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If a violent attack or someone else’s unlawful behaviour causes death or disability from severe physical or psychological injury, the injured person may be able to claim compensation.

What are CICA & compensation claims?

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority or CICA is a government agency which provides compensation to seriously injured victims of violent crime. CICA handles more than 30,000 claims and pays out more than £130 million in compensation each year to people who have been injured by violent crime in England, Scotland or Wales. 

CICA claims are different from personal injury compensation claims which are made against the person or organisation responsible for causing the injury and are usually defended or settled by the wrongdoer’s insurers.

CICA claims are made directly to the CICA, rather than against the person who caused the injury. CICA deals with the claim which it either rejects or accepts and pays the victim’s compensation. For the claim to be accepted, the crime must have been reported to the police, but the victim’s attacker or abuser does not have to be identified or convicted and is not made aware of the victim’s claim, which is handled confidentially by the CICA. 

CICA claims have their own time limits, strict eligibility criteria, and application, review and appeals processes. As a government agency, CICA awards compensation in accordance with a pre-set tariff system, usually resulting in lower compensation than someone with equivalent injuries would receive in an out-of-court settlement or a court would award in a personal injury claim.  Victims who fulfil CICA’s criteria can make their own application directly to the CICA, but where their injuries are complex or severe their compensation may be significantly increased if their claim is handled by an experienced solicitor. 

Starting your CICA & compensation claim

Our specialist personal injury solicitors are experts in securing rehabilitation and compensation for clients with lifelong disability from brain injuryspinal cord injury (SCI), and multiple injury or major trauma and for the families of those who have died as a result of fatal injury.

We understand the immense suffering that our clients have been through and the challenges they face every day. We handle each claim sensitively and skilfully, providing support and representation. We know that it can feel daunting to talk through what has happened, or to ask for legal advice, but all it takes is a quick call, free and confidentially, to find out how we can help.

Each case is different and our experienced solicitors will advise you on the best way to make your claim to ensure you receive the highest level of compensation. Depending on how and where the injury happened, substantial compensation for serious injury suffered by victims of criminal or unlawful behaviour may be claimed from an insured individual or organisation, such as an employer, a local authority, a healthcare or social care organisation, the MOD, a school or college, a sports club, a driver or the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). In cases of violent crime, we can help the injured person obtain their full entitlement to compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

CICA & compensation claims for serious injury for victims of crime frequently asked questions

Who can make a claim from the CICA?

CICA has strict eligibility criteria for who can make a claim. Compensation for injuries can be claimed from the CICA by: 

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What are the time limits for CICA claims?

The time limits to make a CICA claim are shorter than the limitation deadlines for personal injury claims.  The general rule for CICA claims is that the application must be made within two years of the date of the crime which caused the injury. 

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Compensation for criminal injury

The amount of compensation that can be claimed for a serious injury depends on the circumstances of the injury, its severity and its impact on the injured person’s life.

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What kind of unlawful behaviour or criminal injuries can lead to compensation claims?

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) only compensates for injuries caused by crimes of violence.  Examples of crimes of violence causing injuries which might be eligible for CICA compensation include: 

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Can I obtain compensation for my injury as a victim of criminal or unlawful behaviour?

Our personal injury lawyers specialise in obtaining rehabilitation and compensation for people with severe and life changing injury. In personal injury claims against an insured defendant, we can help our clients recover compensation for one or more of the following types of injury:

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Are any funding options available for victims claiming compensation for criminal injuries?

Boyes Turner’s personal injury lawyers act for our clients on a no win no fee basis, meaning there is nothing to pay if your claim is unsuccessful. In personal injury claims, if your claim succeeds, most of the legal costs will be paid by the defendant’s insurers. 

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Meet your specialist team

Our specialist CICA & compensation claims for serious injury for victims of crime team are considered leaders in the field and have a significant amount of expertise.
Kim Milan

Kim Milan

Senior Partner

Claire Roantree headshots

Claire Roantree

Partner

Martin Anderson

Martin Anderson

Associate Solicitor

Beth Hatton headshoot

Beth Hatton

Paralegal

Roshni Patel photo

Roshni Patel

Paralegal

Kim Milan
Claire Roantree headshots
Martin Anderson
Beth Hatton headshoot
Roshni Patel photo

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Awards & accreditations

Our medical negligence and personal injury teams have been nationally recognised for over 20 years because of their expertise, empathy and commitment to securing maximum compensation for our clients.

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What our clients say

"Exceptional"

Kim at Boyes Turner was recommended to me after I had received ineffective service from another company. From the outset, Kim has been professional, reassuring and supportive. I have always had faith in her ability to get the best outcome, not only financially, but also in helping my rehabilitation from a traumatic brain injury. She is friendly and empathetic, with unquestionable professional integrity. She was quick to grasp the important issues in my case, was meticulous in her investigating the details and analysing them, realistic in what the outcomes were likely to be and achieved a successful outcome.

I would not hesitate in recommending her and Boyes Turner.

Boyes Turner Client

"Amazing people"

Almost 5 years ago my sons suffered a life changing brain injury accident. A new life for everyone, so many unknowns so many difficult decisions. I met Claire and the team shortly after the accident. So many questions answered but more than that, amazing lovely people. Claire has been guiding me and the family throughout this ordeal with such compassion, there every time I needed her we couldn’t of asked for a nicer person. I have met many others with in Boyes Turner and all have been genuine lovely people, I’m now working with Ruth and Lindsay from the court of protection. Again, I can't say enough about them amazing lovely people. They truly do won't the best for my son and they did and continue to do so.

Barry Williams

"Personal Injury Claim"

Claire is exceptionally knowledgeable in the personal injury legal domain, especially in the specific area of my injury. From our very first conversation, she was clear in explaining the potential different routes that the process could take and provided me with expectations of what I could expect along the journey.

She ensured that all bases were covered, organising meetings, discussions and necessary specialist appointments, in order to bring together the case and take it forward. Claire was then able to use her extensive pool of contacts, to appoint an "area leading" barrister, to represent me.

Overall, I was very pleased with appointing Claire and Boyes Turner to act as my solicitor for the legal claim that I pursued. Thank you for all of your support.

Boyes Turner Client

"Boyes turner workplace injury claim"

I approached Claire Roantree of Boyes Turner in regards to making a claim about a workplace burns injury. It was something that had scarred me physically and mentally and taken a huge toll on the lives of me and my family. Claire wasted no time in finding out what happened and made sure I was treated by known experts and quickly finding an answer to my burns scarring and how I could be treated to help manage my pain. Claire also helped me by appointing a psychiatrist to understand my situation and help me cope with post traumatic stress disorder. As well as taking as much stress of the claim away, she was thorough in every situation, making sure I had the best possible claim, and handled it all expertly, I am so very grateful to her and her team. They have helped guide my life back into a positive direction and I can't thank her enough!

Boyes Turner Client

"Personal Injury claim"

Excellent service from Claire and her team at all times. We were kept up to date at each stage of our claim. The outcome was much better than we expected and we would not hesitate to recommend Boyes Turner to family and friends.

Boyes Turner Client
Rated Excellent 4.8/5