Rehabilitation and Personal Injury Compensation: A Comprehensive Guide

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When you’ve suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence, your primary focus should be on recovery. Rehabilitation plays a crucial role in this process, not only improving your physical and mental well-being but also strengthening your compensation claim.

Rehabilitation is a vital component of many personal injury claims. It can be provided through the NHS, privately, or funded by the defendant as part of your compensation claim. Accessing rehabilitation can speed up your recovery, improve your claim’s outcome, and help you return to normal life more quickly.

Third-party insurers are keen to help claimants recover from their injuries as quickly as possible to minimise the total settlement value. Paying for the costs of therapy early on avoids the potential for injuries to become ongoing and add to their costs for treatment and loss of wages.

Types of Rehabilitation Available

Rehabilitation can take many forms, depending on the nature and severity of your injury. Common types include:

  1. Physiotherapy: Helps restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability.
  2. Occupational therapy: Assists in overcoming barriers that prevent people from doing the activities that matter to them.
  3. Psychological therapy: Addresses mental health issues that may arise following an injury, such as anxiety or depression.
  4. Chiropractic treatment: Focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
  5. Osteopathy: A form of manual therapy that emphasises the physical manipulation of muscle tissue and bones.
  6. Acupuncture: A form of alternative medicine involving thin needles inserted into the body.
  7. Massage therapy: Manipulation of soft tissues in the body to enhance a person’s health and well-being.

Accessing Rehabilitation

Accessing rehabilitation therapies is something that can be done by yourself. If you are suffering ongoing symptoms you can make an appointment to see your GP, and after an assessment they can refer you to a physiotherapist and possibly to other practitioners. Your solicitor can access reports of any treatment by way of your medical records if any such treatment is provided.

There are three main routes to accessing rehabilitation:

1. NHS Treatment

The National Health Service (NHS) provides free rehabilitation services across the UK. While this option is cost-effective, it often comes with long waiting lists and limited types of treatments available.

Pros:

  • Free at the point of use
  • Widely available across the UK

Cons:

  • Often long waiting lists
  • Limited types of treatments available

2. Private Treatment

Private rehabilitation offers immediate access to a wide range of specialist treatments. However, it can be expensive, and costs may not be recoverable if not pre-approved as part of your claim.

Pros:

  • Immediate access to treatment
  • Wide range of specialist treatments available

Cons:

  • Can be expensive
  • Costs may not be recoverable if not pre-approved

If you are able to access treatments on a private basis, we would recommend that you do so – but that you speak to us or your specialist solicitor about it. You may well be able to recover the costs of such treatments but you will need to provide evidence of the costs and the treatments provided. Therefore it is essential you retain receipts for payments you make.

3. Defendant-Funded Rehabilitation

In many personal injury cases, the defendant’s insurer may agree to fund your rehabilitation. This option provides quick access to treatment without upfront costs to you.

Pros:

  • No upfront costs to you
  • Doesn’t affect your final compensation amount
  • Quick access to treatment

Cons:

  • Only available after liability is admitted
  • Treatment providers may be chosen by the defendant

When this happens, your specialist solicitor will organise an assessment for you. This will be done in a location that is easy for you to access and again at no cost to yourself. The person carrying out the assessment of the injuries is usually a specialist GP with expertise in the area relevant to your claim.

An assessment will usually involve a brief consultation, with the expert having a copy of your medical records showing the treatments you have had to date, and discussing with you the nature of the accident in which you were injured. They will then carry out a physical examination, assessing your range of motion, mobility and areas of pain.

The Process of Obtaining Defendant-Funded Rehabilitation

  1. Liability Admission: The defendant must admit fault for your accident.
  2. Medical Assessment: An independent medical expert will assess your injuries and recommend appropriate treatments.
  3. Rehabilitation Proposal: Your solicitor will present a rehabilitation plan to the defendant’s insurer.
  4. Approval: Once approved, treatment can begin immediately.
  5. Ongoing Assessment: Your progress will be monitored, and additional treatment recommended if necessary.

The Impact of Rehabilitation on Your Claim

Engaging in rehabilitation can positively impact your claim in several ways:

  1. Demonstrates Commitment: Shows you’re actively trying to recover, which is viewed favorably by courts and insurers.
  2. Provides Evidence: Rehabilitation records offer concrete evidence of your injuries and recovery progress.
  3. Potentially Increases Compensation: By accurately documenting your injuries and recovery time, rehabilitation can justify higher compensation.
  4. Speeds Up Settlement: Quicker recovery can lead to faster claim resolution.

