Victims of crime can benefit from appointing a specialist lawyer to help them applying for a review of a CICA award, but it is important not to delay. Contact our free helpline on 0333 888 0446 or email us at [email protected]
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, commonly referred to simply as the CICA, is a government organisation that offers compensation to blameless victims of violent crime. The current Scheme came into force in November 2012 and sets out the strict eligibility criteria which need to be met for a victim of a crime to qualify for an award of compensation. You do not necessarily need professional legal representation to apply for compensation and in some circumstances you will be better off applying yourself.
We will always assess a case independently and if we feel you can ‘do it yourself’ then we will tell you. However, in complex cases or claims involving serious injuries, sexual assault or sexual abuse there are a number of common pitfalls which can trouble the unwary. In these cases specialist, professional legal help may pay dividends in helping to ensure you achieve the best possible outcome.
We often speak with people who have submitted a CICA application themselves, only to find that it is rejected or the award of compensation is simply too low. In these situations victims have the option of applying for a review of a CICA award
One common reason for rejection is delay. There is a strict 2 year time limit within which a CICA application for compensation must be submitted. When this two year period begins to run will depend on how old you were then the assault or abuse took place and when the matter was reported to the Police. There could be a variety of reasons why you were not able to submit your application within the time limit. What you may not know is that if it can be established that ‘exceptional circumstances’ applied, it is possible to persuade the Authority to extend the time limit. To do so, it is necessary to gather the right evidence in support of your application to review the CICA’s decision to reject your claim. This is when an in-depth knowledge of the Scheme is invaluable and you should consider seeking support from our specialist team of lawyers.
Where the CICA make an award it will be based upon the facts of what happened. However, in some circumstances you may be entitled to a higher award for your injury as well as additional compensation for ‘special expenses’. Again, there are strict criteria which must be met in order to qualify for these higher awards of compensation. To successfully claim a higher award, the CICA will need to be provided with evidence to support your claim and show you do meet the relevant criteria. This could be information regarding your work or specialist medical evidence. So, if you have received an offer that you believe may be too low then again our recommendation is that you contact our team of lawyers to explore how we may be able to help with maximising your compensation.
However, if you find yourself in this situation it is vital that you act quickly. You have only 56 days from the date of the CICA’s rejection letter to submit an application to review. If you have received such a letter, we recommend you ring our free legal helpline immediately to discuss your options.