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Claiming
Compensation
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If
you have been injured (physically or emotionally) and the injuries are
significant or have lasting consequences, you may be eligible for compensation
from the Criminal
Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). You
may also be eligible to make a claim if someone close to you has been the victim
of murder or manslaughter.
If
you want to make an application, you can:
either
contact
the CICA directly for a form and fill it out yourself or
ask
someone from Victim Support to provide you with a form, assist you with
filling it out, and manage all correspondence with the CICA. The
application forms are quite long and ask detailed questions about the crime and
your injuries. There are many reasons why it may be useful to have
assistance with your application:-
Following
a traumatic event, dealing with practical considerations such as a claim for
compensation can be stressful, and you may feel happier leaving the
responsibility for dealing with the CICA with someone else. You
may find it difficult to read or write in English; even
if you normally write well, it may be unexpectedly hard to write clearly
about what happened because of the traumatic nature of the
event Staff
or volunteers applying on your behalf have a personal relationship with you
and understand your case from your perspective. It may be easier for
them to put your case to the CICA because they are not involved in what
happened and because they have the Victim Support name to add gravitas to
their enquiries
A outside observer may consider that you have been injured in ways that
you do not perceive yourself (e.g. mental distress) Victim
Support can coordinate many of the practicalities that may need to be dealt
with after the initial claim has been made, such as arranging for you to see
a photographer if the CICA ask for photographs of any scarring you have, or
obtaining medical reports from your doctor If
you do not receive the compensation you were expecting, Victim Support can
help you with making an Appeal against the decision that has been made, and
can put you in touch with lawyers and other professionals who's help you may
need, and advise you about whether you have a case that may be worth
pursuing further Victim
Support can refer you to a professional
financial advisor if you are awarded a large sum of money
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