5 ways you can support someone recovering from a serious injury

When a person is seriously injured, the stress of managing everything at once can be overwhelming. It affects their family and friends, too, as caregivers need to step up to provide support for people dealing with chronic pain, loss of mobility and income, and mental health challenges, among other barriers.

That doesn’t even account for the biggest stressor: dealing with insurance companies and legal claims. Those are two elements that shouldn’t be left on the shoulders of someone recovering from a life-changing event.

A good personal injury lawyer can fulfill that role and provide compassionate care, but having a supportive loved one is critical as well. Supporting someone recovering from a serious injury can be as simple as listening, giving space, or helping them arrange appointments with doctors and lawyers. Here are some ideas to guide the way.

Lend an ear

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Simply being there can make an enormous difference. Common negative impacts for people with serious injuries include extreme fatigue, increased anxiety and frustration, depression, and other mental health challenges. The burden of dealing with insurance companies for compensation, working with lawyers, and self-advocating makes it even harder.

Assure your friend they’re not alone, and do what you can to make them feel better and more comfortable. Help out with everyday tasks to let them rest. Tell them that, while you can’t understand how they feel, you’re there to listen to anything they want to share. Ask them how they’re doing and show interest in their well-being. Remind them they’re cared for and that recovery takes time. They will appreciate it.

Do the research 

A person recovering from a serious injury might feel like their recovery is solely their responsibility. They may also struggle to keep up with the constant learning and labour involved in understanding the legal system and their options. Volunteer your time by reading resources like the Injury Law Handbook and pass on the important knowledge you find along the way.

Help them navigate the medical system 

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It can make a world of difference for people to have an advocate by their side. Watch to make sure they’re getting quality care, and offer to help with any paperwork or issues that might unnecessarily stress out your loved one. Simple things like writing down instructions provided by doctors or rehab specialists can be very helpful. For caregivers who already have their hands full, firms like CAM LLP can arrange for assessments with the necessary medical experts.

Build a care plan

The goal of a care plan is to guide a person toward optimal recovery by laying out all the costs associated with their injury. Having these steps and numbers written down can provide clarity and structure for people immersed in recovery so they can move forward with confidence. 

Ideally, these plans are made with input from medical professionals and include a critical analysis of all the documentation related to the case. You can make an informal life plan at any time, but if you want an official care plan in place, get in touch with a law firm.     

Find a personal injury lawyer 

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Choosing the right personal injury lawyer is critical to protecting a person’s legal rights and getting fair compensation. It can be hard to know where to start. Doing the leg work to develop a shortlist of lawyers and supporting your loved one during the process of finding the right lawyer, can be a huge help.

If you are helping with this task, when in doubt, look for a firm that has lawyers with expertise in handling a wide variety of personal injury claims, including serious injuries. Take a look at their Google Reviews and what other clients have said about their experiences with the firm. Remind your loved one that it’s perfectly ok (and even advisable) to interview more than one lawyer to find the right fit.

Questions to consider asking are: Do they have specific experience handling cases involving this kind of injury? Is this lawyer easy to talk to and do they carefully listen? Do they take the time to explain things in plain language and answer questions fully? Will they handle the case themselves or pass it off to a junior? If you were the injured person, is this lawyer someone that you would want to speak for you and your family? 

CAM LLP is a personal injury law firm staffed by highly experienced lawyers from diverse backgrounds. They pride themselves on being a team of compassionate people with the expertise to handle complex, serious personal injury cases.

If you have suffered head and traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, or neck and back injuries, CAM LLP’s lawyers can help you. They believe people recovering from injuries should be able to focus on getting better while their team takes the stress out of dealing with the claims process. That includes handling compensation for their injuries, lost opportunities, and the cost of future care.

There are no upfront legal costs to CAM LLP clients, who only have to pay if their lawyer is successful on their behalf. Meetings can be conducted over Zoom, at the hospital, or at home, depending on the client’s needs and local health and safety guidelines.

For more information and to book a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer, visit camllp.com.