Last Updated 24th February 2026. If you have been the victim of a violent crime, you may be facing the difficult fallout of its physical, emotional and financial consequences. This trauma can affect your day-to-day life, causing issues with confidence, self-blame, and trust. As you look to recover, you may be unsure about your next steps, but one option could be to pursue compensation through the criminal injury claims process.
At Legal Expert, we understand that taking those first steps to claiming for a criminal injury can seem daunting at first. That being said, our team of highly trained advisors is available around the clock to help you by answering questions and providing helpful guidance. You could also be connected with one of our expert No Win No Fee solicitors, who could help you with evidence gathering, signing paperwork, and providing clear, personalised support.
What criminal injuries could I claim for? You could claim for physical injuries like fractures, organ damage and psychological harm, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
How much compensation can I receive for criminal injuries? The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority can award successful claimants up to £500,000 for the physical, psychological, and financial consequences of a violent crime.
What evidence will I need to make a criminal injury claim? For a CICA claim, you may need a crime reference number from the police, a copy of your medical records, and proof of residency status.
Can I claim for financial losses caused by a criminal injury? Yes, CICA payouts can cover financial losses under special expenses, such as the cost of care, specialist equipment, and home adaptations.
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If you’ve suffered an injury during a violent crime, you could be entitled to claim criminal injury compensation.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a government organisation that pays out compensation to those who have been injured in a violent crime. In order to make a criminal injury claim through the CICA, certain eligibility criteria need to be met. These are:
You must have reported the incident to the police.
This crime must have taken place in Scotland, England, Wales, or another relevant place, such as a boat registered in Great Britain.
You must have been injured in a crime of violence. The CICA Scheme provides some examples of incidents classed as a crime of violence. This includes sexual assault, arson, assault and threat of assault. For example, we have helped people with cases involving historic sexual abuse by the Church of England.
Your claim must be started within the correct time limits. We will discuss these in more depth in a later section.
To see whether you could be eligible to make a claim through the CICA for harm to your mental or physical health, you can contact a member of our advisory team today.
They may also connect you with one of our experienced criminal injury solicitors.
What Types Of Crimes Can Lead To Criminal Injury Claims?
It’s possible to claim for all different types of physical and psychological injuries as part of a CICA claim. Here’s an overview of some of the most common injuries we help with:
Assaults and the injuries associated with them, such as cuts, bruises, broken bones and other related injuries, such as those sustained on a night out or while trying to stop a fight.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, so if you’d like to check to see if you can claim compensation for a criminal injury, get in touch with us today.
How Much Compensation Can You Claim For Criminal Injuries?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) provides a tariff for injuries in their Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. This tariff is how compensation for claims made through the CICA are valued.
The tariff has provisions for several scenarios. You could be able to seek compensation based on:
The type of assault you experienced
The amount of times you were assaulted
The physical injuries you had sustained due to the assault
The table we have provided below features a few listings from within the tariff. Please note that the top figure represents the maximum amount that can be awarded by the CICA.
Category
Information
Award
Multiple Severe Injuries Plus Special Expenses
Special expenses might be home adaptations, care, and specialist equipment
Up to £500,000
Epilepsy (Condition)
An assault causing a person to develop uncontrollable epilepsy
£44,000
Sexual Assault
Having a severe mental effect on the person
£27,000
Repeated assaults that harm the claimant mentally
£22,000
Facial Burns (Injury)
Assault causing severe facial burns
£27,000
Brain Damage (Condition/Injury)
Slight brain damage leading to affects in personality and intellect
£27,000
Eye (Injury)
Assault leading to loss of sight
£22,000
Tinnitus (Condition)
Severe and permanent condition
£19,000
Nose (Injury)
An assault that causes a complete loss of taste and small
£16,500
Facial Fractures
Multiple face fractures
£11,000
You will only be able to claim for a maximum of 3 injuries inflicted by a violent crime, which will receive a rate of:
1 – Highest valued and most serious injury – 100% rate of tariff value
2 – Second-highest valued injury – 30% rate of tariff value
3 – Third-highest valued injury – 15% rate of tariff value
Although the CICA will only award compensation for three injuries, you could receive additional payments if, as a result of the incident or injury, you:
Lost a foetus
Contracted a sexually transmitted disease
Became pregnant
Additionally, you can also make a claim for a loss of earnings due to being unable to work and other similar effects of their injury. However, there are certain criteria your claim must meet in order to qualify for these payments, which we discuss below. It’s therefore difficult to predict with accuracy how much compensation you could receive at this stage.
