What to expect after a life changing injury
In the aftermath of a traumatic accident which has led immediately or subsequently to an amputation you and your family will be in turmoil. You will need good advice to guide you through these challenging early weeks and months.
Early Rehabilitation
Your consultant will talk to you about your recovery which will include a prosthetic limb. A certain amount of time needs to elapse after surgery to allow your leg to heal and ensure you are ready to be fitted for a prosthetic limb. This can take some months. Your prosthetics consultant will spend time preparing you and discussing what you need.
You may be given a wheelchair while you are assessed and fitted for your prosthetic limb. An experienced physiotherapist will be instrumental in preparing you and teaching you how to strengthen your remaining muscles.
You will be seen a number of times for casting and fittings before your limb is ready and throughout this time you will be assisted by your physiotherapist, who will also be essential in teaching you how to use your new limb.
It is also important to talk about how you feel about your situation, as many people who suffer such life changing injuries can become depressed and withdrawn. Counselling can help you and your family come to terms with the accident, your injury, its aftermath and your altered future
Compensation
If you have been injured in an accident which has resulted in life changing injuries, you may be able to make a claim for compensation. To make sure you have the best chance of recovery and to claim the compensation you will need to improve your quality of life, make sure you instruct a specialist personal injury solicitor who has experience of dealing with such cases.
While much help is available through the NHS and your local social services it is essential that if there is someone at fault for your accident, you get the best and earliest rehabilitation and all the financial support possible.
Adaptions, Private Treatment and Interim Payments
When you leave hospital you will be assessed by an Occupational Therapist (OT) who will advise whether your home requires any aids or equipment. Adaptations may need to be made to your home to enable access with a wheelchair.
Your specialist personal injury solicitor will know who to contact to discuss early rehabilitation in the form of private physiotherapy, counselling and prosthetics. Your solicitor will also seek an early interim payment to assist with any immediate financial difficulties to include financing any necessary adaptions to your home.
Other areas to consider are the cost of a wheelchair, spare prosthetics, sports prosthetics, specially adapted vehicles and in some cases a new home.