A few facts about criminal injury compensation
Any victim is entitled to justice in case of criminal injury all over the world. However, things tend to get a little more complicated when claims for these injuries are made. To set the record straight, in a case where a crime is committed, it is the victim of the crime who is compensated only after proving the extent of damage.
What does extent of damage mean?
Extent of damage or at least the documentation of damage has to be produced in a court of law to seek compensation. In the UK, laws are extremely stringent about this aspect. When one can provide plenty of evidence indicating damage and the extent of it only then can one claim compensation.
Another constraint that applies in the UK is that one has to be on British soil when the injury resulting from criminal activity takes place. This means that if you are a citizen of UK and a crime is perpetrated against you abroad, you cannot make a claim.
What can you do if a crime has been committed against you?
If you or a member of your family is injured as a result of criminal injury, you have to set about the compensation trail as per a specific protocol. The first and foremost thing needed is the evidence of injury indicating that the injury was caused by the perpetrator and documentation that indicates all of this. One may not use an attorney for representation, as a case worker is provided for.
The board that decides the amount of compensation is called the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority or CICA which may compensate you for an amount between £1,000 right up to £ 250,000 depending on the extent of damage caused.
Also you have to make a police complaint against the perpetrator of the crime, within forty eight hours of the incident. The incident must be reported and compensation claimed within a period of two years in a court of law in the UK.
In special cases, this time frame may be extended. For instance if the victim of the crime was a minor when the crime was committed, an exception can be made.
What kinds of cases are compensated by the CICA?
You can expect to be compensated for the following in case you are the victim of a violent crime that causes you injury:
- Compensation for injury: Whether physical or mental, that arises as a result of being the victim of a crime that is violent.
- The possible loss of all future earnings of the victim that that results from the injury caused by the crime
- Compensation for the loss of a family member
The compensation for the injury is not just provided as an arbitrary figure, decided upon by the board of attorneys of the CICA. There is a payment pattern in place to determine the extent of damage and the payment accordingly.
Updated on 10/3/2009