Six tips to prepare you and your loved ones for a spinal injury claim

Whatever the degree of physical harm experienced, it is worthwhile looking into the legal aspects of spinal injury to determine whether or not you have a case, if only to ensure you are fully informed.

Here are some points to keep in mind if you decide to explore avenues for legal action:

Instruct a specialist spinal injury solicitor
Spinal injury can be devastating, but it needn’t mean quality of life is severely diminished. Making a claim to recover medical costs and loss of income, as well as on-going living costs and expenses, is a logical step towards alleviating the financial burden incurred when a person is seriously hurt. Speaking to a specialist solicitor can provide you with impartial insight into your individual circumstance and offer new clarity on your situation, even if this does not eventuate in a compensation claim.

The SIA, the Back-Up Trust and other spinal injury charities are a valuable source of information and can provide you with useful tips and questions to ask a solicitor, as well as guidance on where to find the best advice.

Consider your immediate and future needs
Specialist solicitors will be able to advise you on all aspects of your legal entitlements, ranging from compensation claims, managing your finances, property and affairs, benefits advice, matrimonial and family concerns through to planning for the future following discharge from hospital and beyond.

Ask about rehabilitation support
Seeking legal advice is a significant step to take, but can play an important part in the rehabilitation process. An experienced firm like Fletchers Solicitors will have a network of medical, care, aids and equipment and rehabilitation experts to call upon for assistance on how best to meet your needs to maximise your recovery.

Not just about the compensation
What does your solicitor do in the spinally injured community to support individuals and improve services for those affected by spinal cord injury? You need to know that whoever is acting on your behalf not only has the required legal knowledge and experience but is also someone who actually cares about outcomes and is prepared to go the extra mile.

Experience of accommodation and home adaptations is essential
Compensation can be integral to living a full and able life with spinal injury. To facilitate wheelchair access you may need to modify parts of your home, or even move to more accessible housing. A solicitor who specialises in spinal injury claims will fight to secure adequate compensation, and will also be able to offer advice on additional resources and support available to you.

Keep a record
Make a list of questions about your situation as they arise, and share these with your solicitor. Putting something in writing can alleviate stress, offering focus for your goals for an eventual outcome. Solicitors experienced in spinal injury will be able to demonstrate how you can achieve positive results.