If you have been a victim of a crime you may be entitled to claim compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority CICA. This is a government funded body and the compensation is awarded from central reserves.
There are, however, restrictions on eligibility that need to be overcome before proceeding with an assessment of compensation. If, for example, you in any way provoked the assault, or became involved in the assault by trying to separate others, it may be deemed that you provoked an attack. Funds are so limited that this rule is applied rigorously and if there is any indication that injuries could have been avoided, an award will be reduced or the application will be refused. There are also strict time limits that apply and it is therefore important that you seek advice to find out whether or not you are eligible to claim.
The awards made under this scheme are less than those achievable in the Civil Courts and against an Insurance company. It is an entirely different system.
There are likely to be delays in some claims being processed and there is unfortunately no means of speeding up the process as the CICA are under resourced. It is possible to obtain interim awards but these again take some time and it is necessary to have medical evidence to substantiate the claims and confirmation from the Police that no part of the assault was the victim’s fault and that they have co-operated fully with the police.
Franklins undertake this work in most cases under a fixed scheme of costs as there is no process to recover legal fees from another party. Please call us to discuss and we’ll explain how the system works.
If you’ve been involved in an accident and are in need of the best legal representation in the region, then give us a call on 0800 294 4895 or fill out our online contact form. Our specialist team of accident claims solicitors are always on hand to help.
