subject: What Is Classed As A Criminal Injury? [print this page] What Is Classed As A Criminal Injury? What Is Classed As A Criminal Injury?
A criminal injury claim is usually made by a person who has been the victim of an act of crime or violence.
Criminal injury as defined as being a physical assault and in some cases, people suffer from psychological damage as a result of a violent crime. A violent crime can refer to a stabbing, robbery, assault, attempted murder, and sexual assault. Being a victim of crime is a very frightening experience and even worse if it results in an injury. It is not uncommon for victims of physical assault to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder; this is common amongst victims of rape or sexual assault.
The effects of a criminal injury can be life changing, if you suffer an injury as a result of a violent crime, this can have an impact on your health, mental well being and day-to-day lifestyle. It can result in you taking time off work which can then lead to loss of earnings; you may also need ongoing medical treatment that can also become quite costly, dependant on what treatment you require and how often you need it.
A sexual assault such as rape causes severe physical and mental distress which has life challenging consequences. Many women report that they are unable to lead a normal life as they did previously and have become traumatized as a result of the assault. If you have been involved in an act of crime or violence due to no fault of your own, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
Contact a personal injury solicitor. Personal injury solicitors also deal with criminal injuries compensation and have the expertise in dealing with these types of claims.
Criminal injury claims are treated differently to any other compensation claim; the main reason for this is that the perpetrator of the violent act is unlikely to have the financial means to pay compensation.
Trying to enforce a claim through the No Win, No Fee' process is almost impossible to do. One exception to this is if you have been a victim of assault at work. If a colleague has physically attacked you then you may have a claim if you can demonstrate that your employer failed to protect from this assault.
A personal injury solicitor will work in conjunction with you and the CICA to ensure that you receive compensation appropriate to the type of injury you have suffered. They can provide help and advice on employment issues, social security benefits and the possibility of a civil lawsuit. Most solicitors charge a percentage, usually between 20-25 per cent. However, another option for you to consider would be to contact the CICA direct (Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority). The CICA is a government organisation which was set up to provide compensation to victims of crime. It has a 2 year deadline for compensation claims and a sliding scale of costs that they will pay as compensation.
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
