The government have announced a dramatic u-turn on plans that would have seen compensation for ‘minor’ injuries suffered as a result of criminal behaviour being scrapped. The plans, which were due to come into force as part of cuts to reduce the country’s annual legal bill, would have left victims who suffered injuries including a dislocated jaw, minor sprains and a broken hand, unable to claim compensation via the government funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) scheme.
Only last week, newly appointed Justice Minister Helen Grant defended the plans to scrap the compensation scheme for the bottom five bands, saying that the £50 million that was due to be saved per year from the cuts would be better allocated to providing support services for victims. However, following a debate by the Commons committee, an announcement was made on Monday night withdrawing the plans.
This is positive news for victims of crime, who can be completely innocent bystanders, or victims of unprovoked attacks, especially in the case of smaller injuries.
Farleys assist victims of crime in the pursuit of CICA claims for any type of injury. Whilst the application form provided by the CICA states you do not require a solicitor’s help to make a claim, it is important to realise that in some cases, it may be advantageous to do so. For example, we recently helped an abuse victim who had initially received an offer of approximately £8,000.00. She then asked for this to be reviewed, at which point the CICA reduced the offer to £3,000.00. We took over the claim and progressed it to an appeal, eventually securing an award of over £20,000.00 for the applicant.
Whether you have suffered a so-called ‘minor’ injury, or indeed a more severe consequence of a criminal act, our experienced CICA solicitors can help you progress your claim to achieve the best possible outcome.
By Jonathan Bridge, Personal Injury Solicitor