By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 2nd January 2024. On this page, you are going to read a comprehensive online guide to the process of making a compensation claim if you have been injured in an acid attack or one involving another corrosive substance. As an acid attack victim, you have the right to attempt to make a claim for acid attack compensation. An injury claim calculator could provide some guidance on acid victim compensation. However, this guide to acid attack claims will show acid attack victims how to go about this. We also answer questions such as ‘What acid is used in acid attacks?’ and ‘How long does an acid victim have to claim?’ We also show the difference between a victim of crime claim and a claim against another liable party.
Getting answers
There are likely unique aspects to your claim, as individual acid attack compensation claims are different. This means that this guide may not answer all of your questions. If it doesn’t, don’t worry, we can still help you. All you have to do is pick up the phone and have a short conversation with a member of our claims team on 0800 073 8801. A claim advisor will talk over your claim with you, and then offer you some free legal advice on how to move your claim forward to the next stage.
Select A Section:
- A Guide To Acid Attack Compensation Claims
- What Is An Acid Attack?
- Has There Been An Increase In Acid Attacks In The UK?
- Why Do Acid Attacks Happen?
- Acid Attack First Aid
- How Are Acid Burns Treated?
- Acid Victim – Could I Claim If The Offender Is Not Caught?
- What Evidence Do I Need To Claim Via The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority?
- Acid Attacks Are Life-Changing
- Acid Attack Compensation Payouts
- Potential Compensation Amounts for Acid Attack Victims
- Can I Claim Acid Attack Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis?
- How To Make An Acid Attack Victim Compensation Claim
- How Accident Claims UK Could Help Acid Attack Victims
- Talk To Us Today About Acid Attack Compensation
- Acid Attack Victim Support For Acid Attack Compensation Claimants
- Essential Links Relating To Acid Attack Compensation
A Guide To Acid Attack Compensation Claims
Acid attack victim claims can deal with incidents that may be traumatic. By reading this guide to the process of claiming compensation for the victim of an acid attack, you will come to understand how to best proceed with your own claim. However, you will need to conclude your claim within the personal injury claims time limit, and our claims team can let you know what this time limit is. We begin this guide to making acid attack claims by looking at what an acid attack actually is.
Next, we move on to look at some of the key facts related to acid attacks. This includes some of the main statistics, as well as a discussion of why acid attacks take place, etc. We also cover acid attack first aid, and how acid/chemical burns are treated by medical professionals in this part of the guide.
Further information
The next part of this guide goes over some facts related to the claim itself. We take a look at how a claimant could have a route to compensation, even if their attacker is never caught. We also take a look at the role of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) in relation to violent crimes, and the kinds of evidence you will need to submit when you apply to CICA for compensation.
The final part of this guide relates to some of the financial considerations when making acid attack claims. We will look at how the scars left by an accident attack can have a catastrophic effect on the life of the victim. Plus, we have included a table that shows the typical compensation range for different levels of severity of scaring. We also list some of the most commonly awarded kinds of damages that a settlement could comprise of. Finally, we give some advice on how to start your claim, and the logical steps to take, and we also explain how a No Win No Fee solicitor can assist you in getting the compensation you are entitled to, whilst reducing the financial risks associated with making a claim.
Getting help
If you need more information, have questions about the contents of this guide, or simply need some advice about acid attack compensation claims, then call our claims team today on the number at the end of the page. One of our claim advisers will be happy to provide you with any additional information or answers that you need.
What Is An Acid Attack?
An acid attack, also known as a vitriol attack, is a type of criminal assault that is perpetrated by throwing a corrosive liquid, usually acid, at the victim. The intent of the attack is to cause chemical burns or acid burns, that will result in pain and suffering, and leave the victim with permanent scars and other kinds of facial deformities. In a most extreme case, the skin can be burned away completely, and the underlying tissue and bones dissolved either fully or partially.
Commonly, nitric acid or sulfuric acid are used in the attack, as these are both easy to acquire. Sometimes hydrochloric acid is used, but this is much more difficult to procure and is not as strong as either sulphuric or nitric acid. Sometimes a substance such as sodium hydroxide is substituted for the acid, which although nowhere near as harmful, can be procured easily, cheaply, and in greater quantities.
Who could claim?
