If you have been the victim of crime that as resulted in you sustaining injuries it may be possible for you to claim compensation. Criminal injury cases are progressed through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority or the CICA. This is a government body that evaluates the criminal injuries sustained and then using their tariff system confirms whether the victim of the crime is eligible to receive compensation.
The severity of the crime and the injuries sustained obviously play apart in the decision to award compensation. It is worth remembering that the person being accused of the violent crime does not have to have been caught or prosecuted and that a claim for compensation in respect of the criminal injuries you have sustained is still possible.
There are a number of different injuries that featured under the CICA tariff both physical and psychological. For further information regarding the tariff system used by the CICA visit the CICA website.
To register a claim with the CICA their claim form needs to be completed. Again this can be found on their website. You don’t have to instruct a solicitor to act on your behalf when pursuing a claim with the CICA. The CICA will gather the relevant information they require to assess and evaluate your claim before confirming your eligibility to compensation.
Any CICA claim must have been registered with the CICA within 2 years of the accident date unlike other personal injury claims with have a limitation date of 3 years.