The Role of Your Solicitor

Your solicitor plays a crucial role in ensuring you receive appropriate rehabilitation:

  • Arranging medical assessments to determine your rehabilitation needs
  • Negotiating with the defendant’s insurer for rehabilitation funding
  • Ensuring rehabilitation costs are covered separately from your compensation
  • Advising on the potential impact of refusing recommended treatment

It’s important to maintain open communication with your solicitor throughout the rehabilitation process. They can provide valuable advice and ensure that your treatment aligns with your claim’s best interests.

The Importance of Compliance

While you have the right to refuse any treatment, it’s crucial to understand that non-compliance with recommended rehabilitation could negatively impact your claim. Courts expect claimants to take reasonable steps towards recovery. If you have concerns about any recommended treatment, discuss these with your solicitor before making a decision.

Long-Term Benefits of Rehabilitation

Beyond its impact on your compensation claim, rehabilitation offers significant long-term benefits:

  1. Improved physical health and functionality
  2. Enhanced mental well-being
  3. Faster return to work or normal activities
  4. Reduced risk of long-term complications
  5. Improved quality of life

How We Can Help

Rehabilitation is a vital component of the personal injury claims process, offering benefits for both your health and your claim’s success. By understanding your options and working closely with your solicitor, you can ensure you receive the treatment you need to recover fully and secure fair compensation. Remember, your health should always be the priority – the right rehabilitation can significantly improve your quality of life post-injury.

If you have been injured in any kind of accident that was not your fault, you should consider making a claim for injury compensation even if just to access rehabilitation therapies. At Direct2Compensation we are more than happy to speak with you and offer you our thoughts, helpful advice and information about your rights and whether or not we feel that you can make a successful claim.

It’s usually really quick for us to find out if you have a valid claim, just leave a question below or call us on 01225 430285, or we can call you back.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Comments & Questions

Read on for questions and advice about claiming...

I was involved in an accident an suffered whiplash, my insurance company referred me for physio treatment which I started to receive. However, now the third party has decided to change their mind that they are not at fault, my insurance company has put my physio on hold. Is this right that they can do this?

Ian Morris

If liability is now in dispute, there will be a hold placed on any provision of therapy that had been previously agreed. Your insurers will be considering whether the denial of liability from the defendants is robust or otherwise before being able to proceed with any further rehab.

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After a car crash in 2020 ,not my fault I had three consultant medical examinations .One if the consultants said I would need treatment which would cost £10,000 .He also said that it could be done by the NHS and that he would write to my GP explaining what treatment I would need .I am horrified at the cost of this treatment (manipulation concerning my balance ) 1 . Would this affect my payout claim .
2.is it still possible to have it on the NHS .

Ian Morris

Nobody can compel you to undergo treatment privately. Of course, the benefits of private treatment include speed of treatment and beating a lengthy waiting list. If the treatment is to be funded by the defendants in your claim, perhaps you should take advantage of the opportunity to recover more quickly? You would still receive settlement for your pain and discomfort if you accept the private therapy.

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If you are able to provide evidence that you had to work on the dates of the appointments in question and that you could not attend at the appointed time, the insurers are unlikely to count this against you – although you really should inform the physiotherapist at the earliest opportunity if you cannot make a pre-arranged appointment and seek to re-arrange it at a time that you can attend.

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Hi Ian back again! seem to be giving the run-around by the Firm representing my wife and daughter in a personal injury claim, Although the third party insurer has accepted full liability and made an opening offer of £1925 , the solicitors have told me there will be a 25% deduction,£224 for A T E insurance and now £221 for physiotherapy levied against this amount. leaving my wife £1110. Seems unfair given we already have BTE insurance and were not told that we would have to pay for Physiotherapy (which is owned by the solicitors and operated though on medical),or we would have accessed our own NHS care and treatment.Exasperated!!

Ian Morris

This does seem like an excessive deduction. Did the company discuss the ATE cost prior to having the documents signed? Did they query as to whether you had any existing ‘Before the Event’/Legal Expenses insurance cover in place before providing a policy for you?

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What if i don’t want rehabilitation after initial consultation?

Ian Morris

No claimant can be forced to accept rehabilitation therapies as the choice as to what treatments to have or not have is something that rests with the individual and not the Solicitor or medical expert.

