What is a life-changing injury?
Life-changing injuries, sometimes called catastrophic injuries, have a major impact on you, your family, and your quality of life. Depending on the severity of your injuries, they may result in permanent disability, long-term health conditions, or even reduce your life expectancy. Such injuries can occur due to road traffic accidents, medical negligence, or accidents at work.
Coping with life-changing injuries can be overwhelming and daunting for both the person with the injury and their family. Having the right legal support as early as possible is essential to navigate the complex legal and financial implications that follow a life-changing injury.
Examples of life-changing injuries
Below are some types of life-changing injuries:
Traumatic head and brain injuries
Traumatic head injuries and brain injuries can be life-altering, and result in cognitive, behavioural, and physical impairments. Individuals with traumatic head and brain injuries may require long-term medical care, rehabilitation, and support to recover and maximise their quality of life.
Spinal cord injuries
Spinal cord injuries can result in significant disability, including paralysis, paraplegia, quadriplegia, tetraplegia, and injuries to the cauda equina, a bundle of nerves located at the lower end of the spinal cord. These nerves branch out from the spinal cord and extend into the lower back, hips, buttocks, legs, and feet. Spinal injuries impact an individual's mobility, independence, and quality of life. They may require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation to help the person adjust to their new life and return to activities they enjoyed prior to their injury.
Birth injuries
Injuries can occur during delivery, resulting in serious, lifelong conditions, such as cerebral palsy. Birth injuries significantly impact a child's development and may require extensive medical treatment and support in to address growth, educational needs and long-term rehabilitation.
Amputations/limb loss
Losing a limb, hand, foot or digits due to an accident or medical negligence significantly impacts a person's life. People who have experienced traumatic or elective amputation will require long-term medical care, prosthetics, and rehabilitation to regain their independence and maximise quality of life. This support can enable those who have experienced an amputation to return to work and hobbies which they previously enjoyed.
Loss of sight or hearing
Losing one's sight or hearing can have a profound impact. It can affect an individual’s ability to work, socialise, and engage with the world around them and may require medical treatment and rehabilitation return to a high quality of life.
Serious burn injuries
Severe burns can lead to scarring, disfigurement, and long-term physical and emotional trauma. Burn victims may require extensive medical treatment, plastic surgery, and rehabilitation to recover and live a full and active life.
Life changing injury claims
You may be able to claim compensation for life changing injuries if someone else is at fault – whether that’s as a result of a road traffic accident, medical negligence, an accident at work or in a public space.
Bringing a life-changing injury claim can help provide essential support, including:
Compensation
A life-changing injury can have a significant impact on your ability to work and earn a living. A successful compensation claim can provide you with financial support to help cover medical bills, lost earnings, and other injury-related expenses. This may include long-term rehabilitation and adaptations to accommodation and vehicles.
Fully-funded medical care
Many life-changing injuries require ongoing medical care and treatment. By bringing a life-changing injury claim, you may be able to access medical care that is not readily available through the NHS. This can help you recover more quickly and achieve the best possible outcome as you move on with your life.
 Rehabilitation
If you suffer a life-changing injury, you may require rehabilitation to help you regain your physical, emotional, and cognitive abilities. By bringing a successful claim, you may be able to access specialised rehabilitation services that are not available through the NHS.
 Home and vehicle adaptations
Life-changing injuries may require adaptations to a person's home to make it more accessible and accommodating to their needs. In some cases, the purchase of a new home may be required. Similarly, specially adapted vehicles can be incredibly beneficial to those who have had a life changing injury. Interim payments and compensation settlements can provide funds to help cover the cost of these adaptations.
A case manager
A life changing injury can require a lot of coordination between medical professionals, rehabilitation specialists, and other care providers. A successful compensation claim can provide funds for a case manager to help coordinate your care and ensure that you receive the best possible support when you need it the most.
Why should I choose Thompsons Solicitors?
Life-changing injuries can have an immediate and long-lasting impact on the injured person and their family. If you or a loved one has suffered life-changing injuries and someone else is at fault, Thompsons Solicitors has a specialist team that can help you make a claim.
From the thousands of cases we have run for people who have suffered life-changing injuries, we understand the profound effects they can have on your life and the lives of your loved ones. Our team of specialist lawyers work closely with medical experts to quickly establish the extent of your injuries and their impact on your life. With our extensive experience in handling life-changing injury claims, we will build a strong case for compensation that considers immediate and long-term needs such as home adaptations and ongoing medical care.
Access to specialised care and support is crucial. Our services include providing access to a client support coordinator, case managers, and health and care professionals who can offer expert guidance and assistance throughout the claims process. We also ensure you receive the best medical care, rehabilitation, adapted accommodations, and specialist equipment as soon as possible. We will work to secure interim payments to start funding these before your case is settled.
If you are looking for a trusted and experienced team to handle your life-changing injury claim, Thompsons Solicitors is here to help. Call us today on our freephone number 0800 0 224 224 or complete our short online contact form to learn more about our services and how we can support you through the claims process.
