Can you make a claim for compensation for brain injury?
There’s no question that having a brain injury is life changing. However advances in brain injury rehabilitation and provision of truly specialist services from Case Managers, medics and therapists mean that often significant recovery can be made, and bringing a compensation claim can help in that process.
You could be entitled to make a claim if you’ve sustained a brain injury as a result of:
- A road traffic accident
- An accident at work often involving dangerous machinery or falls from height
- Delayed or misdiagnosis of an infection or illness such as meningitis, encephalitis or a brain tumour
If you’re entitled to compensation, we will liaise with third party insurers and seek to arrange for rehabilitation and an independent immediate-needs assessment as soon as possible. Where we can, we will assist you through a Brain Injury Case Manager to access all the you need and to recruit a multi disciplinary team of therapists to maximise your recovery.
We’ll also seek to obtain interim payments at an early stage to help alleviate any immediate financial strain so you can concentrate on your recuperation and rehabilitation.
Specialist brain and head injury solicitors
Every year around one million people attend hospital suffering from some form of head trauma or brain injury. A significant number of people will suffer on-going symptoms after head injury, ranging from mild, short term difficulty with memory, through to severe lifelong cognitive disability.
Understanding brain injury and its consequences is key to working with those that have suffered from one. Our team of brain injury solicitors specialise in dealing with the issues that arise from brain injury, such as bringing claims for brain injury compensation and advising on issues relating to capacity, financial affairs and care. Our goal is to help you recover from your injuries and get your life back on track as soon as possible.
The causes and effects of brain injury
No two brain injuries are the same. Common symptoms which may be present after a serious brain injury, short term or life-long, include:
- Behaviour and mood – irritability/anger management issues, motivation problems, depression, behavioural changes, difficulties with relationship management, lack of inhibition and mood changes.
- Memory and concentration – memory loss, poor attention/concentration, confusion and slowness in thinking.
- Physical issues – fatigue, dizziness/loss of balance, vision impairments, headaches, sleep disturbances, seizures, weakness or loss of sensation, loss of smell, loss of motor control in limb sensitivity to light and sounds.
- Post-concussion syndrome – is a group of symptoms of varying severity and duration that affect a person after a concussion (minor head injury). Symptoms can include confusion, poor memory or concentration, sensitivity to light, visions problems, dizziness and nausea.
The effects of brain injury can be very different from person to person, and our expert lawyers will work hard to assess the effects on you as an individual.
Compensation for your brain injury
The level of compensation you receive will depend on the seriousness and duration of your injuries, plus the effect they have on your everyday life and future.
As a result of the long periods of rehabilitation and recovery from brain injury it is often difficult to calculate the amount of compensation to be claimed for until sometime after the accident.
Where the injured person cannot work, there may be an immediate loss of income. At the same time, extra expense may be incurred, to cover travel, medical expenses, childcare etc. Where possible we will obtain an interim payment, which is an advance of compensation to meet financial needs. Often several such advance payments can be secured as the case progresses.
When the medical evidence is finalised, it is generally possible to identify the losses and expenses to include in the compensation claim. These will often include such things as:
- Partial or complete loss of earnings and pension
- The cost of medical treatment, rehabilitation and therapy
- The cost of extra or adapted accommodation
- The provision of Case Management nursing and/or domestic care
- Transport and equipment
- An award for the brain injury itself
Reasons to choose Clarke Willmott for your brain injury claim
- Winning record – we have an excellent track record of winning brain injury compensation claims, some with compensation worth several million pounds.
- Partner led service – where many firms use unqualified case handlers to run your claim, at Clarke Willmott it will be overseen by a partner who is also one our most senior lawyers, to ensure you receive the best possible service and advice. Some of our Partners are accredited by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers as Brain Injury Specialists
- Support step-by-step – we understand that questionnaires and form filling can be confusing and time consuming. That’s why we offer face to face meetings to talk you through the paperwork and help you complete it.
- Putting you at the centre – we understand everyone is different. People will have different goals and aspirations as they go through the recovery process. We will listen to you and try to use the compensation process to help you achieve those goals.
About our brain injury specialists
Our specialist brain and head injury solicitors have decades of experience of acting for, and working with, those who have suffered either head injuries or brain damage caused by negligent medical treatment. We are accredited by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and ranked as band 1 by Chambers & Partners legal directory.
Our partners are also actively involved with brain injury charities and the brain injury community. Several of our partners are voluntary Chairpersons for Headway, the brain injury association and we act as specialist solicitors for Headway clients.
We are also supporters of the Encephalitis Society.
Contact a brain and head injury solicitor
Get in touch online now or call 0800 316 8892 to arrange a free consultation with a specialist brain injury solicitor, who will help you understand whether your claim is likely to have a positive outcome for you. There is no obligation to go any further after this initial meeting.
We can meet where convenient to you – either in one of our offices, at your home or even in hospital. We represent brain and head and injury clients nationwide from our offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.