Acid Attack Victims Compensation Claim Specialists

100% No Win, No Fee Claims
Nothing to pay if you lose.

  • Acid Attack victims get maximum compensation
  • Free legal advice from a friendly solicitor.
  • Specialist solicitors with up to 30 years experience
  • Find out if you can claim compensation Call 0800 073 8804

Start My Claim Online

How Much Compensation For Acid Attack Victims Claims?

By Stephen Hudson. Last Updated 20th February 2023. In this guide, we explain what acid attack victims claims are and how they are made. We’ll offer tips on what to do if you are seeking compensation for injuries caused by this type of crime.

To be the victim of an acid attack must be absolutely horrifying. The physical pain and suffering experienced will have an enormous impact on the victim’s life. Also, any permanent scar injury will be a constant visual reminder of the reality of what happened, causing a great amount of mental distress.

Anyone who has been injured in an acid attack may be able to file civil proceedings claiming negligence if the attack occurred somewhere where measures should have been taken to prevent violent crime from occurring such as pubs, clubs, concerts etc.

A victim of an acid attack could also lodge a claim with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This is a government organisation that provides compensation for those injured in a crime of violence. Please read on for further information.

Select a section:

A guide to claiming compensation for acid attack victims

Throughout this guide, we’ll explain more about how acid attacks are defined and what requirements need to be met to start a claim for such an attack. We will also take a look at some statistics regarding acid attacks and go into detail about what exactly you may be able to get compensation for through a valid claim.

If you or someone you know have been a victim of an acid attack, you should be entitled to claim compensation. An acid attack leaves the victims with physical and also mental trauma that can take an awful long time to begin to recover from and can affect their lives in all areas.

Financially the victim could be crippled due to ongoing medical and treatment costs, loss of income and loss of any future earnings as well as other costs resulting from the acid attack, and so acid attack compensation would help to at least alleviate the stress and anguish that, that part of their life is causing them, allowing them to concentrate on their recovery.

Our personal injury solicitors have years of experience and can help you to launch an acid attack compensation claim.

What is an acid attack victim?

Before we look further into claims for an acid attack, let’s look at what an acid attack is. Also, what physical damage can an acid attack cause?

A victim of an acid attack is someone on the receiving end of a form of violent assault, where a corrosive liquid, such as Sulphuric Acid, is purposefully thrown at them with the intent to cause harm. In most cases, the acid is thrown at the victim’s face with the intention to burn them leaving them with permanent scarring and disfigurement. Depending on the type of acid used and the quantity, the skin tissue can be so damaged that the bones often get exposed and even sometimes start to dissolve.

These types of attacks can lead to blindness, and permanent scarring and disfigurement that cause extreme pain and suffering to the victim. The psychological effect can be catastrophic and the long term impact on the victim’s life will be very detrimental on their overall health and well-being.

Why are acid attacks on the rise?

At this point in our acid attack victims claims guide, let’s look at some context behind these incidents.

Corrosive substances are easy to obtain and do not show up on metal detectors. It is not currently illegal to be in possession of a corrosive substance like it is to be found in possession of a knife or gun for instance. A large number of these attacks are feared to be related to gangs which could explain the sharp rise in cases in the smaller areas of bigger cities.

Since possession of a corrosive liquid is difficult to Police and causes a long lasting impact on their victim’s lives, Criminologists believe that it is being chosen as the weapon of choice by gang members.

According to a doctor from Middlesex University acid was once a weapon of last resort among gangs but it might now be top of the list. Acid is used by gangs should a “business deal” go bad or if they are owed money.

A big problem is that people can have a legitimate explanation for carrying acid. It’s not against the law to have a bottle of bleach on you and it can be bought in many shops around the country and it makes it difficult for the police to prove any illegal motive.

Also if you use a knife in attack you might be charged with attempted murder, but by using acid you might only be charged with GBH.

The law needs to be changed somehow to make corrosive liquids less readily available, and to allow the Police to make arrests in certain cases when finding someone in possession of it. The criminal justice system should also be altered so that punishments are more severe for those responsible for carrying out an acid attack. Buying and selling of any corrosive substance should be restricted and any purchases recorded. Until such measures are put into place, unfortunately the likelihood is, that acid attacks will continue to rise.

For more information on acid attack victims claims, please read on.

Acid attacks taking place in the UK

2017 has seen a worrying rise in the amount of acid attacks within the UK, particularly in London where more than half of the acid attacks have taken place. Scotland Yard has been focusing on certain parts of the city in order to crack down on the perpetrators, but the number of attack’s have more than doubled from less than 200 in 2014 to 431 in 2016.

acid attack victims claims

acid attack victims claims

Other areas in the UK such as the West Midlands and Essex, have also seen a steep rise in recent attacks, going from 340 in 2014 to as high as 843.

The home Secretary and the Police, have both agreed to increase the stop and search numbers with the hope of foiling potential acid attacks.