For now, our advisers could help you with information about criminal injuries compensation, a calculator may not be able to give you. Please reach out for any questions you have.
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As discussed in the prior section, compensation for victims of crime can be paid out by the CICA for damage to both your mental and physical health. Compensation amounts could also include special expenses that you have incurred as a result of your injury.
In order to be eligible for such a payment, your criminal injury must have impacted your earning capacity for more than 28 weeks or caused you other specific financial loss. In order to qualify to claim for financial loss, you have to be able to prove that the expense was necessary as a result of your criminal injury, it was reasonable, and the item in question couldn’t be attained for free elsewhere.
Examples of CICA payouts in terms of special expenses could include:
The cost of someone caring for you to avoid substantial danger to you or others.
Home adaptations required to accommodate your injuries, such as a stair lift.
Private medical fees or treatment costs.
Specialist equipment, such as physical aids.
Equipment or property that you relied on but was destroyed as a result of the violent crime which caused your injury, such as glasses.
Please get in touch if you have any questions about claiming special expenses as part of a criminal injuries claim. Our advisors are more than happy to clarify free of charge.
Criminal Injury Claims – A £60,000 Payout Case Study
While outside a club on a night out, Harry sustained severe head trauma and extensive bodily injuries when he was criminally assaulted by an individual after refusing to hand over his phone and wallet. Harry woke up in the hospital after suffering a bleed on the brain, a concussion, and serious injuries to his leg and abdomen.
For 6 months following the incident, Harry required multiple treatments to aid his recovery, including a craniotomy to stop brain bleeding and vestibular therapy. He also needed intensive physiotherapy to restore strength and balance, as his leg injuries affected both his stability and mobility.
With the help of a solicitor, Harry was able to pursue compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. This legal representation guided him through the application process and assisted him in gathering necessary documents, including his medical records. Following the submission of evidence, the CICA offered Harry £60,000. This amount reflected his injuries, in addition to lost earnings, domestic care, and damage to his glasses from the accident scene.
Although this relates to an example case study*, you may be able to start a criminal injuries compensation claim for your own situation. To speak to one of our advisors in confidence about your case, please get in touch with our friendly team.
How Long Do I Have To Claim Criminal Injury Compensation?
The time limit for starting a criminal injury compensation claim is generally two years from the date of the incident. However, exceptions could be made to this time limit if you can prove exceptional circumstances prevented you from claiming within this period.
For child injury claims, the time limits are as follows:
If you were under 18 when the crime that injured you happened, and the incident was reported to police right away but no claim was made, then you usually have two years from your 18th birthday to claim.
However, if you were under 18 when the crime happened and exceptional circumstances meant the crime was not reported right away, then you will have two years from when it was reported to make your claim.
For more advice on your eligibility to make a criminal injuries claim or to ask other questions, such as whether you can use a CICA claim calculator, contact our team of advisors today.
How Do You Prove A Criminal Injury Claim?
When making a claim for assault compensation, you will need to supply evidence. When claiming through the CICA, the evidence you present needs to support your version of events on the balance of probability.
You will also need to present a crime reference number after reporting the incident to the police. There may be an investigation carried out, which can help provide evidence. This is true for all areas of criminal injuries, including when claiming compensation for assault and even as a rape victim.
Evidence can also include your own statement regarding the events that caused your injuries, but this may not be sufficient. It can be helpful to obtain evidence such as photographs or video footage if possible. For example, the incident may have been caught on CCTV.
To find out more about evidence requirements in criminal injury compensation claims, get in touch with our advisors today.
How Long Does Criminal Injury Compensation Take To Come Through?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority states on its website that it aims to respond to all applications within 12 to 18 months.
There are reasons why this timeframe may differ. One of them could be to do with a backlog of claims on the CICA’s part, meaning it’ll take longer for them to get through.
