What Compensation Can a Spinal Cord Injury Solicitor Help You Claim?
A spinal cord injury can affect almost every aspect of a person’s life, from their mobility and independence to their ability to work and their need for ongoing care.
If the injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, a specialist spinal cord injury solicitor can help assess the full impact of what has happened and pursue compensation for both the immediate consequences of the injury and the financial support you may need in the years ahead.
Compensation for a spinal cord injury is not limited to the injury itself. In serious cases, it may need to take account of a lifetime of additional costs, lost income, care requirements, rehabilitation and changes to the way a person lives.
Understanding what can be included in a claim is therefore an important part of making sure any settlement properly reflects your needs.
Reach out to us today on 0800 0747 644 or complete a Free Online Enquiry to tell us more about your situation.
“The service has been brilliant from start to finish and I am extremely grateful for it.
I was initially in two minds whether to go for a claim and had no experience in this area but from the start Helen was extremely helpful and reassuring.”
What Can Spinal Cord Injury Compensation Cover?
Personal injury compensation is intended, as far as money can reasonably do so, to put an injured person in the position they would have been in had the accident not happened.
Compensation is generally divided into two main categories.
General damages compensate you for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused by the injury. Loss of amenity refers to the effect the injury has on your ability to enjoy everyday life, including hobbies, social activities and independence.
Special damages cover financial losses and expenses that have resulted from the injury. These can include both costs you have already incurred and losses you are expected to experience in the future.
In spinal cord injury cases, future losses can form a significant part of the overall claim.
Compensation For Pain, Suffering And Loss Of Amenity
The physical consequences of a spinal cord injury can vary considerably. Some people may experience reduced movement or sensation, while others may sustain permanent paralysis and require extensive support.
Compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity takes account of the nature and severity of the injury and the effect it has had on your quality of life.
This may include physical pain, restricted mobility, loss of independence and difficulties taking part in activities you previously enjoyed.
The psychological impact of a serious spinal injury may also be considered. Adjusting to a life-changing injury can have a substantial emotional effect, and conditions such as depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder may form part of the claim where supported by appropriate medical evidence.
Loss Of Earnings And Future Income
A spinal cord injury can affect a person’s ability to work temporarily or permanently.
If you have been unable to work because of your injury, you may be able to claim for income you have already lost.
Where your ability to work has been affected in the longer term, the claim may also include future loss of earnings.
For example, you may no longer be able to return to your previous occupation, may need to work fewer hours or may have to take a different role with a lower income.
Depending on your circumstances, compensation may also take account of lost employment benefits or pension contributions.
Calculating future earnings losses can be particularly important in serious injury claims because the financial consequences may continue for many years.
Rehabilitation And Treatment Costs
Rehabilitation can play an important role in helping someone achieve the greatest possible level of independence following a spinal cord injury.
A compensation claim may include the reasonable cost of treatment and rehabilitation that is required as a result of the injury.
This could include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychological support, pain management and other specialist treatment.
A solicitor handling a serious injury claim may work with medical professionals and rehabilitation specialists to understand your current and future treatment needs.
In appropriate cases where liability has been admitted, it may also be possible to seek interim payments before the claim is finally settled. These payments can help cover rehabilitation, care and other essential costs while the case is ongoing.
Care And Assistance
Some people with spinal cord injuries require support with everyday activities such as washing, dressing, preparing meals, travelling or moving around their home.
A claim may therefore include the reasonable cost of professional carers, personal assistants or support workers.
Care provided by relatives or friends can also be relevant. Even where a family member has provided assistance without being paid, it may be possible for the value of that care to be reflected in the claim.
For people with significant injuries, future care costs can represent a substantial part of the compensation required.
Specialist Equipment And Technology
Spinal cord injuries can create a need for specialist equipment to improve mobility, comfort and independence.
Depending on your circumstances, compensation may cover items such as wheelchairs, specialist beds, hoists, transfer equipment and assistive technology.
It is also important to consider that many items will need to be maintained or replaced over time.
A properly prepared claim should therefore look beyond the immediate purchase price and consider the reasonable cost of equipment throughout the period it is expected to be required.
