Brain Injury Claims

Brain injuries can be sustained due to a variety of different circumstances. An acute blow to the head in a road traffic accident, an ongoing illness or a routine error during an operation are all possible causes of an injury to the brain.

 

If you or a loved one have suffered a brain injury in an accident or as a result of medical negligence, our specialists are here to help you.

Call us today on 0333 358 3034 or complete our enquiry form to request a call-back.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRAIN INJURIES AND MAKING A CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION

There are two main classifications for a brain injury: traumatic and non-traumatic. The first concerns a knock to the head so severe that the brain bleeds, becomes bruised or moves inside the skull. In some cases, the skull can be fractured.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES

Traumatic brain injuries can be acquired when an individual:

 

• Is hit on the head by a large object
• Hits their head on the floor after falling
• Has a head-on collision in a vehicle, or is involved in a road traffic accident
• Falls off their bike/motorbike/horse

NON-TRAUMATIC BARIN INJURIES

A non-traumatic brain injury is down to an illness or a malfunction in the body that can manifest in the brain. It is not a prerequisite, but if you have or have had experience of one of the following conditions then there is a slightly higher risk of incurring a brain injury:

 

• Vascular problems where the blood supply to the brain is not functioning properly
• Meningitis – a virus which means bugs can enter the brain
• Brain tumour – brain cells mutate and form a mass inside the brain
• Iatrogenesis – adverse effects of medical treatments
• Brain damage including hypoxia (shortage of oxygen to the brain), infection, neurological illnesses and teratogens ( including alcohol)
• Chemotherapy
• A metabolic disorder where another part of the body is not working correctly and affects the brain adversely

 

ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURIES

As well as traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries, a further classification is that of the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). This is damage caused to the brain after birth either from an external force or an internal problem.

 

EFFECTS OF BRAIN INJURY

The effects of a brain injury are far-reaching and vary from individual to individual. Outcomes can be physical, emotional, cognitive or behavioural.

 

Serious brain injuries can cause long-term brain damage resulting in delusions, severe mental impairment, neurocognitive deficits, coma or a persistent vegetative state. Mental fatigue can also be caused by a brain injury, and historically these cases can be the most difficult to pinpoint with initial diagnoses being made for sleep disorders.

 

Korsakoff’s Psychosis is a condition common to brain injury sufferers. It causes confabulations meaning that patients drift in-between dream-like states and reality. Again, a misdiagnosis is commonplace.

 

IMPACT OF A BRAIN INJURY

Brain injury victims can often find doing day-to-day tasks difficult. Rehabilitation can help a lot of those people to carry out these practicalities. Brain injuries do not just affect the person who has been directly involved. Family and friends are often left to care for victims of a brain injury.

 

PROGNOSIS

There are no hard and fast rules as to how the life of a brain injury victim may take its course. In some areas of the body, neuroregeneration is possible and can assist the process of rehabilitation but in other parts of the body, like the central nervous system, there is rarely any kind of regrowth.

 

MAKING BRAIN INJURY COMPENSATION CLAIMS

If you feel that you have cause to make a claim for personal injury compensation as a result of a brain or head injury, we would love to talk to you. The first stage in making a brain injury claim happens when you contact us to discuss the details of your claim, in an informal and confidential manner.

Call 0333 358 3034 or simply fill in our ‘make a claim’ form online and we will come back to you.