Children’s brain or head injury claims

The consequences of a head injury

Children form one of the most vulnerable groups in society. When they are injured their treatment is different and the outcome of that treatment often hard to predict.

When a child suffers a head or brain injury it is often very difficult for the paediatricians to be clear about the effect of the injury and whether the child will recover. Children develop at different rates and therefore assessing what is normal as opposed to what might have been caused by an injury requires special skill and expertise.

Furthermore the effect of a head injury may become more severe or obvious as the child grows up and differences between themselves and their uninjured peer group emerge. This is particularly the case as children enter their teenage years with all the perfectly normal struggles they bring.

Education is a huge issue for children with head injuries. Will they cope in main stream school? What support can be put in place? Is a special school better? What if there are no special schools in the area? Who will pay for any special educational needs? How long will any special provisions last for?

In addition there may be needs for specialist care, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, transport. The list can seem endless.

For a child with head injuries, the rehabilitation process can be lengthy and will often go through various stages according to the age that the injury occurred.

Infants and young children are rarely injured as a consequence of their own actions. That does not mean necessarily that somebody else is always to blame but it is often the case. A common example is when the child is a passenger in a car involved in a road accident. The child could not cause the accident but they often end up being injured.

Perhaps the parent’s worst nightmare is being the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident that causes injury to their child or children. The child’s ability to recover financial compensation remains in such circumstances. Such matters require tact and sensitivity but the child’s future well-being is paramount.

Claiming compensation for your child

Even when a parent feels they might be partly or wholly responsible for the injury they can and should seek legal advice on how they might help the injured child.

In the same way that the medical profession has specialists that deal with children, the legal system has slightly different rules when children are involved. One obvious example of this is the right the child has to bring a compensation claim is not restricted by the normal three year limitation period but extends to three years from the child’s eighteenth birthday ie. to their twenty first birthday.

How we can help

Our team of serious injury solicitors have the experience and specialist knowledge to help children and their parents to achieve the best possible outcome when making a brain injury claim to ensure their future well-being.

Related services

• Serious injury claims
• Brain and head injury compensation

Helpful links

• Changing solicitors – the important facts
• FAQs about making an injury claim
• Funding (no win, no fee, etc)
• Claims glossary
• Rehabilitation services
• What our clients say about us
• Personal injury and medical negligence blog
• What happens in a Traumatic Brain Injury (Headway)

Contact a specialist child head and brain injury solicitor

To discuss a brain or head injury compensation claim for your child, call us now on 0800 316 8892 or contact us online.

Paediatric Brain Injury Day 2015

“The journey and experience of a cognitively injured child through to adulthood”, hosted by Clarke Willmott, 12 Kings Bench Walk Barristers’ Chambers and Meningitis Research Foundation.

Introduction

Full video