Another reason may relate to the length of time that negotiations take. This could be impacted by the injuries sustained. If an injury hasn’t completely healed or if the prognosis is uncertain, it may not be in your best interests to settle the criminal injury claim right away. The reason for this is that you may end up under-settling your criminal injuries case.
For more advice on the time scales involved with criminal injury compensation claims and to check if you may be able to take action, please get in touch.
How Our Criminal Injury Solicitors Can Help
Legal Expert can help during criminal injury claims by providing bespoke legal services informed by years of experience across multiple areas of law. No matter the circumstances of your injury, our solicitors can ensure you not only access the care and support you require, but also give your claim for criminal injuries compensation the best possible chance of success.
Here are some of the ways we can support you during the claims process:
Referring you to any relevant specialists, counsellors, therapists and other professionals if you require rehabilitation services or other treatment.
Organising an independent medical consultation to determine exactly what injuries have been caused, if needed.
Helping you gather the right evidence for a CICA claim.
Keeping you informed of what’s going on with your claim and explaining all the technical terms.
Making sure all relevant CICA deadlines and instructions are complied with.
For further information on how Legal Expert could support you throughout the criminal injury claims process, call the number below today to talk to one of our advisors. In addition to answering any questions that may have arisen, they can provide a free, no-obligation assessment of your eligibility to start a claim.
No Win No Fee Criminal Injury Claims
One of our No Win No Fee criminal injury solicitors could potentially help you put forward a CICA claim. They may offer to support your case under a Conditional Fee Agreement. When claiming under such an agreement, you usually won’t have to pay your solicitor for their services upfront or while the claiming process proceeds.
Additionally, if working with a No Win No Fee criminal injury lawyer on this basis, they won’t ask you to pay them for their services if your claim is unsuccessful. If the claim is successful, a small and legally capped percentage is deducted from your compensation, known as a success fee. The legal cap helps to make sure that people who make successful criminal injury claims get to keep most of their settlement.
If you would like to know more about working with a criminal injury solicitor on a No Win No Fee basis, or to inquire further about criminal injury claims, you can contact us for free by:
For further information on how to claim compensation for criminal injury, please see some common questions and answers below. Our helpful team can also provide tailored assistance.
Do You Have To Report A Crime To Make A Claim?
Yes, you do have to report a crime to make a claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, as the CICA requires applicants to have a valid police reference number.
Can Victims Of Domestic Abuse Claim Compensation?
Yes, victims of domestic abuse can claim compensation from the CICA if their physical and psychological injuries arose from a violent crime committed in Great Britain.
Can Sexual Assault Victims Make Criminal Injury Claims?
Yes, sexual assault victims can make criminal injury claims through the CICA for their physical injuries, psychological damage, and qualifying financial losses.
Can Families Claim After Fatal Criminal Injuries?
Yes, families can claim after fatal criminal injuries through CICA if a relative dies in Great Britain due to a violent crime. Qualifying relatives can include spouses, partners, parents, and children, and the award may cover bereavement and loss of parental services payments.
Who Pays Criminal Injury Compensation?
Criminal injury compensation is paid by the government-funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, based on a fixed tariff maintained by the executive agency.
Can You Claim Directly Against An Offender?
Yes, you could make a civil claim directly against an offender if their identity is known and they have the assets necessary to pay your compensation. If the offender does not have enough money to pay or if they are going to prison, you may not receive the full amount.
Can You Claim If The Offender Was Under 18?
The age of a perpetrator does not invalidate a claim made through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, so it is possible to claim even if the offender was under 18. While a civil claim may be possible, minors are unlikely to have sufficient assets or insurance to pay compensation.
Can Historic Abuse Victims Make Criminal Injury Claims?
Yes, historic abuse victims can make criminal injury claims, as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority considers all applications on a case-by-case basis, provided that the claimant made a report to the police. This means that even if the abuse happened years ago, you may be able to pursue compensation if you meet the CICA’s eligibility criteria for claiming.
Can Witnesses To Violent Crime Claim Compensation?
Yes, witnesses to a violent crime can claim compensation through the CICA if they suffered an eligible disabling mental injury while present when a loved one was criminally injured, or were present in the immediate aftermath.
Learn More About CICA Claims
Below, you can learn more about the criminal injury compensation authority and CICA claims via our other guides:
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