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Criminal injuries can include injuries suffered due to physical assaults, robberies, physical and sexual abuse and other crimes of violence. Most of the time there is no insurance to claim from and the assailant usually does not have enough money to pay for a compensation claim. Instead a claim is made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
The CICA is an agency providing government compensation for the innocent victims of violent crimes. To make a successful claim, you must have been the innocent victim, so for example you must not have become involved voluntarily in a fight. Compensation can also be refused if you have a significant criminal history yourself, or if you fail to help the police and the criminal court in prosecuting your attacker by going to court as a witness. In certain cases, especially if you were a child when the crime took place, or in cases of domestic violence or sexual crimes, the CICA can make allowances for how difficult it is to report crimes at the time.
Sometimes it is possible to bring a claim against the employer of an assailant, if the crime they commit has some connection with their work. Examples have included claims against schools and religious orders for abuse in boarding schools and care homes; claims against nightclub door staff or security guards who carry out attacks; and claims against employers of staff who carry out assaults at work or at work events.
