Criminal Injury Solicitors

You may be able to claim compensation if you were the victim of a violent crime. This includes if:

  • You were injured.
  • A close relative died.
  • You saw the crime happen to a loved one (or were there immediately afterward).
  • You paid for the funeral of a person who died.

You usually have to claim within 2 years of the crime. The crime must have been reported to the police before you apply.

You may also be able to claim compensation if you were taking a ‘justified and exceptional’ risk trying to stop a crime. For example, somebody was in danger and it was not a situation that you were trained to deal with.

The crime must have happened in England, Wales, or Scotland. It must be reported to the police.

When you can claim

In most cases, you must apply within 2 years of the crime happening.

You may be able to claim for a crime that happened more than 2 years ago if one or both of the following apply:

  • You are claiming because of childhood sexual or physical abuse.
  • You could not claim earlier, for example, because your mental or physical health stopped you.

You may also be able to claim if the crime happened before 1 October 1979 and you lived with the attacker as a family member at the time of the incident.

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What you can get compensation for

You can get compensation for:

  • Physical injuries
  • Disabling mental injuries
  • Sexual or physical abuse
  • The death of a close relative
  • Paying for someone’s funeral
  • Loss of earnings and expenses

Disabling Mental Injuries

A disabling mental injury is something that significantly affects your day-to-day performance at work or school, your relationships, or your sexual relationships. Mental injuries must be diagnosed by a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.

Loss of earnings and expenses

You might get compensation for loss of earnings, or paid expenses to cover the cost of:

  • Care, home adaptations or mobility aids
  • Damage to physical aids, such as dentures, walking sticks or glasses

You usually have been unable to work or have a very limited ability to work for 28 weeks or longer to be eligible.

You will not be paid loss of earnings for the first 28 weeks you were unable to work.

You must have been employed when the crime happened or for the 3 years immediately before it. If you were not employed, you might still be eligible if you could not work, for example, because you were in full-time education, retired, or caring for someone.

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