Head Injury Claims

A head injury can be caused by any type of accident, including road traffic accidents, assaults, accidents at work and falls. The severity of the head injury can range from minor concussion to serious brain injury with long-term permanent brain damage.

A brain injury is often referred to as a hidden disability because the person may have no physical changes but may behave very differently to the way they did before the brain injury. These behavioural changes can have a significant impact on their daily life, including their relationships with family and friends and their ability to work, both short and long term. It takes time for the survivor and their family to adjust to these changes, with the help of medical professionals and other support such as brain injury rehabilitation, which can be a difficult process for all involved.

If you were injured in an accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to claim compensation, not only for the injury itself but also the cost of rehabilitation and lost earnings now and in the future. Generally, a personal injury claim must be made within three years of the accident. If it is a child who is injured then the claim must be made within three years of their sixteenth birthday – so you have until you are 19 to make your claim.

Jillian Lawson was fantastic from the moment I called her in a dazed delayed concussion state. I was also confused with miss-information I had received from my car insurance company. Jill took time to let me speak, I was struggling to get words together and get my story over to her. Jill was always very professional yet friendly. Throughout the case Jill kept me up to date with everything that was going on. Jill reassured me when the case seemed to be turning against me. It has taken a long time but Jill has been there for me every step of the way.

Mrs R was awarded over £18,500 when she was involved in a road traffic accident and suffered post concussion syndrome, PTSD and injuries to her neck and arms.

Types of injury, symptoms and support

There are different types of head injury and a wide range of possible symptoms and effects:

Types of head injury

Concussion is the temporary loss of mental function or consciousness that occurs after a blow or other injury is sustained to the head. It is the most common but least serious type of traumatic brain injury and is usually a result of a blow or jolt to the head which shakes the brain inside the skull, temporarily disrupting normal brain function. Symptoms of concussion can include temporary loss of consciousness, memory loss, headaches, blurred vision and concentration problems.

An open head injury is an injury to the head where the skull is fractured. Bone fragments from the skull can pierce the brain tissue and cause further damage. An open head injury is extremely serious and can cause permanent physical and mental impairment and can be fatal.

A closed head injury is a traumatic brain injury where the brain is injured as a result of a blow to the head or a sudden motion that causes the brain to shake inside the skull. With a closed head injury, there is no fracture to the skull and no object penetrates the brain, unlike an open head injury. There can be a build-up of pressure inside the skull which can cause further damage to the brain.

Symptoms of a head or brain injury

Brain injury can cause a number of different symptoms, ranging in severity depending on the kind of injury suffered and also whether the injury is restricted to one part of the brain or whether it affects a larger area. Typical symptoms include:

Memory impairment
Concentration difficulties
Extreme fatigue
Reduced awareness
Changes in behaviour
Loss of co-ordination
Speech difficulties
Difficulties with vision, including partial or total loss of sight
Decreased or loss of hearing
Depression

Headway the brain injury association

Headway provides free information, advice and support throughout the UK on both a local and national level. Headway works very closely with people who have suffered head and brain injuries and their families and carers.

How can Thorntons help?

We are recognised as a leading firm of personal injury lawyers in Scotland by Chambers Legal Directory. Our expert head and brain injury lawyers will investigate your claim and guide you through each stage of the legal process, keeping you informed about the progress of your head injury compensation claim throughout.

With many years’ experience in dealing with the complex and challenging issues that face people suffering from a head injury, our specialist brain injury lawyers recognise that such an injury has a physical, psychological and emotional impact on the individual and can have a significant effect on their families too.

Recovery from a severe brain injury takes time. There is also a big financial consideration as an individual’s ability to work immediately after the accident and in the future is often compromised by the effects of the brain injury.

We work with medical experts and other professionals to allow us to build up the strongest possible case on your behalf. This enables us to secure the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to recover not only for the injury itself but also the cost of rehabilitation, lost current and future earnings and adaptations to the home amongst other things. Cost of care for the past and future can also be included. With head injury in children, there may also be expenses for special educational needs to be taken into account.

We offer a straightforward no win, no fee arrangement in most cases to minimise the financial risk to you.

You can start your claim today by calling us free on 0800 731 8434 or complete our enquiry form. We will talk through your situation, answer any questions you may have and advise you if you can make a personal injury compensation claim. Our discussion will be confidential and you are under no obligation to make a claim. You can also take a look at our Claims Calculator to find out how much compensation you may be entitled to.