Support from immigration lawyers can turn around certain personal injury claims
Suffering a serious injury following an incident can be a daunting and challenging time for clients. With the added stress and unknowns of being injured in the UK on a visa status can add an extra emotional and lonely experience to the injured.
The support we can offer by engaging our immigration team is vital to providing reassurance, compassion and a sense of stability. This enables our clients to fully focus on their rehabilitation and recovery which is crucial at the outset.
With the advice and support from our in-house immigration team, we can navigate the appropriate way forward regarding our client's visa status and proceed to claim interim funds from the defendant insurer to ensure the client receives the right medical care and rehabilitation and help with financial anxieties.
A visitor to the UK who needs NHS care is generally billed for the cost of that care. These costs can also be recovered through a personal injury claim, meaning our health service recoups their costs in good time while providing reassurance to clients and relieving the financial stress.
One of my clients, a 30-year-old man from Lahore, Pakistan, came to England on a spousal visa to join his wife's family. His brother also lives in the UK. My client, Harman*, worked as a motorbike delivery driver and was enjoying his life here. He was sadly involved in a road traffic collision which led him to suffer catastrophic injuries including a brain injury and complex orthopaedic injuries.
His rehabilitation needs were significant and he required an inpatient rehabilitation programme alongside a full multidisciplinary care team put in place for him alongside seeking alternative and suitable accommodation to maximise his recovery.
To ensure Harman continued to receive the desperately needed rehabilitation, the immigration team applied to the Home Office to change the status of his visa so he could stay in the UK indefinitely and continue his recovery. He continues to struggle with ongoing cognitive impairments daily. While his recovery continues and there is still a long journey ahead, we were able to remove the stress of his uncertain immigration status and thankfully Harman continues his recovery.
Another client also found himself unlucky enough to need admission to the Royal London Hospital after a car came out of a side road and hit him on his motorbike. Matt* was visiting the UK on a tourist visa when the collision happened.
Matt needed extensive surgery to his shoulder and leg and spent time in the ICU following complications post-surgery. He needs specialist rehabilitation to get him back full movement and to cope with ongoing pain.
Again, our immigration team intervened and are successfully applied for an extension to Matt's visitor visa and that of his wife. This means that they can remain in the UK while Matt receives the right medical care to get him back fully functioning and as far as possible to how he was before the collision.
Additionally, there were financial concerns around the cost of the hospital treatment and stay as he does not qualify for NHS funding. We obtained immediate financial support from the insurers to cover this cost and alleviate the anxiety in that regard.
It is imperative to provide a holistic approach when supporting a client who has suffered from a catastrophic injury. The incident and injuries do not just impact our clients directly from a physical perspective but are life changing in many aspects for both the injured and their family.
Our main priority is to get our clients the rehabilitation and support they need to maximise their recovery and thereby take away any burdens we can so that the injured person and their family can fully focus on their rehabilitation and road to recovery.
*Names changed
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