Home Adaptations And Accommodation
Returning home after a spinal cord injury can be difficult if the property is no longer suitable for your mobility and care needs.
Adaptations may be required to make the home safer and more accessible.
These could include ramps, wider doorways, accessible bathrooms, adapted kitchens, lifts or other structural alterations.
In some circumstances, modifying an existing property may not be practical. It may therefore be necessary to consider the reasonable additional costs associated with moving to more suitable accommodation.
The appropriate approach will depend on the individual’s needs and the evidence available in the case.
Transport And Mobility Costs
A spinal cord injury can also change the way a person travels.
You may need an adapted vehicle or modifications that allow you to travel safely and independently. In other cases, additional assistance or alternative forms of transport may be required.
Where these costs arise because of the injury and are reasonable, they may be included as part of the compensation claim.
As with specialist equipment, future replacement and running costs may also need to be considered.
“What can I say, it all felt totally seamless, it must have been hard work for your team, but for us it was no problem at all, so I would like to thank you sincerely and if I do ever need any help I will pay you a visit.
Thank you very much for your services and I would not hesitate in recommending you to anyone who needs a solicitor, thanks again,”
Future Care And Lifetime Needs
One of the most important aspects of a serious spinal injury claim is assessing what support will be required in the future.
It can be tempting to focus on the immediate costs that arise after an accident, but the consequences of a spinal cord injury can continue for decades.
Future needs may include ongoing care, rehabilitation, specialist equipment, adapted accommodation, transport and medical treatment.
Those needs may also change as the injured person gets older.
A specialist solicitor can work with medical experts, care professionals and other specialists to build a detailed picture of those future requirements.
The aim is to ensure that the value of the claim reflects not only the impact of the injury today, but also the reasonable financial needs that are likely to arise in the years ahead.
How Is Spinal Cord Injury Compensation Calculated?
There is no standard amount of compensation for a spinal cord injury.
Every case is different, and the value of a claim will depend on the individual circumstances.
Relevant factors can include the severity of the injury, the injured person’s age, their previous earnings, the extent of their care needs and the effect the injury has had on their independence and quality of life.
The cost of future treatment, equipment, accommodation and support may also need to be assessed.
Expert evidence is often particularly important in serious injury cases. Independent medical professionals can provide evidence about the nature of the injury and its likely long-term effects, while other specialists may advise on issues such as care, rehabilitation, accommodation or future financial losses.
This evidence can help establish what level of compensation is required to meet your needs.
N.B.: The injury claims calculator is intended as a guide only. Every attempt has been made to make all information provided as accurate as possible.
Why Specialist Legal Advice Matters
A spinal cord injury claim can be complex because the consequences of the injury may last for the rest of a person’s life.
Accepting compensation without properly assessing those future needs could mean that important costs have not been taken into account.
Once a claim has been settled in full, it will generally not be possible to return later and request additional compensation simply because future expenses turn out to be higher than expected.
That is why obtaining specialist legal advice before accepting a settlement offer can be particularly important.
An experienced spinal cord injury solicitor can investigate how the accident happened, gather expert evidence, calculate your losses and consider what care and financial support you are likely to need in the future.
Speak To Grieves Solicitors About A Spinal Cord Injury Claim
If you or someone close to you has sustained a spinal cord injury because of an accident that may have been caused by someone else’s negligence, seeking legal advice can help you understand your options.
At Grieves Solicitors, we understand that serious injuries can affect every part of your life. We can assess the circumstances of your case, explain the compensation that may be available and help you pursue a claim that takes account of your current and future needs.
Contact Grieves Solicitors to discuss your circumstances and find out how we may be able to help.
Our caring and supportive team are here to listen and advise on 0800 0747 644. Or you can complete a Free Online Enquiry to set up a free consultation or tell us more about your story.
Here at Grieves Solicitors, Personal Injury Specialists, we offer a no win, no fee solution to funding your claim (a conditional fee agreement) which means that you do not have to worry about legal costs and expenses. You can read about our no win, no fee agreement here.
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