Solicitors for Spinal Injuries

A complete injury means no feeling or voluntary movement remains below the level of damage. An incomplete injury means some function is preserved. The distinction matters because incomplete injuries can continue to improve for a long time, which means the medical evidence often needs to be reviewed before the claim can be properly valued. Settling too early in that situation risks under-compensating.

Yes. Where family members provide care and assistance that would otherwise have to be paid for, the value of that care can form part of the claim. This is well established in serious injury cases, and it does not require the family to have charged for their help. Records of what was provided and when are helpful, but the evidence can also come from a care expert.

An interim payment is money paid on account of compensation before the claim settles. In a spinal injury case it can fund treatment, rehabilitation, care, equipment, vehicle adaptations or everyday living costs while the claim continues. Interim payments usually require an admission of liability or a court order, and are not available in every case, but where they can be obtained they make an enormous practical difference.

Often yes, where the evidence supports it. The claim can include the cost of adaptations such as ramps, wet rooms, widened doorways or a lift, and where adaptation is not practical, the additional cost of moving to suitable accommodation. These elements require expert evidence on what is reasonably required rather than simply what would be desirable.

Serious spinal injury claims commonly take two to four years, and sometimes longer. That reflects the volume of expert evidence needed, the time it takes to establish the full extent of the injury, and the complexity of valuing care, accommodation and future losses over a lifetime. Where liability is admitted, interim payments can ease the position while the claim continues.

A claim can still be brought. Where someone lacks the mental capacity to give instructions, a litigation friend is appointed to act on their behalf, and any settlement requires the approval of the court. The court can also appoint a deputy to manage the award. These protections exist to make sure the injured person's interests are properly looked after.

Yes, where the care fell below the standard reasonably expected and that failing caused harm that would not otherwise have occurred. Cauda equina syndrome claims are a common example, particularly where symptoms were reported but not acted on promptly. Clinical negligence claims of this kind need expert evidence on both the standard of care and causation.

Jurisdiction, applicable law and limitation periods can all differ depending on where an accident happened and how it came about, so the position needs to be looked at individually. It is worth telling us where the accident occurred so we can explain what would be involved.