People who are harmed in such a violent crime could be able to claim acid attack victim compensation. If you would like to know more about this, please speak to a member of our team today about acid attack claims.
Has There Been An Increase In Acid Attacks In The UK?
According to the Metropolitan Police, taking 15 years of acid attack cases in the UK into account, we see the following acid attacks UK statistics:
- In 74% of cases, the perpetrator was male
- In 67% of cases, the victim was male
- Only 6% were carried out by an Asian perpetrator, and only one case was an “honour” attack
- 80% of all cases never went to court
In the time period 2012 to 2016, the number of acid attacks grew by over 500% with a total of 469 attacks on record.
Why Are Such Attacks On The Rise?
Acid or other chemical attacks have become one of the most common forms of male on male attacks in the UK. The reasons for this include:
- The weapon is easily procured and legal to carry
- The damage done by the attack is hard to mitigate and can have very serious effects on the victim. Put simply, this is a very effective form of attack
- The chance of being caught after performing a hit and run or drive by acid attack is very low
As with any trend, many instances of acid attacks are copycat crimes. Many attacks are some form of gang on gang violence. As such, the tit for tat nature of such conflicts leads to escalation and more violence. Acid attack claims can help to compensate the victims of these criminal attacks.
Why Do Acid Attacks Happen?
Consider for a moment that an acid attack is effectively a kind of physical assault. However, in other kinds of physical assault, the perpetrator has to actually attack the victim physically, either with their hands or using a weapon. This means that for a period of time, it could be possible for the perpetrator to be seen by members of the public, and it also means they must be close to their victim for some time, and the victim may identify them. On the other hand, an acid attack is far less personal and usually happens as some form of drive-by attack. In many cases, the victim will never see who attack them or what the identity of their attacker is. Therefore, the chances of the attacker being caught are very low.
Put simply, an acid attack is a very effective, harmful kind of assault with a very low risk of being caught. If you become the victim of an acid attack, we can provide you with a personal injury lawyer who can help you to make personal injury claims.
Acid Attack First Aid
The physical harm from an acid burn or any kind of chemical burn to the face can be greatly reduced by administering the proper First Aid as soon as possible after the facial burns took place. This includes:
- Using fresh or saline water, wash all areas that have been exposed to the chemical
- Make sure any water used to clean the burns is clean itself, so as not to cause infections
- Keep applying cool (not cold) water to the burns, until the burning sensation subsides, this could take up to 40 minutes in some cases
- Remove all clothing and other items such as jewellery that came into contact with the harmful chemical
- Do not use any kind of cream or ointment to treat the burns
- If you have some surgical gauze to hand, use this to gently wrap the burned area
This is the kind of initial first aid that can be applied in the case of an acid attack. It does not cover additional kinds of injuries that may have been caused, such as eye injuries. Once First Aid has been administered, the victim must visit the hospital for full emergency treatment as a matter of urgency.
How Are Acid Burns Treated?
The treatment for an acid burn depends on the severity of the burn, in the case of a minor to moderate burn, treatment after First Aid could include:
- Prescribing antibiotics to reduce the chance of infections
- Prescribing anti-itching medication
- Debridement of the burnt skin and tissue
- Skin grafts onto the burned areas
- An IV for fluids
In the case of severe burns, the additional kinds of treatment may also be administered:
- Skin replacement on the burned areas
- Pain management (therapy and medication)
- Cosmetic surgery to reduce scarring
- Counselling and occupational therapy
Acid Victim – Could I Claim If The Offender Is Not Caught?
If you are making a claim against a perpetrator directly in a personal injury claim, they don’t need to have first been convicted. An acid victim may still make a criminal injuries claim without the offender being found guilty of the crime. However, it is only possible to claim against the perpetrator if they can be identified and they have the funds to pay you.
In this case, you may start a claim for compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), an agency of the Ministry of Justice who deal with compensation claims for victims involved in a violent crime in either England, Scotland or Wales.
If you are thinking about what to do for an acid attack claim, you may want to connect with a lawyer who is familiar with the CICA claim procedure.
Our specialist lawyers are trained in dealing with CICA claims and could give you free legal advice. Speak to an advisor for a free consultation of your claim and they could potentially connect you to a lawyer from our panel.
