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Guide · Accidents at work
How to Get Early Rehabilitation After a Workplace Injury
You don't always have to wait until your claim settles to get the treatment you need. Under the Rehabilitation Code 2015, your solicitor can ask your employer's insurer to fund rehabilitation early, such as physiotherapy, counselling, occupational therapy and equipment. For more serious injuries, a case manager usually carries out an Immediate Needs Assessment to plan your support.
Most people know a personal injury solicitor can help you claim compensation after an accident at work. But we can also help you get the treatment and support you need to recover, while your claim is still going on.
- Framework
- The Rehabilitation Code 2015
- For serious injuries
- The Serious Injury Guide
- First step
- An Immediate Needs Assessment
- Usually paid for by
- The other side's insurer
What is rehabilitation in an injury claim?
Rehabilitation aims to get you back, as far as possible, to how you were before your accident, physically and mentally. After an injury at work that wasn't your fault, it matters just as much as the compensation itself.
Rehabilitation can include:
- Medical treatment
- Physiotherapy
- Counselling or psychological therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Equipment and support services
The aim is to improve your quality of life and help you be as independent as possible, both during your claim and after it.
The Rehabilitation Code 2015
The Rehabilitation Code 2015 is a voluntary framework that insurers and solicitors follow to help injured people get the rehabilitation they need early. It encourages your solicitor and the other side's insurer to work together, rather than against each other, to identify what you need and release funds for it quickly.
It applies to personal injury claims of all sizes, with a more detailed process for more serious injuries.
The Serious Injury Guide
The Serious Injury Guide works alongside the Rehabilitation Code for claims involving severe or life-changing injuries, which need a fuller approach to long-term recovery. It focuses on:
- Identifying serious injuries and their likely long-term effects
- Looking at the physical, psychological and financial impact
- Recognising the need for specialist, ongoing rehabilitation
- Planning for future care, lost earnings and other costs
How we secure early rehabilitation for you
This is how the process usually works after an accident at work.
We look at what you need
When you contact us, we'll ask about your injuries and how they're affecting you, so we can work out what support you need.
We raise rehabilitation with the insurer
We contact your employer or their insurer, usually in the Letter of Claim, with a summary of your accident and injuries and a request to start rehabilitation under the Rehabilitation Code.
The insurer responds
Under the Code, the insurer should respond to a request for rehabilitation within 21 days.
An Immediate Needs Assessment
For more serious injuries, a case manager with a medical or occupational health background usually carries out an Immediate Needs Assessment. It looks at your short, medium and long-term needs, how your injuries affect your daily life and work, your home and family support, your wellbeing, any existing health conditions and anything you need straight away.
A rehabilitation plan made for you
The case manager then arranges a programme of treatment and support based on the assessment, using a mix of private treatment and NHS services so the funds go as far as possible.
Why early rehabilitation matters
Getting the right treatment quickly can make a real difference to your recovery.
A faster recovery
Treatment that starts early, rather than after your claim settles, can help you recover sooner and more fully.
Back to work sooner
The right support can help you return to work, or to a different role, when you're ready.
Less financial pressure
Treatment funded by the insurer means you're not paying for it yourself while your claim goes on.
Support for your family
An Immediate Needs Assessment looks at your home and family support too, not just your injuries.
In our £3.7m forklift accident case, interim payments funded our client's housing, mobility and rehabilitation while the claim progressed.
Early rehabilitation: FAQs
Do I have to wait until my claim settles to get treatment?
Not always. Under the Rehabilitation Code 2015, your solicitor can ask the other side's insurer to fund rehabilitation early, while your claim is still going on.
Who pays for rehabilitation?
Usually the other side's insurer, for example your employer's insurer in an accident at work claim. Rehabilitation is arranged under the Rehabilitation Code, which encourages insurers to fund treatment early.
What is an Immediate Needs Assessment?
An assessment, usually carried out by a case manager, that looks at your injuries, how they affect your daily life and work, your home and family support, and what you need straight away. It's the starting point for your rehabilitation plan.
What does a case manager do?
A case manager, usually with a medical or occupational health background, assesses your needs, arranges your treatment and support, and keeps checking it's working for you.
Can I still use the NHS?
Yes. Your rehabilitation plan can combine NHS services with private treatment, so you get the right support and the funds go as far as possible.
Does the Rehabilitation Code apply to smaller injuries?
Yes. It applies to personal injury claims of all sizes. For less serious injuries, treatment such as physiotherapy is often arranged through a simpler process, while serious injuries usually have a full Immediate Needs Assessment.
Get the support you need to recover
Talk to our team about your workplace injury claim and how we can help you get the rehabilitation you need. It's free and there's no obligation. Eligible claims are handled on a No Win No Fee basis.