advising the little old lady down the street that she can claim damages after she was mugged for £25.00 the other week ? no, me neither.
The point of this areticle is raise awareness of the existence of the CICA so if you, or anyone you know, has been the victim of a violent crime in the past two years, that has has happended in Great Britian (England, Wales or Scotland) then a claim for compensation can be made.
How to bring a claim to the CICA
The basic requirements to bring a claim to the CICA are:
- crime was a crime of violence so upset if you are burgled while you were out is not covered
- the crime happened in Great Britiain (and territories)
- happened in past two years - the cica have discretion to extend this period in certain circumstances; mainly rape and sexual assault/abuse
- reported to the police or other suitable authority as soon as possible - always best to report to the police within 48 hours of the assault maximum
- full cooperation given to the police- this means giving a statement and assisting with any prosecution; if you refuse to press charges chances are your claim will fail
Myths about making a CICA claim.
There has to be a conviction - wrong there does not even have to be an arrest just evidence that more likely than not that you were the victim of a violent crime.
You need a solicitor -no, you don't you can do it yourself and the CICA are very helpful but if it is a big claim then you may want to bring in expert advice. Most solicitors will act for you on a contingency fee basis, this means that if your claim is successful they will retain a pre-agreed percentage (usually between 25% and 40 %) of your award but not charge you a penny if the claim fails. f they ask for cash upfront go and find another solicitor.
Any solicitor can do it -no they can't, don't just use your local solicitor, make sure they know what they are talking about. Ask them about the tariff system (the way to value an injury) - if they sound uncertain, move on; this is your claim and you deserve someone who knows what they are talking about.
The above information is only a rough guide and if you think you may have a claim then seek legal advice as soon as possible; remember, to stand the best chance of a succesful claim you need to lodge your claim with the CICA within two years of the incident.
