Help Mary to raise £15000 by the end of April.
Donation protected
Mary needs immediate financial support for extremely urgent legal action so that she can pay for proper treatment for her CRPS. We need to raise £15,000 by 23 April.
Three years ago, Mary fell on the stairs of a property we were renting that had defective carpet. In the fall, Mary damaged her foot, knee and hip. The damage was significant enough that it caused her existing autonomic nervous system disorder to become unmanageable. Before the fall, Mary was coping ok, working and studying, able to function at an adequate level, in spite of having Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). It's a neurological condition that is associated with crush injuries. CRPS is one of the most painful conditions that it’s possible to have, which can lead to excruciating, debilitating pain coursing through your body from things as simple as stubbing a toe.
Since her fall in 2016 Mary's CRPS has escalated out of control. She has been unable to work, hasn’t been able to complete her PhD, and has been on and off opioids and other medication with horrifying side effects, in and out of hospital with extreme pain, and largely dependent on Martyn, her husband, for support, care, and household tasks. In short, her life has become unbearable.
When she stubs her toe, she doesn't know if she'll just end up in a pile on the floor, unable to think or move or breathe from nerve pain. She doesn't know if the pain will be so bad that she will forget everything she had planned for the day, or if she will remember anything of what happens to her while lost in pain. Since her fall, it has been affecting all of Mary's left leg, and has progressed to some of the more severe, systemic symptoms, like heart arrhythmia and endocrine problems.
Mary is currently suing her former landlord's insurance for damages, but the court case is at risk of collapsing, as she is missing some complex and critical medico-legal reports that there is no adequate public funding for. She needs top experts to argue her case.
Last year, she approached a government-funded lawyer, asking for help to get these reports. He has failed to get the funding for anything other than the most basic reporting, which will lead Mary's case to be worth maybe 5-10% of its potential value. As a result of delays in his action, it is now even possible that it will be thrown out of court within the next three weeks if urgent action isn't taken. Mary has spoken to some of the most senior legal professionals in the country, and they advised that there’s very little she can do other than to urgently find the money to sort the mess.
Thankfully, Mary has legal insurance cover up to £100,000 of legal fees, but it only kicks into action AFTER she has medical reports! So she is stuck, and needs your help. If we can raise £15,000 by 23 April, Mary will be able to put the case on hold for a few months, pay for the medical reports, and then can gain access to legal insurance to hire experienced lawyers and any other experts that are required. Mary needs 4 medical reports, and the trial is due to begin on 14 May, so the money is urgently needed to protect Mary's claim.
Mary will most likely now never be able to return to her prior work as an expert Speech Pathologist, and certainly not without very expensive medical treatment. This treatment is only available privately, and can cost tens of thousands (c.f this gofundme, for another CRPS sufferer in a similar situation ). Mary absolutely needs to win this case, so she can have a future that has some hope in it. As you can imagine, the situation she is in is immensely stressful, and she and Martyn are under incredible pressure, both emotional and financial, just trying to survive until the court case is over. She would value any help you can offer, no matter how small, even if all you can do is to forward this link to anyone who may be able to help her out.
Any money received which is above the amount requested, will be put towards the cost Mary's medical treatment, or towards any other support that her legal case needs. If you have any questions, please just ask and Mary will answer them as best she can.
Breakdown of costs.
£3000 Legal costs to represent Mary in court, hire an Advocate to submit an application to pause, get the new legal team up and running, and present the case to our legal insurance, for them to take over.
£1500 Orthopedics expert: required to prove that the falls actually caused damage. Her medical notes are clear, but in Scottish law this means nothing without an expert report. Without this, her case will collapse.
£1500 Employability expert: required to prove the extent of Mary's future loss of earnings. With this, her claim is worth maybe £100,000 more.
£2500 Pain expert: required to prove the extent to which Mary's CRPS was exacerbated. With this, her claim is worth £100,000 more.
£2500 Neurology expert report: needed to prove that Mary's condition has been permanently worsened, as she has new nerve damage. With this, her claim is worth approximately £100,000 more.
£4000 Costs which were already funded in this campaign last year.
