Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day is taking place on Friday, 21 May. This annual event is run by the Spinal Injuries Association, The Back Up Trust, Spinal Research, and Aspire to raise awareness of spinal cord injury and highlight the challenges spinal cord injured people face on a daily basis.

Reflecting on the past year

This year’s theme is ‘reflecting on the past year’, a year in which the world changed irrevocably due to a global pandemic. But this day looks at the issues faced by spinal cord injured people in particular during this time.

The Spinal Injuries Association website states:

“With mental health challenges hitting an all new high for every person in society, we will be looking at how spinal cord injured people and their families have dealt with the past year, managed their mental health and coped with the continued isolation the pandemic has controlled.”

With this in mind, Stewarts has produced a number of articles highlighting the increased pressure lockdown has brought to those with a spinal cord injury.

• Mind the gap: how Covid-19 measures have highlighted the daily discrimination faced by disabled people
• How are insurance policies affected by Covid-19?
• Disability initiatives: what support is out there?
• The search continues: the difficulties of securing suitable housing following serious injury or illness

Life Beyond Injury

Over the past year, a number of our clients have shared their stories of rebuilding their lives after spinal cord injury. By sharing these stories, we aim to inspire others.

Triathlete secures multi-million pound compensation after being knocked from his bike

MC was knocked from his bike during a triathlon training session in England and sustained complex, life-changing injuries. After changing solicitors and instructing Stewarts, he secured significant compensation to meet his future needs. Read MC’s story here.

Life Beyond Injury story of keen time-trial cyclist who has returned to riding a two-wheel road bike following a spinal cord injury

We revisit the story of one of our clients, Steve Cook, who has returned to riding a two-wheel road bike after his spinal cord injury. His life beyond injury story continues to inspire. Read Steve’s story here.

Teenager rendered paraplegic in serious car accident awarded multi-million pound settlement

LS was involved in a serious road traffic accident on 25 September 2016. He was a passenger in a vehicle where the driver lost control and collided with a lamppost and tree. LS sustained severe, life-changing injuries. In October 2016, LS instructed Stewarts, and we went on to secure a multi-million pound settlement to cover the cost of his future needs. Read LS’s story here.

‘This is Spinal Crap’ podcast

One of our clients, Ruth, is part of a group of friends who met in a spinal unit and have been producing an informative and easy to listen to podcast called ‘This is Spinal Crap’. Victoria Williams, an associate in our Clinical Negligence team, spoke to Ruth to find out more about the podcast. Read more here.

To see all the inspiring stories from our other clients who have catastrophic injuries, please visit the Life Beyond Injury webpages here. We hope that by sharing these stories, newly injured people can see that with the right support they too can overcome adversity to lead full and active lives.

Soundbites – 15-minute webinars relating to people with spinal cord injury

Stewarts has covered several topics relevant to those who have experienced spinal cord injury over the past year. Topics range from how to claim welfare benefits after a serious injury to how autonomous vehicle technology may help the catastrophically injured going forward. See a list of these here:

• The future of autonomous vehicles for the catastrophically injured
• Jason Richards: from hero to zero and working his way back up again, 25 years after spinal cord injury
• Twenty-one years after spinal cord injury: a conversation with Allan Clayton
• Common employment issues (and who to deal with them) after serious injury
• Warm water therapy in spinal cord injury claims
• A quick-fire guide to welfare benefits after serious injury; issues, appeals and the impact of coronavirus
• Overcoming challenges within a rehabilitation setting during lock-down and beyond

#NoLimits cycle ride 2021

This Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day, Stewarts is launching its participation in the 2021 edition of The Back Up Trust’s #NoLimits charity bike ride. A team from Stewarts will take part in the annual event for the fourth year running.

#NoLimits is an annual cycling event held to raise funds for The Back Up Trust. The event is held in memory of Danny Turnbull, a former partner at Stewarts and trustee of The Back Up Trust, who sadly lost his battle with cancer in April 2017. Danny was instrumental in opening up the annual London to Paris event to hand cyclists in 2012 and undertook the challenge himself that year.

This year’s event will be held on 4-5 September 2021. It will be a virtual event, logging any cycle ride completed over the weekend. There will also be an option to join Back Up at Goodwood Motor Circuit on Sunday, 5 September to complete some miles together in a group.

More information on the event can be found here.

Since 2018, an annual fundraising event has been held in some format in Danny’s memory. A write up of the first event riding from London to Paris can be found here. Lauren Pethwick wrote a blog post on her experience after the first event, which can be read here.

Last year’s event was held virtually, and an overview can be found here.

You can find further information regarding our expertise, experience and team on our Personal Injury page.