The CICA pays compensation for assault based on a tariff. This means it has a list of many types of injuries and sets out how much it will award in compensation for each.

The injuries are set out in body area groups, including Head, Upper Limbs and Torso. Within each group there are different types of injuries such as, eyes, nose and ears in the Head group.

Often each type of injury has many different tariff awards dependent on the severity of the injury. Compensation for eyes can range from £1,000 for partial loss of vision to £110,000 for loss of sight in both eyes.

There are 22 different tariffs for injuries to fingers or thumbs. The CICA can pay compensation for assaults causing these injuries,  between £1,000 and £55,000.

So how do I claim compensation for assault?

Before you can think about how much compensation you may receive, you need to see if you are eligible.

We speak to many victims of assault every day. We help you see if you are likely to be successful with a claim. Because there is nothing worse than bringing a claim and then being told you are not eligible.

How does the CICA decide if they will pay me compensation?

They check to see you have brought your claim within their time limits. This is usually within 2 years of reporting it to the police. There are exceptions which a CICA solicitor can explain.

If the CICA accept you are in time, they then look at the Police Incident Report. They want to see you really are a blameless  victim of crime. If there was an argument and you ended up worse off, the CICA may well decide you are not blameless and refuse to pay compensation.

Unfortunately there are injuries which the CICA no longer award compensation for. They will not pay for black eyes, or split lips, or even a fractured ring finger. Whereas they will pay compensation for a fractured index finger.

Before they offer you compensation for an assault, they will do a police check to make sure you do not have any criminal convictions. If you do they can reduce the amount they will pay or even refuse to pay you at all. A CICA solicitor will be able to advise you on what criteria the CICA use.

Once you have passed all these stages, the CICA will make an offer for compensation for assault. However just because they make an offer does not mean it is correct. As CICA solicitors we check many offers of compensation every year.