Bing stabbed can of course be a traumatic experience with far-reaching consequences. Nothing can prepare you for the horror and the pain that comes from the assault. Even worse is the fact that the ordeal doesn’t often end there. Being stabbed can leave deep physical, mental and emotional scars that last long after the stabbing incident. Stabbing victims often experience recurring nightmares and other symptoms of PTSD, all of which significantly impact the quality of life.

In this guide to claiming compensation after being stabbed, we’ll explain when you could be eligible to claim compensation and how the process works through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). While no amount of money will remove the trauma caused by knife crime, it could go some way to helping you deal with your injuries.

If you are considering claiming through the CICA scheme, our team can help. We’ll start by reviewing your case for free and then we’ll explain your options and offer legal advice about your options. If you need legal representation, we could appoint one of our personal injury solicitors to help if your case is strong enough. They’ll act for you on a No Win No Fee basis if your claim is accepted.

To discuss your options in more detail, please call our team on 0800 6524 881 today. Alternatively, please carry on reading to find out more about claiming compensation following a stabbing.

Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation For Being Stabbed?

Claims through the CICA (explained below) have a different set of criteria when compared with personal injury claims. Claims for being stabbed are only possible if:

• You reported the stabbing to the police.
• If you’re over 18, the stabbing happened less than 2-years ago*.
• You cooperated with the police during their investigation.
• Your injuries can be verified by medical reports or hospital records.

Importantly, you could be compensated for being stabbed through the CICA scheme even if the criminal has not been identified, charged or prosecuted. That’s because, unlike in criminal law, the CICA use a system called the ‘balance of probabilities’ to assess a criminal injury claim.

* Claims can be made later than two years after the stabbing in exceptional circumstances. For example, you might be given longer to claim if you were stabbed as part of a sexual assault and felt unable to talk to the police about the incident for some time.

What Is The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority?

The CICA is an organisation that’s sponsored by the Ministry of Justice that allows victims of violent crimes to be compensated. They process over 30,000 claims each year and hand out over £130m in compensation.

When a claim is processed, the first thing they do is check that the claimant is eligible to be compensated. Then they’ll verify how much compensation is payable according to the scheme’s rules.

Stab Injuries That Compensation Could Be Claimed For

The CICA scheme uses a tariff of injuries to determine how much compensation for being stabbed you’ll be paid if your claim is successful. It includes a range of injuries that you could claim for. If you have been stabbed, your claim could include compensation for:

It could also be possible for loved ones and close relatives to be compensated if they witnessed you being stabbed or were there during the immediate aftermath of the incident.

Importantly, there is a limit of three injuries that you could claim for in stabbing compensation claims through the CICA. If your claim is successful, you’ll receive 100% of the tariff value for the most serious injury, 30% for the next, and 15% for the third.

How Much Compensation For Being Stabbed Could I Claim?

As well as paying compensation for your stab wounds, the CICA scheme might provide further damages to cover the financial impact of your injuries. This part of your claim is referred to as special expenses. They could include:

• Loss of earnings. You might be entitled to claim for lost income if your stabbing injuries prevented you from working for more than 28 weeks.
• Property damage. CICA claims could include an element to cover any personal aids that were damaged when you were stabbed. For example, you could claim for the cost of replacing spectacles or a hearing aid.
• Medical costs. You could claim for any costs linked to your NHS treatment.
• Specialist equipment. The CICA may also pay for a wheelchair, specially adapted vehicle, or other aids that will help you to cope with any ongoing disability.
• Home adaptations. Similarly, if you are left disabled after being stabbed, the CICA could cover the cost of making changes to your home like installing ramps or handrails.
• Care costs. In some cases, you might be compensated for the cost of a carer to help if you can’t cope with some activities because of your injuries.

Importantly, the CICA will only pay special expenses that are reasonable and necessary and not available by other means (the NHS or benefits system for example).

If you’d like to check what costs you could be compensated for in a stabbing injury claim, please get in touch.

Claiming Compensation For Fatal Stab Victims Through CICA

If you have lost a loved one following a fatal stabbing, we realise no amount of compensation will make things better. However, our solicitors could help you to seek damages through the CICA and other schemes which might help with any financial impact of your loss. Please get in touch on 0800 6524 881 if you’d like to discuss this with us in more detail.

Evidence To Support A Stabbing Claim

To help prove that you are eligible to make a stabbing claim through the CICA, you might need to supply some supporting evidence. This could include:

• Police reference number. The crime number is mandatory as the CICA only allows claims for crimes that have been reported to the police.
• Witness information. Details of anybody else who was present at the time of the stabbing should be provided to your solicitor. They might need a statement from them to confirm what they saw.
• Photographs. It’s a good idea to take pictures of your visible stab wounds throughout your recovery period.
• Financial records. As you can sometimes claim back some costs, it’s a good idea to retain any relevant payslips, receipts or benefits documents.
• Medical records. To help prove the extent of your injuries, you could request medical records from the hospital that treated you.

If you would like us to review any evidence you’ve already secured, please get in touch. We’ll let you know your options after during your free consultation.

How Long Does It Take To Receive CICA Compensation Following A Stabbing?

As explained earlier, the CICA currently deals with over 30,000 claims per year. They will always try to deal with each case as quickly as possible but their officers do need to make checks with the police, medical professionals, and others during the claims process.

According to their website, most claims are processed within 12 months. Some can be dealt with sooner if they are quite straightforward while more complex cases can take longer. In these cases, interim payments might be paid out to help while the full extent of your injuries is investigated.

Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor To Make A Stabbing Claim

It is possible to claim compensation for a stabbing through the CICA on your own. However, our team of solicitors has over 30 years of experience in handling all sorts of personal injury claims. That means, in our opinion, they could help you to achieve a higher amount of compensation for your stab injuries by ensuring all aspects of your suffering are considered.

If your stabbing injury claim is accepted, it will be dealt with on a No Win No Fee basis. That means you won’t be asked to pay your solicitor in advance for their work. As soon as you have signed a contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), your solicitor can begin working on your claim.

The only time you’ll need to pay your solicitor is if your stabbing injury claim is successful and is simply a set percentage of your compensation that will be deducted as a success fee. The exact percentage you’ll pay will be listed in your CFA before you sign it.

Starting The Stabbing Injury Claims Process

If you’d like us to help with starting the stabbing injury claims process, please call our team on 0800 6524 881 today. An advisor will review your case and explain your options for free. If they suspect you have a strong enough case, they’ll connect you with one of our solicitors straight away.

We’re available on the phone or via live chat 24 hours a day so please get in touch if you need more information on making a stabbing injury claim.