Enabling an eminent surgeon to return to the job he loves

We helped Mr Mohammed Belal become the UK’s first surgeon to perform an operation after being paralysed.

Mohammed, a keen cyclist, was riding his bike in Solihull when out of the blue a tree fell and landed on him. It was a completely freak accident which resulted in significant damage to Mohammed’s spine and left him with catastrophic life-changing injuries.

As a consultant neuro-urologist, Mohammed realised immediately that he was paralysed from the waist down and that it was going to be a long journey to recovery. Ironically, over his twenty-year-long career, he’d specialised in helping patients with the same kind of injury.

Acting quickly to establish the facts

Our clinical negligence and personal injury team were contacted soon after the accident. We knew swift action was required as falling tree cases are difficult to establish. We liaised with appropriate experts, and our team had the complex task of investigating who owned the land using Land Registry records.

We understood the importance of establishing where the tree was growing and whether any branches were overhanging. We also asked to see a record of inspections that monitored the tree’s deterioration and a maintenance schedule.

The defendant ultimately admitted liability which put us in a position to advance a claim for compensation.

Getting the right therapy and equipment

Mohammed was in hospital for a lengthy period which was followed by thousands of hours of dedicated rehabilitation at a specialist spinal injury centre. He had an incredibly positive attitude and was determined to try and get back to work.

From dealing with his own patients, Mohammed knew the right therapy and early intervention were key. To make this possible, we secured interim payments to fund Mohammed’s rehabilitation and a specialist catastrophic injury case manager to support him and his young family. She was able to take responsibility for dealing with relevant third parties and official bodies and liaised with the team at the hospital about what would be needed for Mohammed to return to work.

The interim payments secured enabled specialist equipment, including a state-of-the-art wheelchair and standing frame, to be bought for Mohammed so that he could achieve his goal and operate again. It also covered the adaptions that were needed at his home.

Never giving up

Through his positive mindset and total determination, Mohammed has managed to return to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham where he is believed to be the first surgeon in the UK to have performed surgery while being wheelchair-bound. He is grateful to his fellow doctors who painstakingly practised all the adjustments that would be needed.

“It has been amazing to be back doing what I love. I’m realistic that it will never be more than part-time and I’ll not be able to sustain it until retirement age. But the journey continues and I know it wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing support from the team at Anthony Collins.”
Mohammed Belal, client

Making a difference

Mohammed’s case is a fantastic example of how we can use the law to help individuals after critical events and improve their lives for the better. It was also a positive outcome for the NHS as it enabled a talented surgeon to return to his specialist area of healthcare and provide much-needed expertise.

“From the early days when Mohammed could not even sit up in bed after the accident, let alone perform an intricate operation, the transformation has been amazing. It’s been a truly humbling and inspirational case to work on. We’re all very proud to have helped Mohammed achieve his milestones and ambitions, as well as enabling the hospital where he works to regain a much-needed specialist expert back within their healthcare service.”
Rankeshwar Batta, head of clinical negligence and personal injury, Anthony Collins