In this guide, we’ll be looking at the process of making a criminal burn injury claim. This guide will explain the role of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) in awarding compensation to those who have been injured in violent crimes.
Making A Criminal Burn Injury Claim
Furthermore, we will look at the way that the CICA arrive at settlements for the claims they value. This guide will also give information on the advantages of working with No Win No Fee lawyers for these kinds of claims.
If you would like to discuss the process of claiming with our team of advisors, then you can do so by using the contact details provided below. They could confirm whether your case is valid and if so may be able to connect you with legal representation for your case.
Get in touch by:
- Calling us for free on 0113 460 1216
- Fill in your details in the making a claim section on our website
- Talking with a member of our team of advisors through the live support bubble below
Choose A Section
- When Are You Eligible To Make A Criminal Burn Injury Claim?
- CICA Claims – What Do You Need To Claim Through The CICA?
- What Burn Injury Compensation Could You Recieve From A CICA Claim?
- Is There A CICA Claim Time Limit?
- Make A Burn Injury Claim Using Our Panel Of Criminal Injury Solicitors
- Learn More About Making A Criminal Burn Injury Claim
When Are You Eligible To Make A Criminal Burn Injury Claim?
The CICA handles compensation claims from people who have been mentally or physically injured as the victim of a violent crime in England, Wales or Scotland. The CICA have a definition of violent crime, which the incident must meet in order for you to have a valid claim for criminal injuries compensation.
The CICA’s definition of a crime of violence includes assault, sexual abuse and arson. These kinds of crimes can have wide-ranging effects on the individual.
For example, scarring from burns can be extensive and painful. In some cases, burn scars can restrict movement. Furthermore, the person who has been burned might have a psychological reaction because of the scarring they have sustained. For example, after a scalp burn, the scarring may have an impact on the injured person’s hair and could also result in facial disfigurement which has a psychological reaction.
In order to claim through the CICA, it’s essential that the incident was reported to the police. If it has not been reported, you’d be unable to make a CICA claim.
To find out more about the eligibility criteria for making a criminal burn injury claim, you can use the contact information to talk with our team of advisors. If you do have a valid claim, they could put you in contact with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel.
CICA Claims – What Do You Need To Claim Through The CICA?
When making a CICA claim, you’ll have to provide the following:
- Evidence that you meet residency requirements
- A police reference number to show that the incident was reported
- Medical evidence
- Proof of financial losses
The CICA will communicate with the police once they receive your crime reference number. They will be able, for example, to confirm with the police about your conduct following the incident. This is important as, if you failed to fully cooperate with the police, it might see your award being reduced accordingly or withheld fully.
Speaking with a solicitor could give you a better idea of how much your criminal burn injury claim could be worth and the evidence you could use to support it. Get in touch with our team today to see if you could be connected with a lawyer from our panel.
What Burn Injury Compensation Could You Recieve From A CICA Claim?
When claiming through the CICA, your settlement could depend on the following factors:
- The extent of the injury
- The physical and psychological impacts of the injury. For example, as well as sustaining physical injuries, they could also result in psychological harm such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Whether the condition is permanent or if there’s a prospect of recovery
The figures provided below have been taken from the tariff of injuries provided in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Burns | Over 25% of skin | £33,000 | Burns affecting multiple areas of the body. There will be significant scarring. |
| Facial burns | Severe | £27,000 | Severe burns causing more than minor disfigurement. |
| Facial burns | Moderate | £3,500 | Moderate burns causing more than minor disfigurement. |
| Head burns | Severe | £16,500 | Severe head burns causing more than minor disfigurement. |
| Head burns | Moderate | £2,400 | Moderate head burns causing more than minor disfigurement. |
| Upper limb burns | Severe | £11,000 | Severe burns to the upper limbs. |
| Upper limb burns | Moderate | £2,400 | Moderate burns to the lower limbs. |
| Lower limb burns | Severe | £11,000 | Severe burns to the lower limbs. |
| Lower limb burns | Moderate | £2,400 | Moderate burns to the lower limbs. |
| Burns to the torso | Severe | £11,000 | Severe burns to the torso. |
If you claim for multiple injuries using the main tariff, you would receive 100% compensation for the most severe injury, 30% for the second most severe injury and 15% for the third most severe injury. However, another tariff contains payments for instances such as the loss of a foetus in a violent crime, which would not be subject to this formula.
Special Expenses In A Criminal Burn Injury Claim
You could also be compensated for special expenses that you have experienced as a result of your injuries. These must be reasonable, necessary and incurred as a direct result of the incident. Claimable special expenses could include:
- Cost of care
- Loss of earnings
- Cost of renovations to a home
- The cost of physical aids damaged in the attack
For more information on the evidence, you’ll have to provide to receive special damages, use the contact information above to discuss this with our team of advisors.
Is There A CICA Claim Time Limit?
There is a general 2-year time limit to beginning a claim through the CICA. This runs from when you first report the incident to the police.
This reporting is expected to be done right away unless circumstances prevent this from happening. If you can show that exceptional circumstances applied, the CICA might still be able to consider your claim.
Furthermore, you might have reported the incident to the police right away, but exceptional circumstances then stopped you from being able to make your claim within the two-year time limit specified. If you can show that this is the case, then your claim could still be considered.
You can call us to learn more about the time limits that apply to criminal injury claims.
Make A Burn Injury Claim Using Our Panel Of Criminal Injury Solicitors
Providing you have a valid claim, you can choose to make your claim through our panel of solicitors. They may offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) which is a type of No Win No Fee Agreement. The terms of these kinds of agreements are set out in the Conditional Fees Agreements Order 2013.
Under a CFA, you won’t be expected to pay any upfront or ongoing fees for your legal representation. As well as this, in the case that you’re unsuccessful in your claim, you won’t have to pay anything for the work your lawyer carried out on your claim.
However, in the case that you’re awarded compensation, you will have a success fee deducted from your settlement. The percentage that can be taken is legally capped.
You can use the following contact details to learn more about making a criminal burn injury claim.
Contact us by:
- Calling us for free on 0113 460 1216
- Enter your details into the making a claim section on our website
- Talking with a member of our team of advisors through the live support bubble.
Learn More About Making A Criminal Burn Injury Claim
You can read more of our guides below:
- Making a domestic abuse claim
- Can I claim compensation for GBH?
- Valuing compensation for a hand injury claim.
Alternatively, you can use the following links for useful information from other resources:
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
- CICA statistics
- Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) information on Offences Against the Person
We hope that this guide on making a criminal burn injury claim has been useful. For more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of advisors.
Writer Louis Pen
Publisher Fern Stringer
