Our head and brain injury experts will handle your claim at no cost to you* and in most cases you will receive 100% of your compensation**.
Expertise And Understanding From Irwin Mitchell
If you or a family member have been involved in an accident and been left with a spinal cord injury, you will know the huge impact it can have on everyday life. Tasks that were previously straightforward can become difficult, if not impossible, so it is important that you have access to specialist rehabilitation and support.
Our spinal injury experts understand the real impact of spinal cord injury. We have been at the forefront of developing a first class service for clients that covers both compensation claims for spinal injury and ongoing care and support.
Choose us to help you with a spinal injury claim and we will support you to get access to quality medical care, rehabilitation and support, as well as fighting fearlessly to get you the compensation that you deserve.
How We Handle Spinal Cord Injury Claims
We believe that clients with spinal injuries deserve much more than just a compensation payment. A central part of our service is making arrangements for your rehabilitation and long-term care.
You may find that you need to make major changes to your home or that your car is no longer suitable. We have helped many clients who found themselves in this situation and can offer expert advice on specialist equipment, technology and professional support to make to help you adjust to life with a spinal injury.
Our spinal injury lawyers have close relationships with spinal cord injury case managers and rehabilitation providers, so we can make sure you get all the support you need.
Our Experience In Spinal Cord Injury Claims
When you choose us for your spinal injury claim, we will assign an experienced spinal injury solicitor to your claim. He or she will be your contact throughout your claim and will keep you fully up-to-date with progress in language that is clear and easy to understand.
The solicitors in our spinal injury team are recognised in the Spinal Injury Association’s (SIA) directory, with many also recognised in the leading independent guides to the legal profession: Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
Choose us for your spinal cord injury claim and you will benefit from:
- An early investigation of who is to blame for your injuries.
- Early compensation payments (interim payments) where possible to help you access private healthcare, rehabilitation and secure your finances.
- Expert advice on state benefits, your employment rights and other financial issues.
- Specialist in-house services such as financial planning, personal injury trusts, wills advice and power of attorney.
Video Case Study
We helped Alison, who was a Major in the Army when she suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a road crash in France. Her story is one of bravery and courage as she fought for justice and learned to adapt to her new life.
We Are Committed To Helping People With Spinal Injuries
Of course we are completely committed to helping you achieve the best possible outcome for your spinal cord injury claim. But our commitment doesn’t end there. We have campaigned and pursued legal cases to seek improvements to the legal protection and levels of compensation available for those who have suffered a spinal injury.
We have a spinal cord injury co-ordinator who works closely with charities, support groups, clients and families, whilst many of our lawyers attend Spinal Injury Association training sessions.
We are also keen supporters and fundraisers for many spinal injury charities and support groups including:
Spinal Injury Focus
Spinal Injury Focus looks at the world of spinal injuries in closer detail. We will be looking at specific issues relevant to spinal injuries as well as the charitable causes that we support which we know many of you are also involved with.
Spring 2012
For regular information and opinion on spinal injury, follow our spinal injury Twitter account.
The above information relates to the law and procedures in England and Wales.
* Subject to entering a ‘No Win, No Fee’ agreement with us and complying with its terms.
** Does not apply to group actions, criminal injuries or accidents and illnesses outside England and Wales and is subject to compliance with the terms of your funding arrangements.
All Scottish cases will be handled by the Scottish law firm with which we are associated, Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP. The law relating to funding is different in Scotland and you will receive separate advice about what that means as well as a separate funding agreement.
Compensation For A Spinal Cord Injury As A Result Of Delay In Diagnosing An Epidural Abscess
Charlotte, who is aged 65, was admitted to hospital for an operation to remove a mass from her pancreas. During the operation an epidural catheter was used for pain relief. After this had been removed Charlotte repeatedly complained of pain at the epidural site. Despite signs that she may have an infection, no action was taken and Charlotte was discharged from hospital.
Charlotte was readmitted to hospital when she lost feeling in her legs. However by this time it was too late for surgery to help her. A scan revealed a large epidural abscess and a swab confirmed that Charlotte had MRSA. The infection damaged the nerves in her spine and Charlotte is now paralysed below the waist, and has to use a wheelchair. She requires help with her personal care and all the household chores. She suffers from severe pain and is doubly incontinent.
Early on in her claim Irwin Mitchell’s client support manager, Anne Luttman-Johnson, went to visit Charlotte to help her with practical aspects of coping with a spinal cord injury. Anne is herself spinal cord injured and was able to provide a great deal of support and advice to Charlotte, including helping her to find a suitable powered wheelchair and adapted car.
Charlotte’s home was not suitable for her, so Anne also helped her to look for a bungalow so that she was able to get around her whole house in a wheelchair easily. Prior to her hospital admission Charlotte had retired but she was still very active in her local community. Anne encouraged her to continue her involvement in local issues, including the issue of disabled access in her local area.
The hospital admitted that they failed to investigate the source of Charlotte’s pain and infection and that she should not have been discharged when she was. It was also admitted that this resulted in a delay in referral for an MRI scan and that had an earlier scan been performed the abscess would have been effectively treated with antibiotics or earlier surgery. This treatment would have avoided the paralysis.
Charlotte was awarded a lump sum payment of £1.6m and she will receive annual payments of around £170,000 for the rest of her life. This will ensure that she can buy the specialist equipment that she needs and she can also afford to pay for help and care, so she can continue to lead an active life.
We have lawyers with the expertise and experience needed to help you with your claim. Choose from the list below to learn more about our experts in this area.
Guidance With Strength And Sensitivity
We understand that contacting a lawyer might seem like a big step - especially if you have not done so before and we have therefore made it easy for you to contact us for free initial advice about your claim.
At Irwin Mitchell we understand the real impact of personal injury. Our team of specialists have the skills and experience to give you clear advice about the chances of pursuing a successful claim and to guide you through the claims process. You can then decide if you want us to pursue your claim on your behalf.
We are renowned for our understanding of the issues affecting you and your family, and we know what positive action to take to make a difference.
At Irwin Mitchell we will fight fearlessly to give you the greatest chance of winning your case, with the best possible outcome, and we will support you every step of the way.
Your Questions Answered
Latest News
“the very professional and knowledgeable team at Irwin Mitchell is very well regarded for its experience handling spinal and brain injury claims”
Legal 500 2011
“The firm houses a wide array of of expertise covering catastrophic brain, neurotrauma and spinal injuries.”
Chambers & Partners 2012
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