Arson
Arson Compensation Claims – The Criminal Injuries Authority
Arson can be a terrifying experience, resulting in physical and psychological damage as well as damage to property.
If you have been subjected to an arson attack you could be eligible for a personal injury compensation award under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Scheme.
Obtain Legal Assistance
If you would like a solicitor to act on your behalf why not contact the Personal Injury Bureau? We have a specialist legal team ready at your disposal, with a nationwide list of legal advisors, specialising in criminal injury and personal injury compensation. Claims can produce thousands of pounds in compensation, in some cases, for those suffering criminal injuries, resulting from negligence or criminal or violent acts such as arson.
Telephone us today or fill out our secure, easy to complete form and we can enlist the services of a legal professional local to you.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)
Under the Criminal Damage Act 1971, if the offences of criminal damage and criminal damage with intent to endanger life are caused by fire, they are classified as arson.
Arson attacks can be committed for a number of reasons including revenge, jealousy, racism, as well as personality disorders and delinquency.
Via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, the scheme operated by The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), you can claim compensation for your injuries arising from a criminal act such as arson.
For a crime to be recorded, a victim must be identified.
There are guidelines for making a claim via the CICA scheme:
- The arson attack must have happened in the last two years.
- The arson must have been reported to the police within 48 hours of the incident.
- You need to have the police crime number from when you reported your arson incident.
- You must co-operate with the police and conduct yourself properly.
- The arson attack will have taken place in England, Scotland or Wales.
Arson Facts And Figures
Arson often evolves from an obsessive fascination with fire and its manifestation in certain contexts. Arsonists are also referred to by the names fire-bug, fire-raiser, fire-starter and pyromaniac. Pyromaniac is a recognised psychiatric term; i.e. someone who deliberately, purposefully starts fire, gaining huge satisfaction and excitement from it. The number of arson attacks in the UK has doubled over the past ten years to become the largest single cause of major fires in this country. Joyriding and insurance fires are behind more than half of all burned out vehicle fires.
The main causes (Home Office research) are:
- Youth disorder: children playing with fire, vandalism
- Maliciousness: revenge attacks, hate crimes
- Emotional: mental illness and depression
- Criminality: seeking financial reward or to conceal crime
In an average week arson results in:
- 3,600 deliberately started fires
- 60 injuries
- Two deaths
- A cost to the country of around £40 million
The cost of arson fires in England & Wales was estimated in 1999 at £2.1billion.
In the past ten years there have been 1.8 million arson fires resulting in 22,000 injuries, 1,100 deaths.
Make a Claim for Compensation Following Arson
Speak to a legal advisor and he/she will be able to assess the issues surrounding your arson case and advise you on all aspects of making a claim for criminal injury compensation.
