Head and brain injuries claims

Many people assume that these are one and the same but this is incorrect. It is possible to suffer a head injury but without any damage to the brain but a brain injury will always involve some degree of head trauma.

Most head injuries heal without any long term effects but a brain injury is completely different. This can result in mild or serious mental impairment which then impacts upon that person’s ability to function on a normal basis.

A head or brain injury is traumatic for the person affected but no less traumatic for his or her family. Often it is the family who has to care and support the injured person which is stressful on many different levels.

There is also the fact that a serious injury such as this can result in financial hardship. If the person affected is unable to work then this means a drop in income which impacts upon your normal daily expenses.

If you or someone you know has suffered a head or brain injury as a result of an accident then you (or they) may be entitled to compensation.

Causes of head and brain injuries

There are many causes of head and brain injuries which include:

• Road traffic accident
• Act of violence
• Slip, trip or fall
• Sports injury
• Accident at work

If any of these have occurred as a result of an accident which was not your fault then consider a claim for compensation.

Making a claim for compensation for a head or brain injury

A claim for compensation covers not only the cost of your injury but also includes the following services:

• Rehabilitation
• Specialist nursing care
• Aids to help with day to day living
• Alterations to your home or even the cost of moving to a house which is designed for disabled living.
• Respite care

This is designed to cater to the needs of both the injured person and their family. Someone who has sustained a serious type of injury such as this requires specialist care – often on a 24 hour basis which is costly.

The cost of this and any other services for example, alterations to your home can lead to financial hardship and is a major cause of stress for the relatives of an injured person.

These expenses, loss of earnings and any loss of pension rights will be covered by a compensation payout.

A claim for compensation can be handled by a claims management company, personal injury lawyer or law firm, or a solicitor.

For more information about this and the claims process, visit our making a claim for compensation section.

Time limit for claiming compensation for a head or brain injury

Most claims for compensation require you to make an application within 3 years of the date of the accident. Check with your law firm or solicitor about this as it is important that you make your claim within this deadline.