Scott* was hit by a car when he was walking home and sustained a severe traumatic brain injury. Initially, it was touch and go whether Scott would survive. But with extensive input after we agreed funding for specialist treatment and rehabilitation, he was discharged from hospital and is back home with his family.
The challenges faced by Scott
Scott needed extensive support and input due to the severity of his injuries. He was being treated in an NHS hospital, but we believed this wasn’t the best route of treatment and Scott would have better outcomes in a private inpatient rehabilitation centre.
- As there were ongoing criminal proceedings against the driver of the car that hit Scott, there was limited evidence to support the case and to get ongoing funding from the defendant insurers.
- Scott’s NHS treating team were reluctant to discharge him to another rehabilitation centre due to the severity of his injuries. They believe it was unlikely Scott would walk again and his tracheostomy would need to remain in place for at least six months after discharge from the NHS.
How we helped with these challenges
Despite the ongoing issues with accessing evidence, we applied to the Court to get the defendant insurers to release substantial interim payments (payments received during a case before it has settled) to pay for the specialist input Scott needed.
- We managed to get over £500k to pay for his stay at the private rehabilitation centre and for specialist equipment to help Scott in his recovery.
- Within two weeks of admission to the private rehabilitation centre, Scott had his tracheostomy safely removed, and within 13 weeks, he took his first steps of walking independently.
- The payments also helped to pay for his family to visit him and stay in a hotel, as the centre was far away from their home.
The results and outcome
We continued to support Scott and his family and found an adapted rental house close to his hometown to make sure he could safely come home from the rehabilitation unit and continue with his recovery.
- We worked with the defendant insurers to make sure there was funding for ongoing bespoke rehabilitation in place for when Scott got home to make sure he could keep hitting his goals and progress.
- We also put in place a care package to make sure Scott was safe, supported with his rehabilitation and to maximise his independence.
- Not only that, but we also adapted a rental house close to his family home to make sure he was close to his loved ones and could continue with his rehabilitation.
*not his real name
