Neil Sugarman
I have practised in the field of personal injury injury law since not long after qualification, almost exclusively on behalf of injured people.
I have a long involvement with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) , of which I am a Fellow and have served as its President. I have also been a member of the Law Society’s Personal Injury Panel, and of Headway.
I chaired the Accreditation and Training Committee of APIL and have presented widely as a trainer for the organisation.
I have a longstanding interest in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, and lecture and write widely on the subject, providing training and support to a number of organisations who themselves support victims of violent crime. I was an APIL delegate to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority’s Stakeholder and Authority Forum for a number of years.
I was honoured to receive a UNICEF Child Rights Lawyer award for my work on behalf of shaken babies under the Scheme.
Practice Area
Panel
- Contributing Author
Qualified Year
- 1981
Membership
- Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
- Law Society
Qualification
- LLB (1978)
Education
- University of Manchester (1975 - 1978)
4 Contributions by Neil Sugarman
PRACTICE NOTES
Awards under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (as amended 2019): tariffs, loss of earnings, care costs, fatal claims, conditions and the £500,000 cap
This Practice Note reviews the amended 2012 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which took effect on 13 June 2019. It sets out the tariff-based approach to valuing injuries, together with provisions on loss of earnings, care-related expenses, fatal accident claims, and the scheme’s maximum award available. See also Practice Note: Claims for compensation to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
The tariff system—the injury award
A fixed schedule of awards is available to victims of criminal injury, from £1,000 up to £250,000. The schedule covers all categories of harm, including physical injury, psychological trauma, child loss, sexual abuse or assault, and contraction of life‑threatening diseases. Annex E (Part A) addresses physical and mental health injury, while Part B deals with sexual and physical abuse and other payments. Under this tariff framework, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) sets compensation based on medical evidence. The applicant bears the responsibility for supplying that material, although CICA retains discretion to commission particular medical evidence...
PI & Clinical Negligence
PRACTICE NOTES
CICA claims under the amended 2012 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme: eligibility, qualifying incidents, time limits, injury categories and award reductions (Great Britain)
This practice note reviews the amended 2012 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which took effect on 13 June 2019.
The amended 2012 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
While a person harmed by crime may pursue a civil action for personal injury damages against the assailant, such proceedings are only truly practical if the intended defendant can satisfy any judgment. This is because enforcement depends on the defendant’s ability to meet any award in full, if at all. A civil route might also be viable where an employer could be vicariously liable, or a public authority might bear responsibility. A victim of a violent offence can, alternatively, seek an award through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Various criminal injuries compensation schemes have been established to compensate those who have suffered injury. The latest and operative scheme is the amended 2012 scheme, implemented on 13 June 2019. Its predecessor, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012, governed applications made on or after 27 November 2012. The amended 2012 scheme abolished the pre-1979 ‘same roof’ rule. For more detail, see: Ineligibility and reductions to the award below...
PI & Clinical Negligence
PRACTICE NOTES
CICA Decision Reviews: Grounds, Evidence, Time Limits, Application Process and Outcomes (2012 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, amended 2019)
This Practice Note reviews the revised 2012 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which officially took effect on 13 June 2019.
Reasons for reviewing the decision
If a crime victim is unhappy with the initial outcome from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), whether no award was granted or the sum awarded seems inadequate, they may request that the decision be reconsidered by making an application for review. Be aware there is no assurance that reviewing a CICA decision will lead to a higher award, and the process might conclude with a decision that is less favourable to the applicant.
Time limits
Where an applicant intends to challenge a CICA decision, the review application must be dispatched so that it reaches the Authority within 56 days of the date on the written notice of the decision. Ensuring confirmed receipt within the stated period is essential for compliance with deadlines...
PI & Clinical Negligence
PRACTICE NOTES
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) claims: applications, time limits (children and 'same roof' rule), evidence, costs and awards under the 2012 Scheme (amended 2019) – Great Britain
This Practice Note reviews the amended 2012 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which took effect on 13 June 2019. Although the Scheme has been the subject of several consultations, no substantial changes have been made.
Time periods for lodging the application
From the date of the incident, a claimant has a two-year window in which to submit an application for compensation.
The onus lies with the applicant to demonstrate they have not failed to meet a reasonable expectation that a claim would be pursued promptly...
PI & Clinical Negligence
If you expected to see yourself on this page, click here.
