As a law firm with a highly dedicated and specialised team dealing with Criminal Injury Scheme claims, we welcome the review of Baroness Newlove, Victims Commissioner (VC) for England and Wales, which calls for the reform of the current scheme, which many victims state is so stressful it can trigger their original trauma.
Our experience is that the scheme is narrow, many individuals find themselves excluded or their awards reduced to next to nothing. It is lengthy, often taking over 2 years to resolve, and many people who attempt to claim without specialist advice find their applications refused at the first hurdle, for often spurious reasons.
With any personal injury claim there will be an element of having to rehearse the circumstances a number of times, but criminal injury claims need to be dealt with much more sensitively and compassionately and that is, in our experience currently not the case, which is also reflected in the VC’s review.
The scheme is not easily accessible and this too needs to be addressed, particularly as we move towards a time in the not too distant future when our entire compensation system will be completely digitised and the option to have independent legal advice is removed. Injured people including those who have been the innocent victims of sometimes incredibly horrific crimes, don’t know their rights, that they can claim and that they must do so within a specified, rigid timeframe and need considerable help and support, not only to access the scheme, but throughout the process, which is complex and at times, unforgiving.
If you have been the victim of a crime we have a highly specialised and caring team who can help you with this process.
Should you wish to read the full review please click the following link: Claiming Criminal Injuries Compensation retriggers trauma
If you have been an innocent victim of a violent crime, you may be able to make a compensation claim. To speak to a member of our team in relation to making a CICA claim please contact us on 01616 966 229.
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