If you have been the victim of a violent assault in UK, most criminal injury solicitors will give advice at no cost and without further obligation. A personal UK Criminal Injury Compensation Solicitor can help by offering legal advice and representation if you have suffered physical injuries or psychological damage in UK as a result of:-
violent assault including armed robbery
homicide, murder & manslaughter
sexual assault including rape & buggery
child abuse and incest
false imprisonment
abduction & kidnapping
stalking
threats to kill or inflict serious injury
domestic violence
arson
Criminal Injuries Solicitors
Criminal injuries solicitors are expert personal injury lawyers who deal with injury compensation claims normally by using the no win no fee scheme. If you have been the victim of a violent crime a lawyer may be able to claim compensation on your behalf. Unless your lawyer succeeds in obtaining compensation for you, when using a no win no fee arrangement they don’t get paid their legal fees which concentrates the mind on leaving no stone unturned in the quest for success. Most criminal injuries solicitors will completely finance your claim and there are usually no upfront payments, no retainer, no hidden charges and no requirement to pay expenses. If you have suffered injury in a crime of violence in UK and you need advice at no cost and without further obligation just call a criminal injury solicitor who will discuss the claim with you and give you initial advice on your legal rights, usually at no cost.
Claimant Categories
There are a number of different categories of potential claimant in a criminal injuries compensation claim and not only the victim of the assault may be able to submit an application if the flowing requirements are satisfied :-
you are the immediate victim of an act of violence and you suffer physical or psychological injury
you are a close family member and you suffer psychological disturbance as a result of disclosure of the act of violence on your relative
you sustain injury as a witness to violent crime
You are injured whilst attempting to prevent a violent crime or whilst attempting to arrest the perpetrator<.li>
you are injured whilst rescuing or attempting to rescue the victim of a violent crime
CICA Compensation Awards
The amount of compensation payable in a criminal injury compensation claim depends on the nature and extent of the injury, the recovery period and whether or not there are any long term consequences or disabilities. Awards which are capped may include damages for pain and suffering, loss of a particular lifestyle, loss of past and future income together with reasonably incurred medical expenses. The amount of compensation awarded is generally set by an assessor after consideration of the application, the applicant’s medical history and medical reports.
There are time limits for criminal injuries compensation claims and you should not delay in either reporting the incident to the police or contacting a criminal injuries solicitor for advice to preserve your legal right to damages. You may be entitled to make a claim for an interim award before a final determination is made. Injuries of a minor and temporary nature may not qualify for an award. The amount of the award may be reduced if the applicant is deemed to have contributed to the injuries by reference to unacceptable behaviour before during or immediately after the event. In the case of death arising from a defined criminal injury a close relative may apply for compensation to cover funeral expenses and any dependents of the deceased can apply for limited financial support.