There has been almost £60million paid out for successful criminal injury compensation claims in Northern Ireland since 2017.
Last year alone saw £13,285,060.64 paid out for 1,157 claims, at an average of £11,482.33 per claim, according to figures obtained by Belfast Live through a Freedom of Information request.
Between January and April of this year, the highest individual award of compensation for injury was £1,531,404.50.
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The amount awarded in 2022 almost doubled from the year before with an increase seen in successful claims, from 928 to 1,157.
There are also a high number of claims which are denied each year, with 10,904 turned down since 2017.
Claims are processed under the Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme 2009 and cover a wide range of injuries, both mental and physical.
The legislation states that victims of violent crime, their parent, child, husband, wife or partner can all be potentially eligible for compensation.
The minimum award for injuries serious enough to qualify someone for compensation is set at £1,000.
The person has to have been injured in an act of violence in Northern Ireland and the offender does not necessarily have to have been convicted of, or even charged with, the crime.
The scheme also covers loss of earnings or special expenses as the result of a criminal injury.
The legislation sets out minimum compensation awards for injuries based on what part of the body was injured or under which circumstances a person suffered injury as a result of violent crime.
The minimum amount set out for injury to one kneecap which would involve substantial recovery for instance is £1,000, with £2,500 awarded for injury to both.
For elbows, the minimum payment for one elbow being dislocated would be £3,300 where a substantial recovery is needed, with the minimum amount increasing to £8,200 for an instance where both elbows are injured.
The highest amounts are reserved for injuries which have caused the loss of or total damage of limbs, appendages, organs or sensory loss.
For the most severe instances of brain injuries and paralysis, the minimum amount awarded would be £250,000.
The legislation also states that the Secretary of State may withhold or reduce compensation based on the character of the applicant in terms of criminal convictions, how quickly they made police aware of the incident and whether they co-operated with authorities in trying to bring their assailant to justice and the circumstances leading to injury - for example where the victim's conduct or use of drugs or alcohol may have impacted the situation.
In its FOI response, the Department of Justice said that "an annual budget is made available for criminal injury compensation payments which is monitored throughout the year to identify any easements or pressures".
A spokesperson for the department said that: "Compensation Services offers a free service, processing applications and making awards.
"Applications to the scheme can be made online or by post. Free help and advice can also be sought on the application process from Victim Support Northern Ireland.
"!Each application for compensation is determined on its own merits and in keeping with the relevant legislation.
"If an applicant is unhappy with the decision made by Compensation Services, they can request a review of the decision. If an applicant is unhappy with the review decision, they can appeal the decision to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel for Northern Ireland (CICAPNI), which is independent to the Department of Justice."
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