Rehabilitation is Key

By Joanne Logan – Head of Catastrophic & Serious Injuries Department, Hampson Hughes Solicitors

It is important that the injured person and their family get a solicitor on board as soon as practically possible after an injury. It is probably one of the last things on your mind after a loved one has suffered life changing injuries, but it is important that this does happen to allow for the best possible outcome and recovery.

As your solicitor, we will be proactive from the moment you instruct Hampson Hughes Solicitors to deal with your case. The purpose of a personal injury claim is to ‘put the injured person back in the position they would have been in, had the accident not happened, insofar as money can achieve that objective.’*

We work alongside the insurance company of the responsible party under what is called The Rehabilitation Code*. The Code came into force in 1999 and was later amended in 2007. The Code sets out its aim as,

‘to promote the use of rehabilitation and early intervention in the compensation process so that the injured person makes the best and quickest possible medical, social and psychological recovery. This objective applies whatever the severity of the injuries sustained by the claimant.’

We are able to push forward with putting arrangements in place which will ensure your needs are considered whether they are physical treatments, psychological therapies, or practical assistance with accommodation.

We will focus on your loved one’s needs. We will be able to assess with medical assistance, what early interventions will help, what treatments are required and how rehabilitation at an early stage will help towards the person’s present position and their mid to long term position.

One example we can use to illustrate exactly how we can help is a case study which involves a client we have acted for in a personal injury claim.

Robert had suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury as a result of a road traffic accident. He was the driver. Initially the other party’s insurance company had denied fault for the accident and tried to allege that Robert was in fact responsible for the accident. Despite the dispute on who was at fault, we approached the other party’s insurance company and set out in detail the injuries which Robert had suffered. We asked that they act alongside us under the Rehabilitation Code in order to assist with Robert’s recovery. This was agreed.

As soon as Robert was discharged from hospital, he went to live with his parents. He was 32 years old and not happy with those arrangements.

As an adult he wanted to live independently of his parents. We arranged rental accommodation for him which was suitable for his needs. We put in place a team of support workers and assessments in order that we may determine what assistance he required at that time. Robert’s brain injury was quite severe in that his sight and memory were severely affected. As an example, Robert would forget to get washed and dressed each morning due to his memory loss and therefore needed support with his activities of daily living. He was not able to remember his skills he used to possess as an electrician. Health and safety reasons would not allow for him to return to his former employment. He felt as if he had to start all over again. We got involved early on and were able to put the necessary support in place for Robert. We arranged for an employment assessment which allowed him to consider what he would like to do for a living and what he was good at.

Robert now lives with a team of support workers who provide support around the clock and works part time as a gardener, a job which he really enjoys. His life could have been a lot different had he not instructed us as his solicitors to really fight for his corner and ensure that his needs and best interests came first.

If you have, or someone close to you has, been affected by a life changing injury or disability as a result of an accident, Hampson Hughes Solicitors are here to help & support you every step of the way.
Contact us today for expert, confidential advice on 0800 014 9266 or by emailing

*The Rehabilitation Code 2007