What Evidence Do I Need To Claim Via The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority?
In order for a claimant to be able to make a CICA claim, they will need to provide medical evidence that will show the extent of the injuries the victim sustained. This kind of evidence includes:
- A medical report after a medical examination. CICA can provide a form for the claimant to give to the doctor performing the examination, that the doctor can fill in
- Medical records related to the treatment of the injuries
- Photographs of the injuries and also any scarring left after recovery. If possible, take photographs of the scarring long after the initial injuries have healed, to show how severe they are. Photographs have to be of high quality in order for them to be accepted by CICA
If you have questions about the evidence you need to make your own claim for compensation for an acid attack, speak to one of our claim advisers today to have them answered.
Acid Attacks Are Life-Changing
When a person becomes the victim of an acid attack, the initial pain and suffering is the lesser part of the harm the victim suffers overall. Once the initial injuries have healed, the victim could be left with a facial scar or some other permanent scar. Furthermore, if they suffered an eye injury, they could be left with impaired vision or even be completely blind. These kinds of long-term effects of the acid attack are going to have a very serious negative impact on the quality of life if the victim.
And then there is the psychological damage to contend with. After a traumatic event such as an acid attack, the victim could develop psychological problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression. Once again, these conditions are going to have a negative effect on the victim’s life quality. As we can see, an acid attack can be a truly life-changing event.
Acid Attack Compensation Payouts
If you intend to make a victim of crime claim as someone who has suffered injuries as an acid victim, you might want to know how much you could claim.
When claiming via the CICA, you could receive a payment for your injuries as well as a payment for special expenses and loss of earnings.
It could be possible for you to use an injury compensation calculator to get an idea of how much could be an appropriate compensation payout for an acid victim. However, we’ve presented some useful information in the table below that could give you some insight too.
As we have mentioned, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has a tariff laid out in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. We have used these figures to create the table below.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation As Per Tariff |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious criminal injuries plus special expenses. | A combination of injuries leading to pain, suffering and financial loss such as loss of income after 28 weeks. | Up to £100,000+ |
| Burns | Affecting multiple areas of body covering over 25% of total skin, with significant scarring | £33,000 |
| Burns to the face | Severe | £27,000 |
| Burns to the neck | Severe | £16,500 |
| Burns to the torso | Severe | £11,000 |
| Burns to lower limbs | Severe | £11,000 |
| Scarring | Face – Serious Scarring | £11,000 |
| Scarring | Neck – Serious disfigurement | £4,600 |
| Scarring | Upper limbs – Serious disfigurement | £3,500 |
To learn more about special expenses and loss of earnings payments, get in touch on the number above.
What If I’m Not Claiming Through The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority?
In some cases, an acid victim may be able to take another route to claim compensation. For example, you may be able to claim against a vicariously liable party.
In such cases, your compensation payout could differ from a payout awarded following a successful victim of crime claim made via the CICA.
In claims made against a vicariously liable third party, solicitors can use the Judicial College Guidelines to help them value the general damages portion of your claim. This is one of the heads of claim that could make up your settlement amount. It compensates for the pain and suffering of the injuries you experienced.
Please only use the figures as a guide though because your actual settlement could vary.
| Scar Type | Severity | Notes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A combination of serious injuries with combined financial expenses. | Serious | Multiple serious injuries with financial losses such as loss of pay and medical expenses. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| General Psychiatric Damage | Severe (a) | Long-term mental problems caused by reasons such as prolonged and frequent physical and sexual abuse, etc. Issues such as new phobias, heavy depression and life-changing anxiety. The condition will last for a long time. | £54,830 to £115,730 |
| General Psychiatric Damage | Moderately severe (b) | Long-term mental problems, caused by reasons such as negligent stillbirth or the traumatic birth of a child, work-related stress, etc. Issues such as new phobias, heavy depression and life-changing anxiety. The victim will recover over time. | £19,070 to £54,830 |
| General Psychiatric Damage | Moderate (c) | Medium-term mental problems, such as depression and anxiety that the victim will recover from fully in time. | £5,860 to £19,070 |
| Facial scarring | Very Severe (a) | Very severe disfigurement in a person generally under the age of 30, where psychological discomfort is acute, and has a significant negative impact on the life of the victim. | £29,780 to £97,330 |
| Facial scarring | Less Severe (b) | Where disfigurement is quite bad and noticeable, and a fair level of psychological discomfort is caused to the victim. | £17,960 to £48,420 |
| Facial scarring | Significant (c) | In cases where the original scars, or the scars after they have been subjected to plastic surgery, result in some cosmetic disability, with no great psychological discomfort. | £9,110 to £30,090 |
| Facial scarring | Less significant (d) | In cases with multiple trivial scars or one worse scar, that are almost unnoticeable and cause only a little psychological discomfort. | £3,950 to £13,740 |
If you would like to get a personalised estimate of your compensation payout without using an injury compensation calculator, please call us. We would be happy to talk to you.