However, refusing treatment recommended by a specialist without good reason is something that can impact on the final settlement value of a claim and doesn’t really reflect well on the claimant.

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I’ve recently been involved in a car accident and have suffered a whiplash injury. I’m having to go to 8 physiotherapy sessions and have tissue damage. How much compensation may I receive?

Ian Morris

The value of your claim will not be known until further time has passed as this will show whether the physiotherapy sessions you are having have had any benefit. As you will appreciate, if the injury symptoms persist the value of your claim will increase.

The average compensation range for whiplash compensation is around £2,500 – £3,000. However, settlements can be considerably higher in the more serious cases and where medical evidence supports this, a Solicitor will ensure that a more appropriate settlement is obtained. With this in mind, it is important that you make sure that any ongoing symptoms are reported to your GP and Physiotherapist and noted on your medical records.

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I was injured in a car accident in 2016, I had ongoing problems with my back, neck & knees too! Anyway I was offered physiotherapist for my injuries, as I was not the person who caused the accident, liability was accepted by another party. My question is why do I have to pay for the physio treatment out of my personal injuries claim? I’ve been informed that the third party responsible for the accident should? Please put me right on this thank you!

Ian Morris

It will depend on whether the total settlement you have received includes the costs of physiotherapy already provided – in which case you would have to ‘repay’ that from your award (as it has formed part of the total settlement), or whether the amount you have received should be yours and the defendant should be settling the physio/rehab costs separately.

You’ll need to discuss this with your Solicitor.

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Also would refusing physio make a settlement amount less?

Ian Morris

Refusing rehabilitation therapy would be unwise and would enable the defendants to settle your claim at a lower value.

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Will I have to complete my physio before I get a settlement offer?

Ian Morris

In short, no! The physiotherapy sessions don’t need to be completed to enable a settlement offer to be made, or accepted. However, it would be prudent to allow the therapy sessions to finish before you accept settlement in order that you can be certain as to whether or not you have recovered as expected by your Doctor and medical expert.

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If I’ve had a medical examination do I get a settlement offer after that?

Ian Morris

Assuming that liability has been admitted, now that the medical expert has undertaken an examination, they will provide a report regarding the injury sustained, the severity and prognosis for future recovery to your Solicitor. Once you have agreed that the report does not have any obvious errors, your Solicitor will share that with the defendants so that they can assess the same. Both parties will then begin negotiating settlement and hopefully a sensible offer will come your way so that you can draw a close to the claims process.

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If you are involved in a road traffic accident that is not your fault and you need physiotherapy, will the costs of the physiotherapy be deducted from your compensation settlement or is it separate?

Ian Morris

In most cases where a medical expert makes a recommendation for a course of rehabilitation therapy – such as physiotherapy – the costs for the agreed amount of treatment will be met by the defendant. This would usually be seen as a part of the settlement total but would not then need to be deducted from any settlement that you as a claimant receive at the end of the claims process. However, in some circumstances, the value of the rehabilitation therapy is added to the settlement that the claimant receives and the claimant must then settle the account with the rehabilitation provider.

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Can solicitors set up physio, for me though the solicitors firm?

Ian Morris

When an admission of liability has been obtained, a Solicitor will instruct a medical expert to provide a report on the claimants injuries and recovery prognosis so that they have medical evidence available to support the claim.

If the medical expert finds that a course of rehabilitation therapies, whether that be physiotherapy or another kind of treatment, they will make a recommendation within their report for this. The Solicitor can then seek to obtain agreement from the defendant to fund the treatment and arrange specialist private therapy to aid your recovery.

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I had an rta in 2017 and have been going through series of treaatments including physio, psychology & medicals etc. If I was to accept the offer, would we be able to ask for future rehabilitation treatment costs?

Ian Morris

This is a difficult situation that faces many claimants in the final stages of their claim. An offer is made, below what it could be, but there is no guarantee that a court will side with you. In such cases, you really need to go with the advice given to your Solicitor by Counsel (Barrister). Do you know if your Solicitor has obtained a Barristers opinion on your case and the offer made?

If the Solicitor is sufficiently confident to reject the offer, you should take their advice. Whilst you could end up with less, you may end up with more. It really depends on the potential amount you may lose and whether you can take a risk with that amount.