Total: £15,000 (€17,000 / $19,500)
Three years ago, Mary fell on the stairs of a property we were renting that had defective carpet. In the fall, Mary damaged her foot, knee and hip. The damage was significant enough that it caused her existing autonomic nervous system disorder to become unmanageable. Before the fall, Mary was coping ok, working and studying, able to function at an adequate level, in spite of having Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). It's a neurological condition that is associated with crush injuries. CRPS is one of the most painful conditions that it’s possible to have, which can lead to excruciating, debilitating pain coursing through your body from things as simple as stubbing a toe.
Since her fall in 2016 Mary's CRPS has escalated out of control. She has been unable to work, hasn’t been able to complete her PhD, and has been on and off opioids and other medication with horrifying side effects, in and out of hospital with extreme pain, and largely dependent on Martyn, her husband, for support, care, and household tasks. In short, her life has become unbearable.
When she stubs her toe, she doesn't know if she'll just end up in a pile on the floor, unable to think or move or breathe from nerve pain. She doesn't know if the pain will be so bad that she will forget everything she had planned for the day, or if she will remember anything of what happens to her while lost in pain. Since her fall, it has been affecting all of Mary's left leg, and has progressed to some of the more severe, systemic symptoms, like heart arrhythmia and endocrine problems.
Mary is currently suing her former landlord's insurance for damages, but the court case is at risk of collapsing, as she is missing some complex and critical medico-legal reports that there is no adequate public funding for. She needs top experts to argue her case.
Last year, she approached a government-funded lawyer, asking for help to get these reports. He has failed to get the funding for anything other than the most basic reporting, which will lead Mary's case to be worth maybe 5-10% of its potential value. As a result of delays in his action, it is now even possible that it will be thrown out of court within the next three weeks if urgent action isn't taken. Mary has spoken to some of the most senior legal professionals in the country, and they advised that there’s very little she can do other than to urgently find the money to sort the mess.
Thankfully, Mary has legal insurance cover up to £100,000 of legal fees, but it only kicks into action AFTER she has medical reports! So she is stuck, and needs your help. If we can raise £15,000 by 23 April, Mary will be able to put the case on hold for a few months, pay for the medical reports, and then can gain access to legal insurance to hire experienced lawyers and any other experts that are required. Mary needs 4 medical reports, and the trial is due to begin on 14 May, so the money is urgently needed to protect Mary's claim.
Mary will most likely now never be able to return to her prior work as an expert Speech Pathologist, and certainly not without very expensive medical treatment. This treatment is only available privately, and can cost tens of thousands (c.f this gofundme, for another CRPS sufferer in a similar situation ). Mary absolutely needs to win this case, so she can have a future that has some hope in it. As you can imagine, the situation she is in is immensely stressful, and she and Martyn are under incredible pressure, both emotional and financial, just trying to survive until the court case is over. She would value any help you can offer, no matter how small, even if all you can do is to forward this link to anyone who may be able to help her out.
Any money received which is above the amount requested, will be put towards the cost Mary's medical treatment, or towards any other support that her legal case needs. If you have any questions, please just ask and Mary will answer them as best she can.
Breakdown of costs.
£3000 Legal costs to represent Mary in court, hire an Advocate to submit an application to pause, get the new legal team up and running, and present the case to our legal insurance, for them to take over.
£1500 Orthopedics expert: required to prove that the falls actually caused damage. Her medical notes are clear, but in Scottish law this means nothing without an expert report. Without this, her case will collapse.
£1500 Employability expert: required to prove the extent of Mary's future loss of earnings. With this, her claim is worth maybe £100,000 more.
£2500 Pain expert: required to prove the extent to which Mary's CRPS was exacerbated. With this, her claim is worth £100,000 more.
£2500 Neurology expert report: needed to prove that Mary's condition has been permanently worsened, as she has new nerve damage. With this, her claim is worth approximately £100,000 more.
£4000 Costs which were already funded in this campaign last year.
Total: £15,000 (€17,000 / $19,500)
Organizer
Mary McDonough
Organizer
England
