A broken nose, anxiety, and justice through civil and criminal compensation
Dublin
It was a Friday night in November when Derek, a 34-year-old from South Dublin, popped into his local pub for a quiet drink with a friend. He'd had a long week at work and just wanted to unwind. The pub was busy but friendly, the kind of place where he'd been going for years. Nobody could have predicted what was about to happen.
As Derek was leaving at around 10:30 p.m., a man he'd never seen before approached him in the car park. Without any warning or provocation, the stranger threw a punch directly at Derek's face. The blow was sudden and brutal. Derek fell to the ground, blood streaming from his nose, completely stunned by what had just happened. Other people nearby quickly intervened and called gardaí, but the damage was already done.
At the hospital, Derek was told his nose was broken. The doctors said it would need careful monitoring and likely would require surgery to set properly. But the physical injury wasn't what bothered Derek most over the coming weeks. He developed severe anxiety. He couldn't sleep properly. He felt unsafe going out, even during the day. Going back to the pub where it happened was completely out of the question. He kept replaying the moment in his head, wondering if he'd done something wrong, even though he knew he hadn't.
The gardaí arrested the attacker the following day. He was charged and eventually pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm. But Derek knew that the criminal case, while important for justice, wouldn't cover his medical costs, lost earnings, or the psychological impact he was suffering. That's when he decided to explore his civil rights and contacted a solicitor about compensation.
If you've been the victim of an assault in Ireland, you have two separate routes to compensation:
In Derek's case, he pursued both routes. The attacker was identified and charged, which made the civil claim straightforward. He also applied to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal, which recognises the state's responsibility to support victims when violent crime occurs.
You don't need to have injuries that require hospital admission. Compensation is available for physical injuries (broken bones, cuts, bruises), psychological injuries (trauma, anxiety, PTSD), and losses (medical costs, lost wages, therapy).
After his solicitor gathered all the evidence—medical reports, proof of his anxiety diagnosis, receipts for private physiotherapy, records of lost work days—Derek's claim was valued. The final settlement and Criminal Injuries Tribunal award covered:
Tell Sarah what happened. She will explain your options and match you with the right solicitor in your county — completely free, no obligation.