It is difficult to understand the impact of a serious injury on the life of an individual and their family until it happens to you. It is something that no-one is prepared for and a serious injury can affect all facets of your life, from the big things to the very small day-to-day things. The things that we take for granted can suddenly become huge challenges and often those who have been seriously injured feel scared and hopeless about their future.
It is undoubtedly a huge adjustment to learn how to live with serious injury, but the challenges it brings can be overcome with support from friends, family and professionals. It can help to focus on the positives, such as available treatments or small step towards recovery, rather than dwelling on the negatives and what has been lost, but this is of course much easier said than done.
There is a whole host of help and support available to those who have suffered serious injury, such as the following:
1. There are numerous well-established charities who can provide invaluable support after an injury, such as Headway, the Spinal Injuries Association and the Limbless Association to name just a few. These charities understand what you are going through and can signpost you to numerous other support agencies, as well as potentially putting you in touch with others who have gone through the same experience as you. We can recommend charities relevant to your situation and provide their contact details.
2. Whether you are being treated on the NHS or are able to fund treatment privately, there are a range of services available to support you with your recovery. In addition to the treatment you are receiving from your treating consultant, you should also seek referrals for other services relevant to your injury, such as psychological input to help you adjust to your life-changing injury, occupational therapy to ensure you have all the equipment you need to help you be as functional as much as possible and pain management to assist you in managing any ongoing pain arising from the injury. If you have private healthcare insurance cover, you may be able to access these services and more without having to wait. We can advise you on what referrals you should be seeking, either on the NHS or privately.
3. It is important that you seek advice about any welfare benefits available to you after a life-changing injury, particularly if your injury is preventing you from returning to work. This will assist in relieving some of the financial pressures associated with serious injury and there is absolutely no shame in seeking the benefits you are entitled to after an injury, as this scenario is precisely what the benefits system was designed for. We strongly recommend seeking advice as to what benefits you are entitled to, as well as any other local authority funded services you may have access to, such as care or home adaptations.
4. You should think about whether you need legal support from a solicitor to assess whether you might be entitled to recover compensation for your injury, if someone else was at fault for your injury. Again, there is no shame in this and a claim for compensation can, in fact, have a huge impact on the life of a person who has been seriously injured. It can be the difference between battling with NHS waiting lists, basic equipment and welfare benefits, or securing private rehabilitation, top of the range aids/equipment/prostheses and recovering your lost income in full. It is therefore essential to find an experienced injury solicitor (ideally accredited by the Law Society) who has the expertise to ensure that you are fully compensated for your injury. This will allow you to restore your life as far as possible back to what it was before the injury. An experienced solicitor can also be a huge support in helping you to access all of the above services after a life-changing injury.
Serious injuries can occur as a result of a wide range of incidents, such as road traffic accidents, accidents at work, accident on holiday, animal attacks etc. If you have been seriously injured in an accident which you believe to be the fault of another party, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0161 696 6235 for a no obligation assessment of your case.
Comments