Unlike most personal injury claims where both sides argue over how much an injury is "worth", as a government appointed, public funded organisation the Criminal Injury Board sets the rules and is pretty black and white. Your ailments must be of a certain severity to qualify for compensating as they only have 25 levels of criminal compensation for which they pay out from £1,000 to £250,000.
The maximum amount you can receive in criminal injury compensation after all losses and expenses have been considered is £500,000. There are some simple guidelines to judge whether you have a possible UK criminal injury claim that qualifies for an award from the criminal injuries compensation scheme.
To make a claim for criminal injury compensation you MUST have:
There are sometimes good reasons for the above not occurring and criminal compensation can sometimes be recovered even if you cannot affirm all of the above requirements. As stated, criminal injury compensation can also be claimed for mental anguish as long as that mental anguish is severe enough to qualify for the lowest UK CICA award amount of £1,000. Mental anguish generally has to be substantiated and documented for it to be classed as being something that requires compensation, it helps if there is recognised trauma that occurs from your type of victimisation such as being raped. Rape victims are accepted to have both physical and mental injuries due to the extensive research done in that area and the already existing supporting evidence.
1. been assaulted or injured in some way covered by the scheme and physically and/or mentally injured as a result
2. been in England, Scotland or Wales at the time when the injury was sustained
3. been injured seriously enough to qualify for at least the minimum award available under the Scheme
4. received documented medical attention for your injuries
5. been a dependant or relative of someone who died as a result of a crime
6. reported the incident to the police within 48 hours
7. forwarded your application within 2 years from the date of the incident
There are sometimes good reasons for the above not occurring and criminal compensation can sometimes be recovered even if you cannot affirm all of the above requirements. As stated, criminal injury compensation can also be claimed for mental anguish as long as that mental anguish is severe enough to qualify for the lowest UK CICA award amount of £1,000. Mental anguish generally has to be substantiated and documented for it to be classed as being something that requires compensation, it helps if there is recognised trauma that occurs from your type of victimisation such as being raped. Rape victims are accepted to have both physical and mental injuries due to the extensive research done in that area and the already existing supporting evidence.
