If you have suffered a serious head injury, it may have left you with permanent or long term brain damage, which can have wide ranging consequences for your everyday life.
A brain injury can cause any number of physical and mental issues, such as issues with speech, movement and balance, in addition to causing cognitive impairment, including memory loss and changes in personality.
Serious brain damage can not only affect you personally, but can have a profound and difficult impact upon your family, friends and work situation.
You may have suffered a head injury due to an accident at work, a road traffic accident, a fall from height or due to a number of other incidents.
If you have suffered a serious head and brain injury, you may be entitled to claim financial compensation.
1: What are the different types of head and brain injury?
The consequences of a head and brain injury can be very mild, but can also be life-changing. There are four main types of brain injury which can have a varying impact on people. These are:
- Closed head injury: the skull remains intact and the brain is not penetrated by an object
- Open head injury: an object goes through the skull and penetrates the brain
- Concussion: a blow to the head causes sudden and short-term loss of consciousness
- Diffuse axonal injury (shearing brain injury): injury is caused to the brain by its movement backwards and forwards in the skull.
All of these brain injuries can affect different people in different ways, and depending on the circumstances, you may be able to claim compensation.
2: How can I claim financial compensation? Advice for London, Manchester, Scotland & beyond
It may be possible, if you have suffered a serious head and brain injury, to claim financial compensation for your injury, the level of which will depend upon the severity of the injury and the level of rehabilitation needed. These can be complex issues, and it is always best to seek legal advice from a personal injury lawyer.
Normally, a lawyer will find out, in great detail, exactly what has happened to you and what your situation is. Before making a claim for compensation, the lawyer will need to gather enough evidence in order to prove a claim, which in itself can be a time consuming process. It will be necessary to obtain medical records, liaise with third parties and a number of other processes.
It will be necessary to establish exactly who is to blame for the injury you have sustained, and your solicitor will be responsible for investigating this.
Depending on the evidence obtained, and the exact circumstances of your case, a decision will then be made as to how to proceed. It may be quicker and easier in some cases for your solicitor to negotiate an out of court settlement, or your solicitor may advise that the best outcome is likely to be achieved through the court process. It all depends on the circumstances.
3: What should I do next?
Claiming for a serious head and brain injury can be complicated and a time consuming process. You should always seek legal advice. If you have unanswered questions, please contact our editor, Gavin Ward, using the contact form, or by email.