There are many risks associated with working in jewellery shops. It’s why many of them have such significant security measures. But if you are harmed in a heist, for example, it’s important to know your legal rights. In this guide, we’ll take a look at criminal injury claims specifically.
If you’re assaulted or suffer some kind of injury in the process of a criminal act, such as a robbery, it’s possible to recover compensation from a government scheme.
It isn’t a straightforward process, however. And that’s why many solicitors offer their services to help. Many of them do so on a No Win No Fee basis, which is something we’ll look at below.
We’ll also share some guideline compensation payouts for different types of injuries and the eligibility criteria associated with criminal injury claims.
But first, let’s look at the risks of working in jewellery shops.
Select A Section
- What Are The Risks Of Working In Jewellery Shops?
- About Criminal Injury Claims
- How To Make A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim
- Compensation Payouts In Criminal Injury Claims
- About No Win No Fee Agreements
- Learn More About Health And Safety In Jewellery Shops
What Are The Risks Of Working In Jewellery Shops?
For those who work in jewellery stores, you’ll be all too aware of the range of risks that are present. For the uninitiated, it can range from being held up in thefts and robberies, to physical assaults and, in extreme cases, attacks with weapons such as knives and guns.
As a result, jewellery shops take measures to ensure thefts are kept to a minimum. This can include employing security staff, keeping jewellery in locked and secure cabinets, and the use of panic buttons to set off alarms and alert the police.
Despite this, robberies and thefts still occur. Criminals have been known to take more sophisticated approaches, such as disguising themselves as security guards, dismantling alarm systems and accessing safes.
It’s important for employers to do all they can to protect their staff, and from an insurance perspective, do all they can to guard against the risk of theft, otherwise, they may not receive a payout in compensation.
But as we’ll consider next, there are other forms of compensation that may be available to those unfortunate enough to be caught up in a jewellery store robbery.
About Criminal Injury Claims
To compensate victims of crime for the trauma and damage they’ve experienced, the UK government set up a body called the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
The CICA administers a scheme by which people can be compensated if they’re harmed in the act of a crime, witness to a crime (involving a loved one), or trying to prevent a crime from happening.
You can claim for the harm inflicted by kicks and punches, stabbings or burns, as well as for psychological harm such as the development of anxiety or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
And unlike in criminal law cases themselves which requires proving the defendant guilty beyond all reasonable doubt, criminal injury claims work on the balance of probabilities.
It’s possible to pursue criminal injury claims without the help of a solicitor. You just need to complete an application form and supply the necessary evidence. However, it can be complex and dealing with it may not be what you need from a well-being perspective. That’s why many solicitors offer their services to help with the process.
How To Make A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim
There are a few requirements when it comes to criminal injury claims. Let’s break down the main ones:
- The crime has to be reported to the police. It’s a requirement to provide a Crime Reference Number (CRN) as part of the application.
- The claim has to be made within 2 years of the criminal act. This is known as the criminal injury claim time limit or limitation period. There are some exceptions to this rule, however, especially in cases of historic sexual abuse.
- The crime must have happened in Great Britain.
- There are a number of residence requirements, such as proving your right to be in the United Kingdom either through citizenship or residency.
There are more requirements so it’s always best to get legal advice, which many solicitors offer free o
Compensation Payouts In Criminal Injury Claims
To get an idea of compensation payouts in criminal injury claims we can take a look at the CICA Tariff Of Injuries. This document contains a list of a variety of different injuries, both physical and psychological, and the compensation award for each one.
- Facial Fractures – £11,000
- Nose Injuries – An assault causing loss of taste and smell – £16,500
- Eye Injuries – Leading to loss of sight – £22,000
- Brain Damage – Leading to effects on personality and intellect – £27,000
- Tinnitus – severe and permanent – £19,000
These are just a few examples to give you an idea of the different levels of awards in criminal injury claims.
Each case is unique and is treated as such. It’s always tricky, therefore, to provide concrete figures here.
As mentioned above, solicitors offer No Win No Fee Agreements, which we’ll discuss next. They also offer free consultations. So you have nothing to lose in asking a lawyer for advice.
About No Win No Fee Agreements
Many solicitors specialising in criminal injury claims offer to represent their clients on a No Win No Fee basis. This is a term you may have heard before and its meaning is simple: if your case doesn’t succeed, your solicitor won’t charge you any fees.
Only if your case results in you receiving compensation do you pay any fees. And what you do pay is deducted from that award. It’s usually around 25%, though sometimes may be lower. It’s worth noting that you can’t be charged any more than 25% by law.
There are other options to working with lawyers, such as paying them by the hour. But this could see you paying fees without any guarantee of success. No Win No Fee agreements allow you to shift the risk onto the solicitor; they don’t get paid unless your case succeeds.
Learn More About Health And Safety In Jewellery Shops
Below, we’ve included some more guides on health and safety in jewellery shops that you may find useful, as well as some on criminal injury claims: