Personal injury claims and Immediate Needs Assessments (INAs)

Immediate Needs Assessments or INAs help to supplement the often limited treatment, especially rehabilitation, available on the NHS.

The aim of any INA is for early intervention with a view to improving the outcome for the victim.

The INA is carried out by a Case Manager who should be an experienced healthcare professional, often an Occupational Therapist, Senior Nurse or Physiotherapist.

Ideally the Case Manager is involved as soon as possible after the claim is notified. Usually their instruction is on a joint basis; in other words their instructions are agreed in advance by both sides. The Case Manager has no involvement in the claim process, their role being to:-

• Assess the victim’s injuries.
• Assess the impact of those injuries on the victim’s life.
• Identify key goals.
• Recommend treatment.
• Identify where specialist assessments will be needed, for example Neurological, Speech and Language Therapy or Psychiatric.
• To recommend immediate needs in terms of equipment, accommodation and transport.
• To provide costings.

INAs are best carried out face to face.

Although they are often used in cases where the injuries are catastrophic, we find that INAs are increasingly useful in cases involving less serious injuries but where there is an obvious benefit to both sides in looking at case management and in particular early rehabilitation.

Funding an INA can be problematic as the cost of the initial assessment is typically a low 4 figure sum but often the Defendant insurer will pay, and fund recommendations which come out of the INA, even if only some of them, even where liability is not yet admitted.

If you would like further information on making a claim for a personal injury, contact Neille Ryan on 01227 763939.