Expert Witness Journal Issue 67 June/July 2026 - Flipbook - Page 19
for medical or therapeutic treatment, care, specialist
equipment, home adaptations or a move to a more
suitable home, or to ease 昀椀nancial hardship that has
been caused by the injury.
unique but our severely injured clients use interim
payments:
The interim payment should be signi昀椀cantly less
than the expected total value of the claim as it will
be deducted from the 昀椀nal compensation settlement
or award.
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•
•
•
When can an interim payment be
requested in an injury claim?
•
•
An interim payment is often requested once primary
liability (responsibility for causing the accident or
injury) has been admitted or proven against the
defendant. This may take place early in the claim,
sometimes even before court proceedings have been
issued, or following a successful trial in which the
injured person has proven the defendant’s liability.
•
to buy and adapt a property so that the family
home is suitable for the injured person’s needs;
to pay for a rental property whilst their existing
property is adapted or a new property is found;
to purchase specialist treatment, aids or
equipment which are not readily available on
the NHS;
to purchase a wheelchair with regular seating
assessments and adapted vehicles;
to put a care plan in place;
to put in place therapies, such as physiotherapy,
OT, speech and language therapy, pain
management and psychological support;
to assist with the additional costs of caring and
providing for a family member with a disability.
At Boyes Turner we have helped hundreds of disabled
clients and their families rebuild their lives after
serious personal injury, major trauma or medical
negligence. The support we give our clients through
funded rehabilitation and interim payments ensures
that they can focus on rebuilding and participating
fully in family life, whilst we work to achieve the best
possible settlement of their claim.
The court can order the defendant to make an
interim payment but, before applying to the court,
the claimant’s solicitors usually ask the defendant
to make a voluntary interim payment, explaining
how much is required and what it is intended for. If
the defendant refuses to make an interim payment
or is unwilling to pay an amount which will meet
the injured person’s immediate needs, then the
claimant’s solicitor can apply to the court, justifying
the sum requested in the context of the overall
value of the claim, and providing medical reports
and other evidence to support the application.
The claimant does not need to attend court for the
interim payment hearing.
Dr Julian Harriss
Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine
The court’s permission must always be obtained
before an interim payment can be made to a claimant
who is a child or a protected party (with mental
incapacity). This applies even where the defendant
has agreed to make the interim payment voluntarily.
A Court of Protection deputy may be appointed to
oversee the management of the claimant’s money.
At Boyes Turner, our personal injury and medical
negligence solicitors work closely with our own Court
of Protection specialists to ensure that our client’s
money is managed and protected in accordance with
the court’s requirements but is easily accessible to
meet their needs.
(PM&R, Physiatry)
FRCPS(C), MD, MSc (Eng), BSc (Hons, Distinction)
Dr Julian P Harriss is registered with the GMC as a Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine.
He is internationally accredited as a consultant in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), also
known as “Physiatry”, which means that he is “Board Certified”. Uniquely amongst consultants practicing
in the field of Rehabilitation Medicine in the UK he therefore has global accreditation in his speciality.
He is recognised as a “Tier 1” expert by the Association of Personal Injuries Lawyers.
Based in London, he has vast experience built on a foundation of decades of international specialist
training and medical practice. Each patient is considered from all medical, surgical and specialist
rehabilitation perspectives. He delivers a uniquely holistic assessment, offering fresh insights into
causality, optimal care, and prognosis.
Dr Harriss has served in a variety of NHS, charitable, and private roles, including Medical
Director of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People and Clinical Lead Consultant in
Rehabilitation Medicine at King's College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital London, and
Honorary Senior Lecturer at KCL.
Dr Harriss offers medico-legal assessments and clinical leadership for multi-disciplinary evaluations
and treatments, including focal and systemic spasticity treatment with botulinum toxin. He provides
medico-legal evaluations for public and private health insurers and expert testimony, and ongoing Clinical
Leadership. Assessments are conducted either in his clinic at Harley St or if preferred domiciliary.
What are the advantages of an
interim payment?
Dr Harriss also is a Trustee of several medical charities, including the Independent Neurorehabilitation
Providers' Alliance (INPA), UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF) and the British Polio
Fellowship, and he serves on the Executive Board of the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation
Medicine (BSPRM).
An interim payment allows our severely injured
clients to make the changes that are necessary to
manage their disability and see what works for them
before 昀椀nal settlement. This helps clarify their longterm needs and demonstrate the bene昀椀t that their
compensation will provide, helping us claim and
recover the most suitable provision for their future.
Contact Details
Mobile: 07533 149796 - Email: jharriss@doctors.org.uk
Address, 10 Oakway, Bromley, Kent, BR2 0LJ
Area of Work UK and international
Each individual’s and family’s circumstances are
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
17
JUNE 2026
