Helping survivors of serious injury: Life-changing cases and making a meaningful difference

Moira Kay, Partner

When people suddenly find themselves in the position of dealing with a life-altering brain or spinal cord injury, they want support, they need answers.

That’s where Moira Kay, a Partner in the Serious Injury department, comes in.

Every day she works on behalf of those who have had their lives turned upside down. Moira investigates accident circumstances, provides access to medical experts and rehabilitation whilst helping her clients and their families address any urgent issues.

From newly qualified solicitor, to Associate, to Partner

Moira joined Digby Brown in January 2005 as a newly qualified solicitor and became part of the Serious Injury Team. After 18 years with the department, the main motivation for Moira remains unchanged:

“I enjoy working in the serious injury department because it's all about making a difference to someone's life – providing them with financial security, accommodation, quality of care and ultimately a quality of life.”

How would we feel if this was our wife, our husband, our child?

This is what Moira asks herself when someone comes to Digby Brown seeking legal advice.

Brain injury, spinal cord injury or survivors who have suffered a loss-of-limb injury… these are the types of cases Moira handles on a daily basis and is a nationally renowned expert in as her APIL and Law Society accreditations show. 

But it’s not enough to just be a legal expert - being considerate and helping beyond simply knowing the law is essential, which is why it’s not uncommon for Moira to become a big part of her clients’ lives during their time with Digby Brown:

“We have regular contact with the client and we follow them in the journey all the way from discharge from hospital right until the end of the case when we're achieving settlement on their behalf.

“We can form quite close relationships with our clients and it can be a bit emotional once you get to the end of the case and you have to say goodbye.”

When members of the Serious Injury team becomes involved in a case, they already know the person who comes to them looking for help has already experienced a drastic change in their life circumstances and will have many immediate, short-term and long-term worries or concerns.  

A spinal cord injury survivor may be coming to terms with the prognosis that they won’t be able to walk again.

A brain injury survivor will be facing their own unique challenges of how to carry on with a ‘hidden disability’ – can they still work/drive? Will things ever improve? Will they feel emotionally connected to their friends and loved ones?

A loss of limb survivor may have concerns about how difficult normal daily activities could become without proper treatment or enhanced prosthesis. Will they be able to afford home adaptations? Will they need ongoing treatment for the rest of their lives?

In addition to the emotional trauma experienced by people there are also multiple practical issues that Moira knows people worry about: ‘How will I pay the mortgage?’ … ‘How will I put food on the table?’… ‘What will happen to my job?’…. ‘How can I make sure I can manage on my own?’

With years of experience – and a proven track record for delivering results – Moira is able to help people address and solve problems exactly like these. She and her team can look into providing things like:

  • Home adaptations like wheelchair ramps, handrails or lower worktops to help enhance freedom and boost confidence in spinal cord injury survivors
  • Access to private medical care that helps speed up recovery 
  • Access to a community of other survivors through peer support charities which can help provide help from people who have experienced and overcome the same kind of trauma
  • Interim payments- these are sums of money that Moira may be able to secure from the liable party to cover urgent costs like mortgage or utility bills and help reduce stress and anxiety so you can focus on your physical recovery.

The importance of rehabilitation

One key priority and passion for Moira is providing comprehensive rehabilitation for her clients.

“I think the main objective of rehabilitation is allowing the person to live as independent a life as possible. And by that I mean being independent in ordinary daily living activities such as being able to get up yourself in the morning, have your shower, being able to get your clothes on, being able to make meals for yourself and not having to rely on carers coming into your home throughout the day to do all of these things for you.

“We know how important the claim for damages is, especially for that person's future. If that person is not able to return to work, if that person will be dependent on care for the rest of their life, they need expert legal advice.

“It makes such a big difference when we get an interim payment that allows the client to buy a new property that fully meets their needs and allows them to move forward with our rehabilitation, because they have the appropriate accommodation, they have therapy space, they have somewhere to keep all of their equipment.”

Helping people when it really matters

For Moira and the Serious Injury team it is essential the client is provided with a thorough and complete bespoke care package tailored to suit their individual needs. Their reputation in helping survivors of serious injury is recognised by leading charities and organisations across the UK such as Spinal Injuries Scotland and Headway.

The client’s improved quality of life is what ultimately matters to Moira and the Serious Injury team:

“I feel proud when I've been able to make a difference to someone's life.

“It's not all about achieving damages at the end of the case. You have to bear in mind that you only get one chance to make the claim and you have to get it right. 

“We still keep in touch with clients many years down the line they might come along to some events that are happening such as the Head Injury Information Days or the Spinal Injury Scotland barbecue and it is so nice to see how the clients have progressed and how they're getting on.”

For more information on any of the issues talked about above please visit the Serious Injury page.

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Moira Kay, Partner, tells us why she is proud to work in the serious injury department.