What is police compensation?
Individuals in the UK can claim compensation from the police when the police have acted unlawfully or have made an error.
Police compensation can be awarded for injuries suffered and for damage to property.
The types of police compensation claim we commonly deal with include:
- claims for wrongful arrest;
- claims for false imprisonment;
- claims for being bitten by a police dog;
- claims for personal injury;
- claims for sexual assault by the police; and
- claims for unlawful searches.
Claims can also be made for property damage caused for example when the police mistakenly break down someone’s front door because they have the wrong address, or cause a road traffic accident while pursuing a lawful chase, or where an item such as a mobile phone has been taken to get evidence from it but has not been returned. In these cases it would only be cost effective to appoint us to deal with the claim if there were serious injuries, the loss was substantial or it was linked to one of the claims listed above.
In most instances where the consequences of the police’s actions are serious we are able to work on a No Win, No Fee basis.
When we act on a No Win, No Fee basis it means that you do not have to fund the legal costs of the case yourself and you will not be required to pay any fees if your compensation claim is not successful. You can read more about No Win, No Fee funding for police compensation claims here.