Potential Compensation Amounts for Acid Attack Victims
If you’re making a personal injury claim as an acid attack victim, there are two types of damages you could receive compensation from. They are:
General damages
This compensates you for any physical or psychological injuries caused by the accident. This doesn’t just account for the initial suffering and pain, but the ongoing stress and trauma of the injury. Factors that can affect the amount you receive include the extent of the injury and whether any permanent health consequences are caused as a result.
Special damages
This compensates you for any financial losses caused because of the injury. For example, you may be unable to work because of your injury, meaning that you suffer from loss of earnings. If this is the case, you may be able to claim compensation. Other losses that acid attack victims may be able to claim for include travel fees, future loss of earnings, healthcare costs and home adjustments.
If you would like more information about the potential compensation you could receive, please contact us for free to see if you can claim. We can provide you with a compensation estimate and connect you with a specialised solicitor from our panel who could help you receive compensation.
Can I Claim Acid Attack Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis?
If you are eligible to make an acid attack claim, you may wish to consider getting help from a solicitor for your case. If you contact our advisors today and discuss your case, they may connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors, provided your claim is valid. They may offer their services to you under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
Under this agreement, you will typicallynot be required to pay your solicitor anything upfront for them to begin working on your case. Additionally, you will not need to pay them for their services while your claim is ongoing or if it ends unsuccessfully.
Instead, if your claim succeeds, they would deduct a success fee from the acid attack compensation awarded to you. This success fee is a small percentage that is subjected to a legal cap. This means that you will keep the majority of what is awarded to you.
If you have any questions about making a claim with a No Win No Fee solicitor, you can contact a member of our advisory team today.
How To Make An Acid Attack Victim Compensation Claim
The steps involved in making a claim are quite straightforward, all you have to do is follow these three steps below:
- Call our claims team, and explain your situation to them. They will answer any questions you have at this stage
- A claim advisor will evaluate your claim, and let you know whether it is valid or not. If it is, you will move on to the next stage
- A solicitor will begin processing your claim for you and try to get you the maximum amount of compensation possible
You can always call us at any time if you want an update on your claim and what the solicitor has been doing on your behalf, or to get answers to any other claim related questions.
How Accident Claims UK Could Help Acid Attack Victims
We can handle claims to award compensation for the victim of an acid attack. Each of our panel of solicitors is an experienced accident and injury lawyer. They will always do everything they can to ensure that your claim is a success. Plus they will never do anything to put your claim in jeopardy. They will answer your questions using plain and simple English without any legal jargon.
What your solicitor will do for you
Claiming acid attack compensation through the CICA scheme might seem quite straightforward. However, to receive the correct amount of victim compensation, you’ll need to prepare a strong case with evidence to show what happened. This will need to show the extent of your injuries sustained in the acid attack.
To help make the process easier, a specialist criminal injuries solicitor from our team could help. We believe that their experience and their understanding of the CICA scheme could make a difference to the level of compensation you could receive. Furthermore, we believe using a solicitor will increase your chances of making a successful claim.
What do our solicitors do?
If a solicitor from our team represents you, they will:
- Compile your claim after thoroughly assessing how you’ve been affected.
- Collect suitable evidence including police reports to back up your claim.
- Ask a medical specialist to review the injuries you sustained in the acid attack.
- Deal with any queries raised by the CICA officers.
- Be available for you to ask questions if you have any during the claims process.
- Explain what’s happening with your claim on a regular basis.
