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Victim assessment, mobility, physiotherapy and counselling, occupational therapy and the like are all going to add to the costs of your eventual compensation claim
Have you a garden? Have you raised flower beds? Can you wheel your wheelchair around the garden? Will you have a garden in your existing property if you are not moving from there? What about the property you potentially move to, can the garden be adapted for your disabled needs?
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victim support and rehabilitation.
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rehabilitation equipment.
The need for building work to undertake these activities will need to be considered. A garden for the disabled is a special place, not only for the aesthetic nature of it but also for the calming influence it can have or your mental state. You can no longer expect to use a garden that is not adapted for your disability.
Unfortunately we even found our own legal team resistant to all the jobs that were required to be done in the garden. However the evidence provided led to an allowance being made to this area of the claim for just compensation. You may find your Occupational Therapist enthusiastic about the garden as it provided occupational therapy to assist you ie your mind can be active in the garden, with that in mind you may find that an accessible greenhouse is also needed.
Do remember that there are some tasks in the garden that you will find very difficult if not impossible to undertake. Your need for employing a gardener may not disappear just because your garden has been adapted for your disability. Consider your limitations to see where you still need help. An area that is obvious is cutting the grass and other large vegetation eg Hedges.
Telephone
I already have a telephone I hear you say. The increased cost of your bills will need to be assessed. There are 0845 and 0870 numbers that many companies you will call during your post accident life will need to be taken into account. Even changing to an inclusive package within a cable company where all local and national calls are free may not reduce your bills.
Premium rates and local rate calls as indicated by the numbers above were extra. You will find whilst trying to sort the problems of disability out you will have to use telephone numbers that are not free but charged on these "local rate numbers."
The person/company you are calling extract a payment from the service provider of these numbers, thereby increasing their own profits!
Home Maintenance
Your ability to do the internal and external decorating, odd jobs and light household maintenance may now be compromised. Employed help will be needed. Many Occupational Therapist's may leave this assessment of your needs to a housing expert.
When your housing expert reports he may leave it to the Occupational Therapist to report on! It is a vicious circle which must be broken. You may feel it is an excuse not to report on this area. Laziness? Unintentional? Your solicitor must write to either or both of the experts to actually report on your needs in this area.
Always be wary of a phrase like "refer to housing report," or "refer to such and such expert."
Window Cleaning
Can you climb a ladder? No? Maybe you can, but ask yourself this, is it reasonable and safe in my new disabled condition to climb a ladder? Have you windows you cannot reach? Yes or potentially yes? Then you will need to consider a window cleaner. Be wary of the standard legal solution to all these types of problems, Gratuitous Help.
Gratuitous Help means non paid help that is provided by relatives or friends. It means just what it says no pay to the people that help.
This will happen to you on many occasions and you will feel bad at the thought of accepting help. When gratuitous help was offered and accepted you may consider buying presents to thank the people. Put the cost of the present, which normally was much, much cheaper than payment itself, into the claim.
Your legal team may advise you that this cost is not claimable. Personally, we think this is wrong as we have seen case law freely available on the internet of people claiming for such presents. Of course this might be because the insurers know that the alternative was more expensive and accepted the lower price! It pays to employ the proper workman.
Treatments and Therapies
Physiotherapy
Be aware you may need ongoing physiotherapy. Muscle aches and pains and joint problems need to be avoided for the future. Ensure that any report has this element assessed.
You may have the "refer to physiotherapist" phrase mentioned here if exact information has not been obtained yet or if no physiotherapist has been appointed. Make sure the cost of a physiotherapist is also costed for. You should also claim for travel and accommodation costs that arise from seeing a physiotherapist.
You may have to travel some distance at some cost to you especially if you are seeking a professional that is conversant in the area you need treatment in.
Occupational Therapy
Similarly you will require ongoing Occupational Therapy. The following areas are likely to be needed to be looked at, wheelchair techniques such as loading and unloading, getting into and out of a car, transfers, safety, choice of home and of home adaptations and also equipment needs.
Again the Occupational Therapist travel costs for her to visit should be in the assessment.
Counselling
Are you suffering from psychological symptoms and problems as a result of emotional trauma because of and since the index accident? Psychological therapy and support from experienced counsellors, psychotherapists and behavioural psychologists might be needed.
These must be costed for including your travelling expenses to see them. Be careful as to what fees are inserted into the report and assessment. These may be woefully beneath the actual costs and you should check to see that they are correct. It is better that you receive counselling so the costs are known.
You may think it is a good idea that any private treatment be paid for by the insurers direct because you may not be able to handle the knowledge that the person treating him was doing so only because you are paying him. You may consider it better if the systems were separate so your treating counsellor could concentrate on the therapy and help you get better.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy if you are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder may be an essential treatment for you to get better. There is a huge amount of information on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on the internet and you will easily find it by searching "Cognitive Behavioural Therapy".
Then there are other things you will need to consider when making your claim for compensation like
personal expenses and medication.
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