Spinal injuries - hope for the future

With the right care and assistance, even the most devastating of injuries doesn't have to mean the end of your dreams and aspirations, as one 15 year old girl found out.

Jordan was a bright, bubbly 15-year-old girl with a great future ahead of her. She was due to take her GCSEs and her school teachers had high hopes for her academically. As well as being academically gifted, Jordan was also making her first inroads into the competitive world of fashion modelling, and had been singled out by an agency to do modelling work. This was her dream - to become a successful model. But a car accident one wet day suddenly halted those dreams in their tracks.

Jordan was a rear-seat passenger in a friend's car and was travelling to meet some school friends. The rain had been heavy enough to leave pools of standing water on the road, and her friend lost control of the car after aquaplaning on the wet surface. The accident, although it didn't involve any other vehicle, was serious. Jordan suffered spinal injuries and was rushed to intensive care at her local hospital.

The worst news

Jordan had suffered a high level break in her spine, resulting in tetraplegia. This meant she had lost the use of her arms and legs - the worst possible news for an active teenager. She was transferred to a specialist spinal injuries unit where her long road to recovery began.

After being transferred to the specialist unit, Jordan's family spoke to a specialist solicitor with expert knowledge in spinal injuries. Although it may not seem that claiming compensation for her injuries was a priority at that point, the family knew that because of the nature of Jordan's injuries, they had to plan for her future and that she would need specialist care for a long time to come. The solicitor was instructed to act on the family's behalf and immediately called in a team of investigators to reconstruct the events leading to Jordan's injury. Within seven days, the team had received confirmation that liability had been admitted in favour of Jordan.

A week later, a substantial interim payment had been made. But that wasn't all her team of solicitors did. Whilst she was still receiving hospital treatment, the team worked closely with her family and other agencies including Jordan's school to put in place a care package that would ensure Jordan not only received the best possible medical treatment, but also that her home environment would be adapted to cater for her long term needs. This included the purchase of a new home with a specially adapted ‘wet room', as well as making sure that her education didn't suffer. The school worked closely with the team to make sure that Jordan could continue her studies when she was well enough.

Planning for the future

Today, Jordan is on the road to building a new life for herself. With the help and care she received, she has now managed to secure her GCSEs and is once again pursuing her dream of becoming a successful model. Her story demonstrates that, whilst the initial medical care is vitally important, it is also paramount to plan for the future.

Long term spinal injuries mean a lifetime of care but do not mean that life is over. Jordan's determination to succeed has been an inspiration to everyone around her, including the specialist legal team that have made sure that her financial future is secure. During a difficult time for the family, the legal team didn't just concentrate on getting the compensation Jordan needed, but also acted as a support team for her and her family. That support has meant that Jordan, despite her injuries, can live a full life with financial security and the specialist care that she needs on a daily basis to make her dreams a reality.