Ultimately, when taking on compensation claims, our team will strive to achieve the maximum amount of compensation possible. If you would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our advisors will guide you through the process of claiming acid attack compensation and provide free legal advice.
Talk To Us Today About Acid Attack Compensation
Thank you for reading our guide to acid attack claims. Do you believe that you have a valid cause to make an acid attack compensation claim? Or perhaps you are not ready to move on to making a claim yet and need additional information and free legal advice. Either way, please speak to a member of our claims team on 0800 073 8801 today. When you contact us, a claim adviser will evaluate your claim, and then help you decide what your next move should be.
Acid Attack Victim Support For Acid Attack Compensation Claimants
These resources are provided to help those who may have been affected by acid attack compensation claims. There are a number of organisations that provide support for victims of an acid attack, such as:
- Action Aid – providing support to women and girls who are victims of an acid attack.
- The British Association of Plastic Reconstruction and Aesthetic Surgery – offering general advice for acid attack victims.
- The NHS – has published advice on how acid attack victims can get help and support.
Essential Links Relating To Acid Attack Compensation
You may find these external links to be useful:
NHS Information On Chemical And Acid Burns
NHS Information About Plastic Surgery
UK Government Measures To Reduce Acid Attacks
These other guides could also be of use to you:
Making A Claim For A Criminal Injury
FAQs For Acid Attack Compensation Claims
How does the UK law deal with acid attacks?
In 2018 the UK government brought legal changes into force. These banned people from possessing a strong sulphuric acid without having a valid reason. This has been part of the government’s effort to tackle acid attacks. The legal changes made it a criminal offence to possess sulphuric acids which have a concentration above 15%. This is without having a licence to do so. Those breaking this law could face an unlimited fine or a 2 year prison sentence.
Types of acid used in attacks
The most common types of acids which are used in acid attacks are sulphuric and hydrochloric acids. Sulphuric acid is the more commonly used substance. It is odourless and colourless as so is easy for an attacker to conceal.
Exposing these substances to the skin can cause intense pain and severe burns. If the eyes are exposed to enough sulphuric acid the victim could even be left blind.
Could I make a claim for the psychological injuries I’ve suffered when claiming acid attack compensation?
If you were injured in an acid attack, it might not just be your physical scars that you could claim for. An acid attack could be a traumatic event, and could lead to you suffering severe psychological or psychiatric damage. As part of your claim, you could include such mental injuries when seeking compensation. It is important to ensure you have a lawyer that understands the impact of psychological injuries on claimants’ cases. We could connect you with the solicitor that could take on your claim on a no win no fee basis. They could help you claim both the physical and psychological damages you deserve.
How long does an acid attack victim have to launch a claim?
Usually, the limitation period for acid attack victims claiming via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is 2 years from the date the incident occurred. There are some exceptional circumstances that may mean you’d be able to claim after this period, however.
We would advise you to seek legal advice if you believe you have exceptional circumstances that could impact your acid attack claim.
What acid is used in acid attacks?
The acid used in acid attacks can vary. Any type of corrosive liquid could be the cause of acid attack victims’ burns. The most common types of acids used in these incidents include hydrochloride and sulphuric acid.
What treatment should an acid attack victim expect?
The acid attack treatment a victim could expect could depend on the site and severity of the burns. Depending on the severity of the burn and where it is located, a range of treatments could be considered. In severe cases, skin grafts could be required, and there may be significant permanent scarring. However, you should speak with a trained medical professional for more information on treatment.
If you are an acid attack victim, you could consider claiming compensation for your injuries. The short and long-term effects of such attacks can not only be physical, but psychological too. Call us for more information.
Could I claim for medical negligence when making acid attack compensation claims?
Are you considering making a compensation claim for medical negligence regarding your injuries from an acid attack? It is important to understand that when claiming for clinical negligence, you would claim for the undue harm you’d suffered due to the negligence. You would not be claiming for the original acid attack injuries. You would need to prove that the negligent treatment you’d received had led your acid attack injuries to become worse than they would had negligence not been a factor. When you make claims for compensation like this, it would be wise to search for a solicitor. You could look for one that is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
You could also look for one that has experience in pursuing medical negligence claims. The NHS paid out a significant amount of money in compensation, as you can see from the statistics below for 2020- 2021.
Finally, thanks for reading this article on acid attack compensation.
