Why have the CICA rejected my injury claim?

Why would they reject my claim?

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has only a limited amount of funding to pay compensation to victims of crime. With so many people applying to the scheme it is sometimes easier for the CICA to remove any claims at the earliest opportunity. Clients who are applying for compensation believe the CICA should be sympathetic to their situation. At Evans Hughes we do not underestimate the importance of obtaining professional advice before submitting a claim. If you have applied on your own and been rejected we can try to assist but it becomes significantly harder to do this way around.

Co-operated with the Police?

One of the biggest reasons for your CICA claim to be rejected is that they state you did not co-operate with the police. It could be that you called them but they did not call you back or that they called to see you to discuss and you missed them. It you do not chase the police up then often it is assumed that there is no complaint or that there is insufficient evidence to progress and the report will get filed away with a marker awaiting further contact. When the CICA look into your claim, one of the first people they contact is the police.

They are looking to see if you co-operated. This does not mean that they need to have made an arrest or indeed prosecuted an offender, it just means that you have done everything you can to help the police investigation. So if you have reported the incident and heard nothing further then be proactive and chase the police up. It is always worth making a note of the police incident number or crime reference.

Unspent convictions?

If you have any unspent convictions then the CICA can reject your claim regardless of anything else. If you are unsure about the length of your conviction then it is always worth dropping our CICA experts a message to check before you apply. It could be the case that we can wait until the conviction is spent and you are inside the time limits to apply for compensation.

You are outside the time limits?

Another big reason for a claim with the CICA to be rejected is if it is outside the time limits allowed to claim. On the whole the majority of claims made outside the CICA strict time limits are rejected. There can be exceptional circumstances were these are not applied however this is not the norm. A big reason clients tell us they did not apply is due to not having all the information to hand, we would always advise to get as much as you have across and we would try and get the application submitted within the time limit and the further information sent along later to support your application.

Psychological injury but the CICA rejected your claim?

You know yourself if you are suffering mentally and this is often much worse than any physical injuries suffered but it is so important to be able to prove this to the CICA. Having friends or family members vouch for you will not be enough to not have your claim rejected for this type of injury. You must have been diagnosed by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist in order for your claim to be accepted. For example you may have suffered a broken arm in an assault and still suffer from a psychological injury after the arm has healed. If you cannot prove the mental trauma then you would be compensated for the physical injury and the mental injury claim rejected.

Assuming your injury can be compensated?

Not all injuries are entitled to claim compensation. What you consider to be worthy of the CICA paying compensation may not be covered under the listed injuries regardless of your opinion. The actual list and tariffs are very black and white and if it is not on the list then they will not consider it. If you are not sure what is covered then speak with our experts at Evans Hughes and we can help talk you through this area.

It is always important to obtain expert professional advice when it comes to claiming under the CICA scheme. At Evans Hughes we have staff that have worked not only on the claimants side but also have experience of completing the police side of the report and so are well aware of what is required in order for your claim to be successful. We are here to help and we do not just offer support with your CICA claim but are well connected to support networks and charities who can also help.