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It is a sad fact of life that sometimes, when an accident happens, the severity of the injuries sustained by those involved can be life changing. You may have been left permanently disabled, with long-term medical problems or even with reduced life expectancy.

Brain damage, spinal injury, full or partial paralysis, organ failure, limb amputation, mobility issues caused by multiple fractures or burns, hearing and sight loss, and deep psychological trauma, are all examples of the types of catastrophic injuries that serious accident victims can suffer. 

And of course, in the immediate aftermath of the accident, there may also be an incredibly difficult period where it is unclear if the critical injuries that have been caused are survivable.

A challenging time

Processing the enormity of what has occurred, while also trying to deal with the practical things that will need to be done in the coming days, weeks and months, can be extremely hard.

And as our serious injury experts, Abid Hussain, Anna Rushton and Dominic Jones explain:

“Unless you recognize this early on and ask for help, there is a real danger that you can quickly begin to feel overwhelmed, and therefore incapable of making the many important decisions that you and your family will be faced with as a result of the accident you have been involved in.”

This is something that we know only too well, having spent the best part of the last 30 years providing specialist advice and support to catastrophic injury victims and their loved ones.

Your rights where the accident was not your fault 

Where the accident was caused by someone else, you will be able to find a valuable source of support by contacting a personal injury lawyer who specializes in serious injury claims. 

For example, when Abid, Anna or Dominic are asked to help a family that have been involved in a major accident, the first thing they will do is to drop everything to arrange an immediate visit – very often while those who have been injured are still in hospital and possibly fighting for their lives.

They will:

• Find out what happened;
• Contact the appropriate insurers;
• Track down potential witnesses;
• Liaise with medical staff to find out what treatment is required;
• Carry out an ‘immediate needs’ assessment;
• Appoint a case manager and support worker to ensure your needs are met;
• Arrange private treatment where necessary;
• Sort out mobility aids, vehicle adaptions and home modifications if required; and  
• Begin building a legal case to enable you to secure the compensation you deserve. 

As Abid explains:

“From the moment we are instructed, our aim is to take as much pressure off you as we can and to provide you with everything you will need to aid your recovery – be that specialist medical treatment, rehabilitation therapies, counselling services or access to vital financial support.”

We can even help to guide you through the police investigation where you have been involved in a car accident, motorbike accident or an accident in a public place, or the Health and Safety Executive investigation where the injuries were sustained in an accident at work. 

Protecting your interests

Very often, when a serious accident occurs, the insurer of the person responsible will contact you with the offer of a quick payout so that you can concentrate on trying to get better and move on.

The problem with this is that where you have been seriously or critically injured, it can take time for the full extent of your injuries to become known and therefore there is a danger that in settling too early you could end up receiving far less compensation than you are entitled to, and crucially not enough to cover your future needs.

Appropriate compensation should include a fair amount to cover:

• Your pain and suffering;
• The reduction in your quality of life;
• Any loss of earnings you have or will incur;
• Any other losses of income;
• Any extra expenses you have or will have to pay; and
• Ongoing treatment and care costs.

How we can help

We can step in to deal with the insurer on your behalf, thereby giving you peace of mind that you will receive every penny that you deserve. 

And do not worry about how you will cope financially if you have to wait for your compensation to be paid, because – provided responsibility for the accident is admitted – we can usually get you an interim payment, which is essentially an advance on the compensation you will eventually receive. 

Recent case examples

As serious injury specialists, we deal with catastrophic injury claims all the time and have an impressive track record in not only securing substantial compensation, but also in arranging early and targeted support which can make a real difference to an injury victim’s prognosis.

You can read about some of the cases we have recently dealt with, by visiting the success stories section of our website: Success Stories – Step Legal Solicitors | Crewe & Stoke-on-Trent

These include a family of three who were all injured when they were involved in a head-on car crash, for whom we recovered over £1.5 million, a young woman who was seriously hurt in a water sports accident and for whom we recovered £1 million, and a forklift truck driver who sustained a nasty injury in a preventable accident at work and for whom we secured £250,000.

We are also currently supporting another family whose young daughter was left fighting for her life after the family car was hit at speed on the hard shoulder of a motorway following a breakdown. 

More information

To find out more about how we can help where you or a member of your family have suffered critical injuries in an accident that was not your fault, please contact us now on 0800 195 6412.

Your first appointment is free, and we can normally provide support on a no win, no fee basis.

We also offer a free Polish translation service if you need it, as well as an interpretation service in Tamil, Sinhala or Malayalam.