October 8th, 2009
A girl who was almost killed in a frenzied knife attack has been awarded over £18,000 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
Jessica Knight, 16, had been walking through a park in Chorley when she was attacked by Kristofer Beddar, who had drunk half a bottle of whisky.
She was stabbed 25 times and her injuries were so severe that she suffered a stroke and was in a coma for over a week.
Her mother Jill Walmsley said her life has been badly affected by the attack and that she often suffers double vision.
"We don’t know what the future holds yet – whether she’ll be able to work full-time or even drive," she added.
Jessica pursued a claim through the CICA, which has now agreed to the £18,895 payout.
The CICA is part of the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.
It can pay out a maximum of £250,000 to the victims of a criminal attack.
Tags: Chorley, Cica, Coma, Criminal Injuries Compensation, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, Double Vision, England Scotland, Full Time, Knife Attack, Lancashire, Ministry Of Justice, Stroke, Wales, Walmsley, Whisky
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April 14th, 2009
A police officer who was badly injured when his car was rammed by an escaping thief has won the right to claim compensation.
PC Mark Tait was a passenger in a squad car that was chasing a stolen Volvo in March 2003 when it was crashed into at a junction in Wigan.
Although Mr Tait’s claim was originally denied by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), which claimed that the driver being pursued was only trying to escape, he appealed and a judge has now ruled that the stolen car had been used as a weapon with a possible intention to cause harm.
Mr Justice Stadlen has ordered a new tribunal in which it will be decided how much compensation Mr Tait is to receive, although it is thought the sum will be ’substantial’.
CICA is part of the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.
Tags: Chase, Cica, Criminal Injuries Compensation, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, England Scotland, Intention, Ministry Of Justice, Mr Justice, Police Officer, Policeman, Squad Car, Stolen Car, Tait, Thief, Tribunal, Volvo, Wales, Wigan, Wins
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July 30th, 2008
Changes aimed at speeding up the claims process have been published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
The ministry had been involved in a consultation process focusing on personal injuries claims procedures, with specific emphasis on introducing fixed fees and phasing out referral fees, TheLawyer.com reports.
Results of the discussions have been published, revealing that reforms – which would also apply to employment liability, road traffic accident and road traffic claims – are to be restricted to cases valued between £1,000 and £10,000.
The MoJ is also reported to be considering whether amendments should be made to how conditional fees are arranged, while a judicial review of costs is also due to be completed in the autumn.
Meanwhile, the ministry has also recently set out its key performance indicators for HM Courts Service for 2008-09.
Tags: Amendments, Autumn, Conditional Fees, Consultation Process, Courts Service, Employment Liability, Judicial Review, Key Performance Indicators, Limit Changes, Ministry Of Justice, Personal Injuries, Referral Fees, Road Traffic Accident
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