Thanks to a government scheme known as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) scheme, you are able to access a government funded compensation payout if you are the victim of a crime that has caused you a personal injury.
Here is a quick “what you need to know” when it comes to applying for compensation from the scheme.
Requirements
The rules that govern the scheme are very, very strict. If there is any element of you or your claim that does not match the scheme requirements, you will probably be unable to successfully make a claim.
The three common prerequisites are:
- You must be an innocent victim- i.e. you must not have initiated or contributed towards the happening of the injury.
- Your conduct both before and after the event is taken in to account, and it is normally based on evidence available.
- You must have formally reported the matter to the police within 48 hours of the incident, and you must fully cooperate with any police efforts in bringing the person(s) responsible to justice – including making statements and attended ID parades.
- You must have received formal and recorded medical attention within 48 hours of the incident.
If any of the above is not met or adhered to, it is highly likely the CICA will refuse to award you with an award.
Criminal Record?
If you have a criminal record, the CICA may take this in to account and either refuse to make an award to you, or reduce your award by a percentage to reflect the severity of the crime you have committed. There is a zero tolerance mentality to this sort of thing, so no matter why you broke the law, it may well be taken in to account.
If your conviction is spent under the Rehabilitation Act, they may not take in to account. If it is unspent, they may take it in to account.
If you have a criminal record for either a violent crime or a fraudulent crime, these are generally looked upon more seriously.
Full Cooperation
Any failure to adhere to deadlines set by the CICA when it comes to providing them with evidence or information will probably affect your ability to continue a claim.
Getting a Lawyer
You can make a claim either with or without a lawyer involved. The benefit of having a lawyer is that we can sometimes get you better payouts. But our fees are not recoverable from the CICA so you will face a deduction from your compensation.
