Victims of criminal injury in Devon are entitled to claim compensation from the government under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995. Claims are dealt with by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

To be eligible to apply for compensation under the CICA scheme you must:-

1. have been injured seriously enough to qualify for the minimum award of £1,000;
2. have been injured in an act of violence in England, Scotland or Wales. (It is not necessary for the offender to have been convicted or even charged with the crime)
3. have made your application for compensation within two years of the incident occurring; (though sometimes applications outside that period are accepted).

An award of compensation from the CICA can be refused or reduced on grounds of:-

1. your behaviour before, during or after the incident in which you were injured;
2. any criminal record that you might have;
3. failure to co-operate with the police;
4. delay in informing the police or other organisation or person of the incident.

You do not have to use a solicitor to pursue a CICA claim. If you go to the CICA’s site at www.cica.gov.uk then you can make a claim online. We normally encourage our clients to deal with claims themselves where the injury is relatively minor and the circumstances straightforward.

However, there are occasions where professional legal representation from a Devon based personal injury solicitor is desirable and in these situations we can deal with cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that our fees are deducted from your compensation award on a percentage basis. The percentage varies from case to case but it is normally between 15% and 30%, depending on risk involved and the amount of work required.

To find out more about using our local services for a Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) claim then please contact us now.