The London Police have now been given 1000 acid crime response kits so that they can help victims as soon as possible. They are also going to receive protective clothing and extra medical advice so that they can be as prepared as they can be if confronted with an acid attack incident.
It has been hinted that tougher sentencing guidelines need to be introduced with the hope that it might deter people from carrying out such a violent assault.

Shopkeepers have been told to stop selling liquids such as bleach to children in a bid to stop these awful attacks. Most of the attacks in the UK are random and are often gang related or connected to robberies. Worryingly, the majority of perpetrators appear to be teenagers.

To learn more about how to make acid attack victims claims, please read on.

How can an acid attack be life changing?

Being the victim of an acid attack will have a massive impact on your life. The most obvious change is permanent disfigurement but there is a lot more to it than just what is visual. These are just a few of many reasons why you may want to make acid attack victims claims for compensation.

Medical effects of an acid attack

The medical effects of an acid attack can be enormous. In most acid attack cases, the acid is thrown at the victim’s face and the severity of the damage caused will depend on the strength of the acid, type of acid and the length of time it takes to start to flush with running water. The acid can very quickly burn away the skin and layer of fat and in some cases even starts dissolving the underlying bone. Nose and ears may be severely damaged and eyelids and lips may be completely destroyed. Other effects can be as follows:

  • The skull may be partly destroyed or deformed and hair will be lost.
  • Eyelids may be either completely burned away or deformed, leaving the eyes vulnerable and extremely dry which can result in blindness. If the acid has got onto the eye directly, loss of sight is probable, possibly in both eyes.
  • Deafness may occur due to the ear cartilage being partly or totally destroyed or deformed.
  • The nose can become deformed, or / and shrunken, and also due to damage to the cartilage in the nose, the nostrils may completely close off.
  • The mouth may lose its full range of motion and may become shrunken and narrow. Often the lips are completely destroyed making speech difficult and also exposing the teeth.
  • Scars can go down from the chin to the neck area causing restricted movement of the neck.
  • Respiratory problems may arise due to breathing in the vapours of the acid.

As well as these horrific effects, the victims may also be more susceptible to developing septicaemia, renal failure, skin depigmentation and in exceptionally severe cases, even death.

Psychological effects of an acid attack

As part of your acid attack victims claims, you may wish to seek compensation for the psychological effects of your incident.

Victims of acid attacks face many mental health issues upon recovery. Levels of anxiety and depression increase a great deal as does psychological distress bought on by concern about their appearance. Low self-esteem, particularly in women, and self-consciousness become an issue.

Being attacked undoubtedly will leave the victims traumatised by what happened and many may suffer with post -traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

It may take years of counselling before victims can finally recover mentally, if at all.
Social:-

As well as the physical and psychological effects, there are also many social implications that are common for those hurt in acid attacks which may contribute to them wanting to pursue a claim. For example, violent attacks including those involving the use of acid often leave the victim handicapped in some way. They are therefore often having to depend on others to help them with their day-to-day activities such as eating and running errands. Often these dependencies occur because many victims are unable to find suitable work due to the injuries they have sustained. Injuries may include impaired vision or hearing, which can have a huge negative impact on a person’s life.

So, as can be seen, an acid attack can most certainly impact every area of the victim’s life and so be totally life changing.

Below is a link to a documentary about some acid attack survivors and how their lives have been affected.

How to begin an acid attack burn injury claim

Are you interested in pursuing acid attack victims claims for yourself or a loved one? If you need to make an acid burn compensation claim but don’t know where to begin, don’t worry, all you need to do is call us and we will help you every step of the way to launch your claim and do everything within our power to make sure it is a success.

When you call us, you will speak to a member of our professional team who will provide you with a free consultation session. This will give you the chance to ask as many questions as you need regarding making your claim, and it gives us the opportunity to get some information from you too so that we can better understand your situation and advise you in the best way we can. We can also arrange for you to have a local medical if required at no cost to you.

Then with your agreement, we will start your claim on a No Win No Fee basis. What this means is that you will only be charged legal fees if your case is a success, and so you have no need to worry about any surprise legal bills! Please read further on in our guide to find out more about No Win No Fee.

What can be claimed for after an accident causing an eye injury?

If you have suffered an eye injury as a result of an acid attack, there are a few things that you can include in your acid attack victims claims, such as:

  • General Damages – This relates to the amount of compensation you will receive for your injuries, and the pain and suffering you have experienced.
  • Care Claim – This refers to money you can claim if you have required assistance around the home whilst you recover. Also, the person who has cared for you will be able to make a claim.
  • Travel Expenses – These include any expenses going to and from hospital, and also any vehicle adaptions you may have required or any alternative travelling arrangements you may have needed to make.
  • Loss of Earnings – You are able to claim for any income that you have lost as a direct result of your injury sustained from an acid attack, as well as loss of any future income.
    Medical Expenses – This will cover costs such as prescription fees, counselling fees, cost of treatment.

