We can assist with your CICA review or CICA appeal
Unhappy with a CICA decision? For free legal guidance on making a CICA review or an CICA appeal, call the experts on 0333 888 0445 or email brief details to us at [email protected]
If the CICA makes a decision which the applicant disagrees with they can ask for a review of that decision. A CICA review can be requested if the compensation awarded is too low or the claim has been completely rejected. If you are unhappy with the outcome of your CICA review then you can appeal the decision.
We have helped many clients with making a CICA review and in many cases we have succeeded in recovering substantial sums of compensation for clients whose claims were originally rejected, as happened in the following case study.
Case study of a successful CICA review
A woman approached our specialist abuse team for legal advice in relation to sexual abuse and exploitation she had suffered during her childhood and into early adulthood. She had been forced into prostitution and given drugs by men much older than her. She was groomed and controlled by these men. After being able to remove herself from this situation, the woman finally felt able to report the abuse to the police around 7 years after it came to an end. Although her allegations were taken seriously the police were unable to take the matter further, which was obviously extremely disappointing for her.
An application for compensation was submitted to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) on her behalf by one of our specialist abuse lawyers. However, the CICA rejected the application on the basis that our client should have applied sooner because she was an adult when the abuse came to an end. Furthermore, the information provided to the CICA by the police led the CICA to conclude there was insufficient evidence our client was a victim of a crime of violence.
We were unhappy with the response from the CICA on both of these points and advised our client to seek a review of this decision. We challenged the reasoning of the CICA and also gathered additional evidence in the form of our client’s social services records to prove the abuse had taken place.
On review, the CICA accepted our arguments on both issues and the claim was successful. Our client received compensation totalling £22,000.
She was very grateful for what we had done, commenting:
“Thank you for never giving up on my case. I’ve never felt like you’ve judged me which is really important to me as you can guess what’s happened has left me with a lot of shame.”
Our client also shared that since instructing us, she has been able to gain a degree and secure a job which allowed her to use her experience to help others.
How we can help with your CICA review or CICA appeal
We are experienced in dealing with CICA reviews and appeals and have achieved some excellent outcomes for our clients. You can read here a case study of a successful CICA appeal we dealt with which resulted in our client’s compensation being increased from £27,000 to £181,000.
So, if you are unhappy with a CICA decision and need expert guidance on making a CICA review or CICA appeal then call our free legal helpline. Our compassionate and sympathetic lawyers who will fight your corner and work on a No Win, No Fee basis. Call for a free case assessment on 0333 888 0445 or email us at [email protected]