Carrie* was seriously injured when hit by a vehicle. Left with a complex pelvic fracture, spinal fracture, and a bleed on the brain, she was kept in hospital for weeks.
The brain injury was treated conservatively, but she needed surgery to the various fractures.
Initial challenges and how we supported
When Carrie was discharged, she was unable to return to her own home because of her limited mobility, so she had to live with family. The insurers disputed liability vigorously yet, we still managed to get them to agree to the appointment of a specialised case manager.
The case manager prepared an immediate needs assessment report which identified Carrie’s needs, in addition to the help she was getting from the NHS. This included neuropsychology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
The insurers, however, only agreed to fund physiotherapy and ongoing case management, due to their dispute on liability. They even refused to release any interim payment on a without prejudice basis.
Other challenges
In view of Carrie’s needs and the insurer’s lack of engagement, we gathered the necessary evidence to issue court proceedings.
Only after we had issued court proceedings did the insurers begin to take the claim more seriously and an offer in the region of £500,000 was agreed, which will help ensure that Carrie’s future support needs can be funded.
*Not their real name
