Suffering a serious injury in any circumstance can be a life-changing event, but suffering a major trauma in an accident that wasn’t your fault can present its own challenges. This can be due to several things, from dealing with the complex emotions surrounding the traumatic event, to attempting to initiate a claim for compensation whilst still suffering from your injuries.
At the Major Trauma Group, our panel of solicitors are highly experienced in the field of personal injury and traumatic injuries and can assist claimants in rebuilding their lives through financial compensation and rehabilitation from injury.
Why early intervention and rehabilitation is so important
When you have suffered an injury in any type of accident, the first thing you should do is seek the most appropriate and immediate medical assistance. In most circumstances, this will be at an NHS hospital or general practitioner. Not soon after the event, and once your immediate injuries have been taken care of, you may consider making a claim.
Claimants have a duty to mitigate their losses and ensure they do not contribute to the worsening of their symptoms, which is why it is essential that they seek medical attention straight away.
Typically, most claimants access care via the NHS; however, the process of obtaining ongoing treatment is becoming more complicated and tedious due to the current state of the NHS. With waiting lists for specialist treatment under the NHS already at an all-time high, and only expected to get worse, claimants are left waiting extensive periods of time to access the treatment needed to effectively treat their traumatic injuries.
Making a claim following an accident that wasn’t your fault is your right and can greatly assist in your injury recovery moving forward.
Claiming with a major trauma specialist solicitor will open doors to obtaining private medical care, which the defendant’s insurer is likely to fund. This will provide you with immediate and specialist assistance with shorter waiting lists.
Insurers are likely to agree to such care, even in the early stages of a claim, as proactive rehabilitation can reduce both the duration and severity of symptoms, allowing claimants an earlier return to work; thereby, reducing the overall value of the claim and the costs of the claim.
As such, it is typically in an insurer’s best interests to provide you with expert medical and rehabilitation care as soon as possible including, if required, arranging diagnostic scans, reviews by specialist consultants and access to physical and / or psychological treatments promptly.
The sooner the insurer can provide the relevant medical care for your injuries, the sooner you will be rehabilitated, meaning you can return to your job and the insurer will no longer need to cover any loss of earnings.
Early intervention is key when it comes to major trauma, and the sooner your injuries are documented and assessed by your legal representative and the defendant’s insurer, the sooner you can access the relevant expertise and assistance you may need regarding your injuries.
As a claimant, it would also be in your best interest to initiate the claims process sooner rather than later to mitigate any potential losses and speed up the recovery of your injuries.
How do solicitors and insurers collaborate to assist in the recovery process?
During the claims process, solicitors and insurers collaborate in many ways to come to a mutually agreeable conclusion regarding the claimant. Not only do personal injury solicitors strive to obtain a fair amount of financial compensation for their client, but they facilitate their medical treatment and rehabilitation too.
Once the solicitors possess all the facts of the case, they will present it to the insurer to discuss an arrangement surrounding the most appropriate medical treatment for the claimant. The medical and legal processes are closely linked together, and as such, the solicitor and insurer must work with one another to find common ground.
Even before the defendant’s insurer admits liability, where rehabilitation appears to be advised, the solicitor and the insurer can agree to instruct a specialist examination which may recommend rehabilitation, which the insurer may be agreeable to fund.
Once liability is established, the parties can continue to proceed jointly, or the claimant can obtain independent evidence and seek further rehabilitation costs by way of interim payment.
In most instances, particularly where liability is not in dispute or where the defendant accepts that they are likely to be primarily responsible, the insurer will agree to cover and fund the rehabilitation since rehabilitation can prevent any long-term consequences of the injury.
Solicitors and insurers also collaborate in circumstances where the claimant could benefit from interim payments, for example, to cover loss of earnings and other expenses while a claimant is unable to work in advance of the claim of compensation being finalised. This not only provides financial security for the claimant during the emotional and physically taxing time, but it can also ensure they are receiving prompt specialist medical care whilst the negotiations between their solicitor and insurer are ongoing.
How Major Trauma Group can assist
Major Trauma Group understand that claimants need expert assistance after suffering a major injury as a result of an accident that wasn’t their fault. We can guide you through the process and ensure you receive the most relevant and appropriate legal advice from an experienced local legal representative who can provide a more personalised service.
Our member solicitors at Major Trauma Group collaborate with a variety of insurers daily and know how best to handle major trauma cases to ensure claimants receive the appropriate treatment, rehabilitation, and financial compensation for their suffering.
Making a claim with Major Trauma Group for any major trauma you have suffered in an accident will ultimately allow you to obtain the best possible private medical care, taking pressure off the NHS, and providing you with an amount of compensation that will assist in the adjustment of your life following your injuries.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today to find out more via email (hello@majortraumagroup.co.uk), telephone (0330 311 2578) or via live chat on our website (available Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm).
The Major Trauma Group is a not-for-profit community interest company, made up of leading law firms from across the country who, together with clinicians, have pooled their knowledge and experience to assist major trauma victims and their families through the provision of legal advice and ancillary services. Initial chats with our member law firms, are free and without obligation.
