Ilesh Chandarana is a solicitor of England and Wales specialising in catastrophic injury claims, practising as a consultant through Nexa Law, an SRA-regulated law firm.
Yes. Catastrophic injuries need prompt attention. Where appropriate, arrangements can be made to meet you or your family at the hospital, intensive care unit or rehabilitation centre, working around clinical care so that essential evidence can be preserved while your family focuses on recovery.
Severe injuries immediately disrupt financial stability. Interim payments are part-payments of compensation made before the claim is finally settled. They can be sought where liability is admitted or likely to be established, helping you fund private rehabilitation, home adaptations and lost income without waiting years for a final outcome.
There is no single legal definition, but a catastrophic injury is generally one that permanently prevents an individual from performing gainful employment or fundamentally alters their quality of life. This includes Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), spinal cord damage resulting in partial or total paralysis, multiple limb amputations, and severe third-degree burns requiring continuous reconstructive intervention.
Independent experts, such as care and case managers, employment specialists and neurological specialists, are instructed to map out a comprehensive care plan. This accounts for future surgical interventions, 24/7 nursing requirements, specialised vehicle transport, inflation-adjusted lost earning capacities, and advanced prosthetic replacements over the claimant's statistical life expectancy.