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I am about to start treatment which will be claimed back once completed. My solicitor had said I will need to complete the 16 weeks of treatment (recommended in a report by a professional) before any settlement can be finalised. Can I dispute this? If so how should I approach it with my solicitor? Ideally I need to finish this sooner rather than later.

Ian Morris

Have you discussed this with your Solicitor? Your Solicitor is acting in your best interests and it is likely that it is most sensible to allow the course of treatment to be provided in order that an understanding as to whether the treatment has done what it should – or if you are still not recovered – as this will then be relevant to the final settlement of your claim.

Of course, you can seek to reach settlement in your claim sooner, but that is likely to see you receive a lower settlement. Whilst that may seem appealing in the short term, you should focus on the long term and the potential implications of settling the claim earlier.

An alternative could be to seek a small interim settlement from the defendant to cover any immediate financial pressures you may face.

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I had time off work to attend physio appointments and had to make up the time after normal working hours. My payslips show normal wages. Can I claim the loss of earnings back?

Ian Morris

You can recover lost income by making a claim for personal injury compensation (if the injury was caused through negligence or an accident at work).

Reply

Hi, I have full legal cover with my insurance company – Adrian Flux. I was having physiotherapy for the injury of a no fault accident, where a 4×4 drove in to the side of my car. I had 10 sessions of physiotherapy and was told I needed more treatment, but then lockdown came, and over the months my condition has got worse and I believe I have a slipped disc in my neck.

I have asked the appointed solicitor to ask the 3rd party to organise an MRI scan but I am told this is not possible. I am a driving instructor of nearly 30 years and I’m struggling to do my job with the pain in my neck shoulder and back of the head, I feel that the appointed solicitor is just dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s and not really fighting my corner.

I have full legal protection on my Adrian Flux insurance, could you get me the treatment I need?

Ian Morris

Before you can switch Solicitors to a new company, you should ensure that you have made a formal complaint to your Solicitor via their published complaints procedure. This will afford the Solicitor an opportunity to resolve your concerns and rectify any errors made in the handling of your claim. If you can resolve the situation with the existing Solicitor, that is in your best interests as it will avoid any delay. Also, it is not always straightforward to switch to a new Solicitor due to the cost issue with a new Solicitor having to undertake to cover the costs of the previous Solicitors work at the successful outcome of the claim – and therefore, whether or not the claim is financially viable for a new Solicitor.

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Hi there! Looking for some advice.

I was in a car crash back in November 2019 and through my insurers I was put on to a solicitor who was able to set me up to attend physio therapy sessions. I attended 8 sessions and was discharged from physio therapy.

My claim is still on going and obviously delayed which is completely understandable. I am unfortunately now having a bad flare up of pain from my injuries sustained in the crash – am I able to re-engage with physio therapy through my solicitors as part of this claim since my injuries haven’t fully sorted themselves out?

Ian Morris

You should discuss this with your Solicitor as there may be a possibility of obtaining further rehabilitation therapy through your claim. It could be that you’ll need to have a medical assessment and if that denotes that you require further treatment, it is likely that the defendant would agree to pay the cost of the treatment.

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If I have accepted an estimate offer and the other driver has admitted liability and also just finished my physio and recovered , How long roughly am I looking at to receive settlement for my claim?

Ian Morris

If a medical assessment has been completed and the contents agreed, reaching settlement should be possible within the next couple of months.

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How long does it take a physiotherapist to write a report and how long can I expect to have to wait to receive my claim settlement if liability has been admitted?

Ian Morris

When a Solicitor instructs a medical expert to write a report for a claimant, the report would usually be expected to be with the Solicitor within 10-15 working days. When the Solicitor receives the report, they will then ask the claimant to check it to ensure that they do not believe it to be wrong and once it is agreed, they will then pass it to Counsel to consider and report back with further guidance.

With regards to obtaining settlement once an admission of liability is obtained, there is no set rule for timescale. Things that can delay settlement may include a claimant continuing to recover or awaiting further medical intervention as a Solicitor would not be able to properly evaluate the extent of the injury in such cases.

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I’m in the process of a personal injury claim the other insurance company have been funding my health care and today decided they are not gonna fund it anymore. Why could this be?

Ian Morris

The defendant would only fund rehabilitation therapies or medical costs to the point that they felt they should. Usually, a medical expert will make a recommendation for a certain amount of care or a specific list of therapies. Once those amounts of care (i.e a specific number of physio sessions) have been provided, the defendant will not fund further.

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