Suffering a stab wound is a deeply traumatic, potentially life altering and life threatening occurrence. If you have suffered injuries in a violent crime, you may be wondering if you could claim compensation for being stabbed.
To that end, we have created this guide to claiming criminal injury compensation for a stab wound. You’ll see information on the eligibility to claim, the role of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), and what evidence you’ll need to provide to demonstrate you were injured as a result of a crime of violence.
Towards the bottom of the guide, we examine how our solicitors can help you seek compensation for your injuries, with a particular type of No Win No Fee contract. To get a free consultation regarding the validity of your potential claim, or to ask any questions you may have, get in touch today via:
- Phone on 0800 073 8804.
- Begin your claim online by completing our callback form.
- Click the live chat button in the bottom left of your screen
Select a Section
- I’ve Been Stabbed – Am I Eligible To Make An Injury Claim?
- Average Compensation For Being Stabbed
- What Is The Criminal Injury Compensation Authority (CICA)?
- Common Injuries Stabbing Victims Can Claim For
- How To Claim Compensation For Being Stabbed
- Why Trust Legal Expert With Your Claim?
- More Information
I’ve Been Stabbed – Am I Eligible To Make An Injury Claim?
Suffering a stab wound is a serious and traumatic occurrence that can have a substantial, lasting impact on your physical and mental well-being. You can seek compensation for your wounds as well as the psychiatric harm caused, but you will need to demonstrate to the CICA that you are eligible to claim.
In order to claim compensation for being stabbed, you will need to show the following:
- You were the victim of a violent crime.
- That crime occurred in Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales) or another relevant place.
- The crime was reported to the police.
To get a free assessment of your eligibility to claim criminal injury compensation, contact our advisors today using the contact information given below.
Average Compensation For Being Stabbed
Providing a figure for the average compensation for being stabbed that the CICA paid out would not be beneficial to you. Every claim falls into a fixed tariff, depending on the injuries. We will examine some traffic below.
As we touched on above, compensation in criminal injury claims is awarded per the tariff in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. We have provided a few examples from the tariff here. As the tariffs are fixed, this means the amount listed is what will be paid out.
Compensation Table
Please be advised that the top entry was not taken from the tariff.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Very Serious Injuries + Loss of Earnings and Special Expenses | Very Serious | Up to £500,000 |
| Paraplegia - Paralysis of lower body | Substantially Complete | £175,000 |
| Moderate but Substantially Incomplete | £110,000 | |
| Arm | Loss of One Dominant Arm | £55,000 |
| Loss of One Non-dominant Arm | £33,000 | |
| Other Payments | Infection with HIV, Hepatitis B or C | £22,000 |
| Finger and Thumb | Loss of Thumb | £16,500 |
| Loss of Index Finger | £6,200 | |
| Abdomen | Repair of 3+ organs | £6,200 |
| Repair of 2 organs | £3,500 |
£500,000 is the maximum that the CICA will pay out. In the event more than one injury has been suffered, the multiple injuries formula stipulates that:
- The full amount will be paid for the highest value injury.
- 30% will be paid for the next highest, or an injury of the same value.
- And 15% will be paid for the third highest, or an equal value injury.
Compensation will only be paid for a maximum of 3 injuries in a criminal injury claim. However, if you were infected with an STI if the blade was contaminated, or if you lost a foetus due to being stabbed, then payments from a separate tariff not affected by the formula can be made.
Special Expenses – What You Need To Know
As part of your compensation for being stabbed, you can receive a loss of earnings payment if you meet certain eligibility criteria. You could also receive special expenses for certain costs incurred as a result of your injuries.
Examples can include:
- The repair or replacement of any personal aid equipment damaged in the attack.
- The costs of the management of your affairs if your mental capacity has been impacted.
- Medical expenses if the treatment cannot be procured for free elsewhere.
In order to claim special expenses, you will need to meet certain eligibility requirements. Our advisory team can provide you with further information.
To find out more about how compensation is awarded in criminal injury claims, or to get a zero cost, no obligation assessment of your potential claim’s validity, get in touch with our advisory team today.
Factors That Can Affect Your Payout
A number of factors can influence a CICA claim, including:
- If you cooperated with the police investigation.
- Whether or not you have any criminal convictions.
- If reasonable attempts have been made to claim through another avenue before going to the CICA.
- Any benefits claimed for your injuries or compensation from another source.