There are many types of Eye injury claims as obviously, the eye can be damaged in numerous way. But regardless of how the eye has got injured, in this case from an acid attack, all of the above are still relevant and important to state when making your eye injury claim.

Compensation For A Criminal Injury

If you have suffered a chemical burn following an acid attack, you might wonder what compensation you could claim. As an acid attack would be considered a crime of violence, you will likely need to claim through the CICA.

If this is the case, you would be compensated according to the tariff of injuries found in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. Examples of tariff figures can be found in the table below.

Edit
Injury Compensation Amount Notes
Burns £33,000 Burn injuries affect multiple areas of the body.
Burns to Face £27,000 Severe face burns.
Burns to Head £16,500 Burns to the head are significant.
Burns to Neck £16,500 Severe burn injuries to the neck.
Torso Burns £11,000 The torso is severely burned.
Lower Limbs Burns £11,000 Severe burns to the lower limbs.
Scarring to Neck £4,600 Serious disfigurement will have occurred.
Scarring to Head £3,500 The head will be seriously disfigured.
Scarring to Face £2,400 Your face will significantly disfigured.
Upper Limbs Burns £2,400 Moderate burns to the upper limbs.

Compensation for an acid attack can cover a wide variety of burn injuries and scarring to many different areas of the body. It could also potentially compensate for psychological injuries caused by an acid attack.

If your claim to the CICA covers multiple injuries, then the exact amount you can receive in total as criminal injury compensation will depend on what exact injuries are being covered. It also depends on which of the injuries you are claiming for is considered the most serious.

This is because, when claiming acid attack compensation under the CICA tariff system, you’ll receive 100% of the tariff for the highest-value injury (the one considered most serious). For the second-highest value injury, you’ll receive 30% of the tariff. For the third-highest value injury, you’ll be given 15% of the tariff.

When claiming through the CICA, your compensation could also include special expenses. This addresses certain financial losses you may have suffered as a result of your criminal injury.

If the perpetrator is known and has the funds to compensate you, it may be possible to claim against them directly. Your compensation could then include general and special damages. General damages is for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries, whereas special damages addresses financial loss.

For an estimation of the compensation for a criminal injury, you could claim, speak to our advisors at any time.

No Win No Fee acid attack claims

If you’re worried about the cost of legal help when making acid attack victims claims, we work on a No Win No Fee basis to minimise this.

This means that you will not be expected to pay a penny until your claim is made successful and your compensation will then easily cover the cost. In the unlikely event that your claim was unsuccessful, you would not need to pay us anything at all.

Claiming for acid burn compensation can be a long, drawn out process as there are so many individual elements to the case and if you were to choose to work with a solicitor who is paid by the hour, you could find yourself with some large legal fees without any guarantee of compensation being paid. With No Win No Fee you have nothing to lose. As our payment relies on your compensation claim being successful, we always work hard to ensure the maximum amount of compensation is paid out to you.

Why choose us as your claims service for an acid attack claim?

If you’re interested in pursuing compensation from acid attack victims claims, we’re here to help.

We are a professional, friendly and highly experienced injury claims firm that treat all of our customers with respect and importance. We do our best to get the best compensation payouts that our clients deserve in the most efficient and smoothest manner possible.

We understand that you are having a tough time and will treat you with care and consideration and be discrete at all times. We will try our best to make the claiming process as painless as possible so that you don’t have any unnecessary stress and so can concentrate on your recovery.

We have been in the industry for many years and have had thousands of extremely successful compensation claims with maximum payouts, and with our expert solicitors help and guidance, your claim will be a success too. We are honest and reliable and always put our clients first. Our reputation speaks for itself.

Call for free advice and to start a claim

If you are a victim of an acid attack and you want to make a claim or have any queries about acid attack victims claims, all you need to do is call us on 0800 073 8804.

acid attack victims claims

acid attack victims claims

You will speak to a member of our professional team who will assist you in any way that they can. They will answer any questions you may have and will talk you through the claiming process step by step. We are a friendly, caring team and will be empathetic to your situation. You can feel at ease with us and rest assure that your recovery and compensation claim will be our main priority.

Useful Links

NHS Advice on Treating Acid Burns

This link takes you to the NHS website that talks you through what you should do in the event of an acid attack step by step.

NHS Advice on Eye Injuries

This link takes you to another NHS page that gives guidance on what to do if something gets in your eye.

Below, you can learn more about CICA claims via our other guides:

Now that you’ve read our guide, you may want to speak with an advisor. To ask further questions or get support with a claim, you can get in touch with our advisors using the contact details included on this page. An advisor can discuss UK acid attack victims claims and answer other questions.

    Contact Us

    Fill in your details below for a free callback

    Trustpilot

    Meet The Team

    • Patrick Mallon

      Patrick is a Grade A solicitor having qualified in 2005. He's an an expert in accident at work and public liability claims and is currently our head of the EL/PL department. Get in touch today for free to see how we can help you.

      View all posts

    Our Top Legal Guides