GBH Victim Claims Guide – How Victims Of GBH Could Claim

By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 2nd January 2024. In this online guide, we are going to provide you with all of the necessary information related to making a personal injury claim if you are the victim of grievous bodily harm (GBH). We will explain the claims process, and also many of the legal factors related to making such a claim. We will also try to demonstrate why using the services of a No Win No Fee solicitor can be a good idea in many cases. Plus we show you how to find No Win No Fee solicitors for GBH cases. We even show you how GBH solicitors receive payment for their services when working under a No Win No Fee agreement.

Man holding his head with a giant bruise caused by GBH

If you have any questions about GBH victim compensation claims or the contents of this guide, then please give our claims team a call on 0800 073 8801. One of our claim advisors will talk over your claim with you, answer any questions you have, and let you know what your legal options are.

Select A Section:

  1. Can I Claim GBH Compensation?
  2. How Long Do You Have To Claim For GBH?
  3. Reporting Incidents Of GBH To The Police
  4. Calculating Compensation For GBH
  5. Evidence For A CICA GBH Claim
  6. Claiming GBH Compensation With A No Win No Fee Solicitor 
  7. Where To Learn More

Can I Claim GBH Compensation?

If you have suffered injuries in a violent assault, you may be wondering if you could claim GBH compensation via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).  The CICA provides a route to compensation if there is no other route, such as a claim against a perpetrator or another relevant third party.

However, there are specific eligibility criteria your case would have to meet for you to claim for GBH injuries through the CICA.

  1. You must have suffered injuries as the innocent victim of a crime of violence, or witnessed the direct aftermath of such an incident, and suffered a mental injury. Alternatively, you must have acted to stop such a crime in progress and been injured as a result.
  2. You must have reported the incident to the police.
  3. You must have been injured in England, Scotland or Wales to claim via the CICA.
  4. You must adhere to the relevant time limits for criminal injury claims.

If you’re unsure whether you could claim via the CICA, please contact an advisor. They could check whether you meet the eligibility criteria, and could help you begin a claim if you are eligible.

How Long Do You Have To Claim For GBH?

If you are eligible to claim compensation for GBH injuries via the CICA, you would typically have two years to start your claim. This runs from the date that you reported the incident to the police. Generally, you are expected to make this report right away, unless you can demonstrate that you were unable to due to exceptional circumstances.

Exceptions can also be made to this two-year time window in which you have to start the claiming process. However, you will need to show that exceptional circumstances prevented you from starting your claim within this timeframe.

The time limits for child claims differ. To find out how they differ or to see whether you still have enough time to begin a GBH compensation claim through the CICA, you can contact a member of our advisory team.

Reporting Incidents Of GBH To The Police

Before you can make a criminal injury claim, you will need to have reported the attack to the relevant police force. The police operate a general procedure for reporting all types of assaults. The level of assault is judged on the injuries that the victim has suffered. This could be common assault, ABH or GBH. All of these are criminal offences that will need to be reported to the police.

Once you have reported the crime to the police, if you wish to move on to make a compensation claim, please call our claims team and explain your situation to them, they will be able to help you further.

Claims For GBH In The Workplace

If you are assaulted at work, by a co-worker or a member of the public, then there are certain actions you should consider taking.

  • Report the assault to your line manager.
  • Fill out the appropriate forms to report the assault at work.
  • Contact the police.
  • If there were any witnesses to the assault, get their contact details.
  • Use a company first aider to get initial treatment for your injuries.
  • Visit the local hospital to have your injuries dealt with fully.

Taking action such as this will both ensure you get the care you need and leave a document trail that can be used when you make a compensation claim. We can review evidence in GBH victim compensation claims for free. Please call today to start the ball rolling.

Claims For GBH In Public Places

In order for a personal injury lawyer to be able to help you by processing a claim for you, you will first need to make sure that it can be proven that your injuries were caused by the assault, and would not have happened had you not been assaulted. You could take actions such as:

  • Find out if anyone videoed or photographed the attack and ask for copies.
  • Call the police and report the attack.
  • Gather the contact details of any witnesses.
  • Visit the hospital to have your injuries treated.

Our claims team can provide you with more advice on how to prove your claim if you give them a call today.

Calculating Compensation For GBH

The table below should give you a rough idea of how much compensation for grievous bodily harm you might receive. Please note that this table only pertains to CICA claims. The figures are based on the CICA Tariff of Injuries.

 

Edit
Injury Severity Notes Compensation
Multiple serious injuries with special expenses Serious A combination of injuries with associated financial expenses such as care costs and loss of income. Up to £250,000+
Very serious brain injury Very serious Little to no awareness of environment or response to stimuli. £175,000
Arm Loss of function Loss of function of one dominant arm. £44,000
Injured head/brain Moderate Here, we could include injuries to the brain that could cause a moderate effect on the cognitive abilities of the victim. There would be a permanent disability for the rest of the victim’s life. £27,000
Chest Injuries requiring theroacotomy Where one or more organs requires repair £16,500
Facial scarring Serious Disfigurement Serious scarring that is permanent would usually attract an award such as this. £11,000
Multiple facial fractures Le fort fractures Le fort fractures of the facial bones £11,000
Injured foot (fractured tarsal) Moderate Here, we would include injuries such as a fractured tarsal. In healing the foot would be deformed. This would result in a permanent impairment such as a change in gait and inability to walk across uneven surfaces. £6,200

 

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/808343/criminal-injuries-compensation-scheme-2012.pdf 

It is very difficult to come up with a figure for the average compensation for GBH, as each claim has its own unique aspects. This is why in some cases, a personal injury claims calculator will be inaccurate. If you want a more accurate estimate of the amount of compensation you will receive based on your own unique circumstances, please call our claims team today. Our solicitors can provide estimates in GBH victim compensation claims once they have reviewed the facts.

Evidence For A CICA GBH Claim

If you are eligible to make a GBH compensation claim, you will need to submit evidence to support your claim. There are various types of evidence that could be useful, including:

  • Medical evidence – Evidence of your GBH injuries is vital. If you’ve sought medical advice and/or treatment for your injuries, this will be recorded in your medical notes. However, in some cases a separate independent medical report might be needed.
  • Proof you have reported the crime to the police – To make a CICA claim the perpetrator does not have to be caught or prosecuted. However, you would have had to report the crime to the police.
  • Documentary evidence that you meet the residency requirements -This may include submitting a copy of your passport or other useful documentation.

The CICA will be able to liaise with the police for any additional evidence they may require.

If you would like to know more about claiming compensation for GBH through the CICA, please contact an advisor.

Claiming GBH Compensation With A No Win No Fee Solicitor

When making a claim through the CICA for GBH compensation, you may wish to have the support of a solicitor. One of our solicitors that has experience with criminal injury claims could assist you with your case. Furthermore, they may offer to represent you under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which is a type of CFA.

Some of the benefits of making a claim with a solicitor under a CFA include:

  • Not having to pay them any upfront fees for their services.
  • Not having to pay them for their work during the process of your claim.
  • If your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be required to pay your solicitor for their services.

Should your solicitor succeed with your claim, and you receive compensation for GBH, they will deduct a legally capped percentage from this as a success fee.

To learn whether you could work with one of our solicitors for your criminal injury claim, you can speak to one of our friendly advisors. They can also help answer any questions and offer free advice. To connect with one of them today, you can:

Where To Learn More

Finally, these other guides are worth reading over:

Thanks for reading our guide on GBH victims compensation claims. For free advice on your options, please call today.