Stewarts

Stewarts provides a free and comprehensive legal service to individuals who have suffered life changing injury or illness.

As part of our commitment to those who have suffered a serious injury or illness we provide extensive pro bono (free of charge) support through The Legal Service. We developed The Legal Service to support patients and their families at a time when independent legal support is most needed but often hard to find. The Legal Service was established in 2004 and now operates in 10 NHS Trusts in England, including major trauma and rehabilitation hospitals. Some of our busiest Legal Services operate on Neuro Intensive Care Units.

Patients and their families often experience legal and practical difficulties following acute hospitalisation. Early identification and management of these issues helps to relieve their anxieties. Many patients are admitted unexpectedly and have made little, if any, arrangements regarding their ongoing day-to-day commitments. We assist patients and their families with a range of legal issues which arise including (but not limited to) issues relating to finances, employment, welfare benefits, housing, care, powers of attorney and deputyship. The advice is free of charge and provided regardless of whether the patient has a personal injury claim and regardless of whether we are instructed in relation to a claim. In the event that the patient has a potential claim for compensation, we will be happy to discuss this and provide initial legal advice. However, as part of an ethical service, we always provide the patient/their family with a list of solicitors and advise them to carry out thorough research before selecting their legal representative. We do not accept instructions to act for patients during our first contact so that they have the opportunity to consider their options and make the choice that is right for them. Stewarts specialise in acting for those who have sustained life-changing injuries. To find out more about our litigation service, please click here.

In 2018, the Legal Service was reviewed by NHS England when they were considering amendments to their Standard Contract and consequently, NHS England made the following endorsement:

“We were particularly anxious to ensure that the Contract requirements did not adversely affect the valuable legal services provided to patients and their families in major trauma centres.” (NHS Standard Contract 2017/2018 – 2018/2019 (Updated January 2018) Technical Guidance).

You can read more about The Legal Service in the medical journals and Poster mentioned below.  You can also read some case studies regarding our pro bono work and personal injury cases by clicking on the relevant links below.

Contacts

The Legal Service is available to patients and their families from hospitals not covered by our existing legal service contracts and to clinicians treating and supporting patients following serious injury.

Please feel free to discuss our Legal Service with your patients and to access advice from The Legal Service please contact Kara Smith on 020 7822 8049 or by email: [email protected].

For more information about Stewarts visit the Stewarts website here: https://www.stewartslaw.com/expertise/personal-injury/

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The Legal Service

Medical Journals and posters:

Case studies:

Education

Articles

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