Rehabilitation in serious injury claims

Trusted solicitors focussed on your recovery and long-term care

Our experienced serious injury and medical negligence teams are committed to helping you get your life back on track as soon as possible. Our role is not only to secure financial compensation, but to ensure that you receive the best possible support and rehabilitation throughout and beyond your claim.

If you’ve suffered a life changing injury, we know your main goals are to recover, return to work in whatever capacity possible and regain as much independence in your life as you can. Rehabilitation is a key force in helping that happen.

If you have suffered serious injuries someone else was at least partly responsible for, call 0800 316 8892 or contact us online to speak to one of our personal injury or medical negligence solicitors and find out if you could be entitled to compensation.

On this page

• Prioritising your rehabilitation
• Types of rehabilitation
• Coordinating your rehabilitation
• What is the Rehabilitation Code?
• What our clients say

Your rehabilitation, our priority

Our experts understand the importance of securing the best possible treatment and rehabilitation promptly, and therefore achieving the level of compensation required to cover these costs for as long as they are needed.

Your solicitor will engage with leading medical and rehabilitation experts who have detailed knowledge of your injuries to thoroughly investigate your claim and fully assess your present and future needs.

The depth of these investigations enables us to secure compensation at a level that ensures you can make the best use of all the specialist NHS and private resources available, so your road to recovery begins early and is as effective as possible.

Where we can, we will seek early interim payments of damages so that your rehabilitation and treatment starts as quickly as possible.

What are the different types of rehabilitation?

There are many different kinds of rehabilitation available, and we want to make sure you access the type that will have the most positive impact on your recovery, for as long as you need it. This could include:

• Medical rehabilitation – Medical rehabilitation refers to a combination of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, orthotists, prosthetists, nursing care and practical steps, such as adapting accommodation or assisting with mobility and transport. It can help recovery from many types of injury including limb loss, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries and multiple orthopaedic injuries.
• Physiotherapy – Physiotherapy can be used to help restore the use of muscles, bones and the nervous system by using heat, massage, exercise and other techniques. It aims to relieve pain, improve strength and mobility and enable the injured person to perform day-to-day activities.
• Occupational therapy – “Occupational” in this sense does not refer to someone’s job, but to a regular activity or hobby. Severe physical and/or psychological injuries often prevent people from carrying out their day-to-day activities. Occupational therapy helps to overcome barriers and increase an individual’s independence, whether that relates to care, support, work or leisure activities.
• Psychotherapy and psychology – Counselling and other psychological therapies are delivered by trained practitioners who work with children, adolescents and adults. They aim to help bring about effective change or enhance emotional, social or mental wellbeing which can be adversely affected following serious injury.
• Vocational rehabilitation – Vocational rehabilitation seeks to help and restore someone with a health problem to their optimal physical, mental, social, vocational and economic ability, enabling them to stay at, return to, or remain in work. It may involve receiving training for a new occupation or identifying a new job with a view to building a permanent career.

Our experts will identify where you might benefit from different rehabilitation services and our experienced solicitors will work closely with them to tailor your rehabilitation plan to your needs, determine how best to provide your treatment, and ensure you are supported throughout your recovery.

Coordinating your rehabilitation

If you have suffered very serious injuries, it’s likely a case manager will manage your rehabilitation package and connect you with a team of rehabilitation providers.

Your case manager will conduct a personal assessment, identifying your difficulties and aspirations in order to make recommendations. The case management role can also involve:

• Being an advocate and providing support for you and your family
• Working as a facilitator and innovator to access appropriate resources
• Liaising with appropriate agencies, solicitors, insurers and deputies to secure and justify funding
• Implementing and co-ordinating programmes to promote your return to work/occupation/leisure activities
• Liaising with relevant people to meet educational requirements and aspirations
• Setting up and monitoring care regimes, recruiting and training support workers
• Ensuring accommodation meets your needs
• Monitoring your long-term needs

What is the Rehabilitation Code and how does it help me?

The Rehabilitation Code ensures the smooth running of any rehabilitation claim. It promotes collaboration between you and the Defendants from day one through a clear process:

• Your needs are assessed by an independent expert who will recommend treatments and therapies to encourage recovery.
• If the Defendant’s insurer agree that the cost of that treatment is fair and will benefit you, they will fund it immediately, sometimes before any admission of liability is made, helping to avoid any unnecessary delays.
• Assessments under the Rehabilitation Code often provide access to treatment that would not otherwise be available under the NHS, but the assessment will also maximise the use of NHS services to provide an optimum treatment plan.
• It can also include things such as transport to and from your appointments, equipment and aids to allow independence at home, or even a support worker.
• The independent expert will continually review your case to ensure that you are receiving the best available treatment and liaise with your employer and doctors to encourage a holistic approach to your recovery.

As a firm, we follow the 2015 Rehabilitation Code and we’re also accredited by the Association for Personal Injury Lawyers (“APIL”) and follow its “Best Practice Guide on Rehabilitation”.

Start your serious injury claim

Getting a serious injury compensation claim started can be the hardest step at an already difficult time. We will be here to support you through every step of the process and always prioritise your rehabilitation and recovery.

Call 0800 316 8892 or get in touch online to book your free, no-obligation consultation. Our solicitors can meet with you at home or in hospital or you can come into one of our offices in Bristol, Cardiff, London, Southampton,  Manchester, Taunton and Birmingham.