If you have been injured because of a criminal
assault, you may be able to pursue a claim for damages.
Our personal injury team has extensive
experience dealing with criminal assault claims.
There are thousands of criminal assaults in the UK every year.
They can include violent muggings, sexual assault and unprovoked
attacks. If you have suffered as a result of a criminal assault
there are generally two ways to claim compensation:
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authorities (CICA)
The CICA is a government organisation that can pay money
(compensation) to people who have been physically or mentally
injured because they were the blameless victim of a violent
crime. They make awards that range from £1,000 to £500,000,
The scheme allows financial awards to be made:
- To recognise injuries, physical and mental, due to criminal
assault.
- In certain circumstances, to obtain compensation for past or
future lost earnings or special expenses caused by such a
crime
- For bereavement as a result of a criminal assault, including,
in some cases, compensation for the lost earnings of the person who
has been killed.
The CICA has set out several rules. These include:
- Your injury must have been caused by a criminal assault that
happened in England, Scotland or Wales (Northern Ireland has its
own scheme).
- Your CICA criminal assault compensation application must be
lodged within two years of your assault, although this is
discretionary and often waived.
- You should have reported the criminal assault to the police and
fully co-operated with them.
- The state will only provide compensation if your injuries
exceed the £1000 tariff.
To be successful in any CICA criminal assault compensation
claim, you must be able to prove that you have been the innocent
victim of a violent crime. If the CICA considers you to have
provoked or willingly participated in the criminal assault, it
could refuse or reduce personal injury compensation. This could
also happen if you have a record of violence.
Civil Claims for Damages
Jill Greenfield acts in a number of
criminal assault cases. She acted for
Amanda Lawson who was awarded one of the highest ever amounts of
damages in a civil rape case - one of a few civil rape cases ever
to be pursued in the UK. Amanda was repeatedly raped by the now
deceased millionaire computer tycoon, Christopher Dawes. You can
read more about Amanda's story in the
Guardian,
the Telegraph and the
Daily Mail.
We are also currently act for British Victims of Terrorism
caught up in a terrorist bombing in Kusadasi, Turkey in 2005. Jill
has also been involved in a successful campaign to introduce a financial support scheme for
British victims of terrorism abroad. The scheme was passed into law on 8 April 2010 as part of the Crime
and Securiry Bill. You can read the
debate in the House of Lords about the new scheme here.
We also acted for a police worker, Keith
Tilbury, who was shot during a training excercise. Jill
obtained a six figure sum and an admission of liability for the
incident from Thames Valley Police.
Assault claims legal advice
For further information or if you believe you have a criminal
assault claim please contact Jill
Greenfield on 020 7861 4557 or email jill.greenfield@ffw.com
You can also contact the personal injury team on
Freephone 0800 358 3848 or email personalinjury@ffw.com
We conduct personal injury claims on a “no win, no fee” basis.