Are you a victim of a crime in Western Australia? You may be eligible to receive Criminal Injuries Compensation if you suffered an injury or experienced financial loss as a result of the crime.
What is Criminal Injuries Compensation?
Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 2003 (WA) provides for the payment of compensation to victims of offences in some circumstances, and for related matters.
You may also be a victim of crime if an immediate member of your family has died as a direct result of an offence.
Is there a time limit to make an application?
Yes, there are strict time limitation periods for making a claim. However, you may be able request an extension if you are outside the time limit if you have exceptional reasoning for the delay. Please contact our Scerri Legal team to further discuss when the offence/s occurred.
What type or injury or loss can be compensated?
Criminal Injury Compensation may cover (but is not limited to) the following:
Loss and enjoyment of life;
Pain and suffering;
Loss of income;
Medical expenses including counselling, psychology, treatment and reports;
Loss or damage of personal items such as hearing aids or clothing.
What amount of compensation will I receive?
The amount you will receive will depend on your injury and the amount of loss you have suffered as a result of that injury.
The maximum amount of criminal compensation payable for victims of crime for offences committed in the state of Western Australia is $75,000 after 1 January 2004.
How long does it take to finalise my claim?
As no two criminal injury compensation claims are the same, the duration of finalising your claim may depend on how complex your injuries are and whether your injuries are stabilised.
The offender was not identified. What happens now?
Regardless of whether the offender was identified, you can still make an application to claim compensation. However, the assessor will need to be satisfied that an offence took place and an injury or loss was a result from that offence.
You should report the offence to the police and obtain the name of the police officer and the report number. Unless you have exceptional reasons for not reporting or assisting the police with the investigation, your compensation claim may be impacted.
Make an appointment to speak with one of Scerri Legal lawyers to discuss your Criminal Injuries Compensation claim.
Every Criminal Injury Compensation claim is different and one of our lawyers will be able to provide you legal advice on your injury and assess your eligibility for your claim.
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