To learn more about how CICA compensation is calculated or for a free assessment of your eligibility to claim, talk to our advisors today using the contact information provided below.
What Is The Criminal Injury Compensation Authority (CICA)?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a government-funded agency that provides victims of violent crimes a means of claiming compensation for their injuries. There are other methods of seeking compensation, such as claiming directly against the perpetrator or a vicariously liable party such as your employer. These avenues should be considered before making a CICA claim.
Compensation in criminal injury claims is awarded according to the tariff in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. Later in the guide, we examine compensation for being stabbed in greater detail.
Get in touch with our advisor for a free assessment of your eligibility today.
Common Injuries Stabbing Victims Can Claim For
A stab wound can vary greatly in severity. We have listed a few examples of injuries that could be sustained in a stabbing attack here:
- Soft tissue damage
- Injuries to internal organs, such as a punctured lung or damage to the digestive system.
- Bodily scarring.
- Loss of digits, entire limbs or the use of limbs.
- Psychiatric injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Regardless of the wounding you have sustained, our advisors are here to help. Get in touch with us today to find out if you could claim compensation for being stabbed following a crime of violence.
How To Claim Compensation For Being Stabbed
Once your potential claim is deemed valid by our expert advisors, you’ll be connected with one of our highly experienced solicitors. Below we have set out a few important aspects of the criminal injury claims process.
Gathering Evidence
There are three items of evidence required when making a claim through the CICA. These are:
- Your crime reference number. This is why it is of paramount importance the crime is reported to the police.
- Proof you meet the residency requirements.
- Medical evidence showing what injuries were sustained and how serious they were.
You don’t need to provide proof of the crime, such as witness accounts or CCTV footage. The CICA will coordinate with the police to obtain this evidence.
How Long You Have To Make A Claim
In most cases, there is a 2-year time limit to claim through the CICA. However, if exceptional circumstances prevented reporting the crime to the police straight away or making a claim within that time, then the CICA can still accept claims at their discretion.
It is, therefore, always worth getting in touch with our advisors to check if you could make a claim. They can provide additional guidance on the time limits and advise as to the best course of action.
No Win No Fee Claim Agreements
Our solicitors can offer their services on a strictly No Win No Fee basis under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This type of contract puts the advantage firmly with the claimant, with benefits such as:
- No fees to pay for the solicitor to start work on the claim.
- There will also be no fees for that work during the actual claims process.
- Finally, if the claim fails, there will be no fees to pay.
If you win the claim, you will receive criminal injury compensation. A percentage of this compensation will make up the solicitor’s success fee. As success fees are capped by The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, you will keep the majority of any compensation that is awarded.
How Long It Can Take To Receive Compensation
How long does a criminal injury claim take? The time it takes to receive compensation for being stabbed will vary between cases. We have given a few different factors that could influence the time period here:
- The complexity of the police investigation.
- Potential delays in medical documents being released.
- If the Crown Prosecution are moving ahead with a prosecution for the offender, the police could delay releasing their report until the trial.
- The severity of your injuries. Serious wounds will require more treatment, and assessing the impact of those wounds on your daily life will take longer.
The CICA give a general timeframe of 12 months to assess claims. However, due to the factors given above, it could take longer than this. For more information, you speak to our advisory team today.
Why Trust Legal Expert With Your Claim?
Legal Expert has years of experience in handling criminal injury claims. By working with Legal Expert you will get a specialist criminal injury solicitor who will handle your claim to the highest degree of professionalism.
Our solicitors will offer support throughout the claims process and ensure your case has the very best chance of success.
To get a free consultation regarding the validity of your potential claim, or to ask any questions you may have, get in touch today via:
- Phone on 0800 073 8804.
- Begin your claim online by completing our callback form.
- Click the live chat button in the bottom left of your screen.
More Information
You can read some more of our criminal injury claims guides here:
- Read our guide on who pays criminal injuries compensation here.
- Learn more about making a claim as a robbery victim through the CICA.
- Find out if you could claim after being attacked when trying to stop a fight with this guide.
We have also included some external resources for additional information
- Use this government page to get support as a victim of crime and access different services.
- You can report a crime or incident to the police here.
- Find out when to call 999 with this guidance from the NHS.
Thank you for reading our guide to claiming compensation for being stabbed. You can get a free eligibility assessment by contacting our advisory team today.
