Imagine spending quality time with your family after a road crash left you with serious injuries that threatened your independence.
A road crash in Scotland
A road crash near Inverness in October 2015 left Samantha with a brain injury and paralysed from the waist down. Samantha was a passenger in her fiancé’s work van, when he suddenly lost control. The van rolled over twice at speed, Samantha’s seatbelt broke, and she was thrown violently from the side window.
Samantha was taken to hospital where she was diagnosed with a spinal injury and a bleed on the brain.
After the crash
Samatha recalls waking up in the spinal unit and not being able to move her legs. Discovering she also couldn’t use her arms properly hit her hard and she had the “devastating” realisation that she wouldn’t be able to return to her career in events and hospitality.
She remembers realising that life would look very different in everyday ways as well, “Simple things like, I’m never going to sit on my couch again.”
Turning to legal support
Samantha’s family reached out to Irwin Mitchell in Scotland while she was still in hospital. David Bell, Senior Associate Solicitor in our Serious Injury team in Glasgow, visited Samantha, and she says, “It was lovely to put a face to his name and get to know him. Having a good relationship with him really helped.”
We secured an admission of liability while Samantha was still in hospital. This allowed us to ensure that her council house, allocated through a local scheme to support people with disabilities, was fully furnished and ready to move into when she was discharged nine months after the crash. A support team was put in place to provide 24-hour care.
Samantha was also assigned a case manager to oversee her rehabilitation. She says, “My case manager supported my family to know what we would need during the early days in hospital. She was also my support when my family couldn’t be with me due to distance or work.”
David says, “It was a pleasure to get to know Samantha and to develop a great working relationship with her. She was determined to make as full a recovery as possible. She embraced every challenge she faced and often took on even more, as she proved to herself what she could do, rather than what she couldn’t.”
Rehabilitation
Samantha’s neuropsychologist talked to her about her goals from the start and asked where her line would be. She was clear that she wanted to be able to go out and spend time with her family and friends. At the time she couldn’t imagine being able to achieve it.
Interim payments allowed Samantha to access the rehabilitation and therapies she needed to rebuild her life. She says, after the crash, “The driving force was wanting my life back, never being allowed to think, ‘why me?’.”
Samantha was taught visualisation to enable her to move her arms again. She remembers spending a lot of time in rehabilitation doing exercises to get the muscles working again including laying dominoes and using her grip to pick things up. Samantha continues to workout in the gym to keep her strength up, saying, “It’s something that’s instilled in you after injury.”
When she was strong enough, Samantha says, “I was expected to go out and about myself, get taxis and buses on my own. It really helped to build my confidence.” In September 2017, we arranged the purchase of a fully wheelchair accessible vehicle, which allowed Samantha greater independence and made it easier for her to go out with her family.
Alongside her rehabilitation package, Samantha has benefited from support networks in her local area. She attended, and continues to attend, a brain injury support group run by our charity partner, Headway. She’s also a member of Spinal Injury Scotland and attends their monthly meeting too.
The importance of family
Family has been an important source of support for Samantha. Describing her mum as her ‘rock’, Samantha says she was, “Incredible. She was given leave at first and drove down to spend lots of time with me at the hospital. It would sometimes be a four-hour drive for her. Later on, she’d finish a night shift and drive to Glasgow to stay at my sister’s and be with me as much as possible. My driving force was my family.”
Samantha’s niece was born four months before the accident. Her sister brought her to visit every day and, as Samantha’s independence has grown, she’s loved being able to spend quality time with them.
Regaining independence
A team of six support workers continue to assist Samantha with daily tasks and physiotherapy. However, she’s achieved a high level of independence, managing many tasks on her own and only having assistance for specific needs. Overnight support workers are on hand for any issues that may arise, such as to help with her ileostomy bag, or to reassure her if she experiences an anxiety attack.
Samantha continues to work with a physiotherapist from Move Forward. Her current goals are to transfer into a car and use a standing frame to support her own weight.
Looking to the future
Samantha’s keen to share her experiences for the benefit of others. She’s contributed to our webinars to provide valuable insight to those supporting clients with complex cases. Through her involvement in various community activities and organisations like the Inverness Access Panel, Samantha’s helped to raise awareness and improve accessibility in her local community. She says, “Volunteering from home makes me feel valued and like I have a purpose.”
David says, “Samantha was always positive and had an infectious sense of humour, which was sorely tried at times, but she remained engaged, determined and upbeat throughout. I’m delighted that she has achieved so many of her own aspirations and continues to inspire others.”
Settling the claim has allowed Samantha to purchase her own home, which will be fully adapted to her needs and will allow her to continue to focus on the future. She says, “Irwin Mitchell fought so well on my behalf. It really has changed my life to a different normal. I think from where I was, where I never thought I would sit on my couch ever again, now I don’t have time.”
Samantha’s advice to anyone starting to rebuild their lives after serious injury is to, “Set goals, even those that seem unachievable. It’s possible to reach them with determination and effort. Work hard in rehabilitation, follow advice, and stay active. Keep looking ahead to stay positive. You can find new opportunities and discover a fulfilling life despite the challenges you’re facing.”
Get in touch
If you or a loved one has sustained a life-changing injury in Scotland, and you need support, guidance and help accessing rehabilitation, please reach out to our caring and professional team.
0330 8088 816
Or we can call you back at a time of your choice
Phone lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year
