You may have been the victim of a crime in the UK from a violent mugging, attack on the street or a sexual and violent assault.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) pays compensation to innocent victims of crime. Even if an offender is not identified, caught or convicted, a successful claim can still be made. However, you have only 2 years to bring your compensation claim and the incident should have been reported to the police.

The CICA does not pay your legal costs and therefore you have a choice to bring the claim yourself or instruct a solicitor. Your solicitor will take your case on a ‘contingency basis’ which means that you do not need to pay their costs unless the claim succeeds. The payment your solicitor receives is an agreed percentage of any award of damages made to you by the CICA. However, if your application is unsuccessful, then you pay nothing towards their costs.

If you are a victim of crime, then you could be entitled to make a compensation claim, but don’t delay as there are strict time limits in place. You can either contact CICA direct or we can help you.

Click on the compensation guide to find out how much compensation you could expect for your injury.