About 1.4 million people every year end up in their local Accident and Emergency Department suffering from a head injury. About 200,000 of them will be admitted to hospital, and about 40,000 will then be diagnosed with having suffered a serious brain injury or trauma.
It’s a distressing and, in some cases, life-changing event for those affected. Even relatively mild head injuries can have long-term repercussions, and these can have a major impact on your quality of life.
If you’ve suffered a head injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, then you may be able to make a head injury claim in Blackburn for compensation.
While financial compensation might not be able to unilaterally solve these issues, it can help you to cope with the additional costs and lifestyle changes that these sorts of injuries often entail.
We know that pursuing a claim can seem daunting, and that’s exactly why we do everything we can to make it as simple, straightforward and stress-free for you as we can. Our Blackburn head injury compensation claims solicitors take care to put you at ease, and we make sure not to bury you under legal jargon. Instead, we’ll just lay out all your options in a way that’s clear and easy to understand, making it easier for you to decide what’s the best path forward for you.
Wherever possible, we’ll pursue your claim on a no-win, no-fee basis.
If you’re considering making a head injury compensation claim in Blackburn, bear in mind that you’ll need to do this within 3 years of the date of the incident, or from the ‘date of knowledge’. This is a legal term which refers to the earliest point at which you became aware of tangible repercussions from your injury, on your physical health, mental wellbeing, or both. After this 3-year time limit has expired, you’ll no longer be able to bring a claim (with just a few very rare exceptions).
If you sustained the injury as a child, you’ll have three years to claim, starting from your 18th birthday.
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The complex and extremely sensitive nature of head injuries means that they often involve extensive (and frequently costly) rehabilitation treatment. They can also have life-changing consequences, as a complete and full recovery is not always possible. These realities are typically reflected in the level of compensation that sufferers can be awarded.
We understand how distressing and overwhelming these situations can be if you’ve suffered such an injury yourself, so when you make a head injury claim in Blackburn, we’ll work closely with you in a straightforward and empathetic way. All of our considerable expertise is put to use in helping you to obtain a substantial financial settlement, so that you can get the medical care and support that you deserve.
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Wherever possible, Farleys will pursue your claim on a ‘no win no fee’ basis.
We are a friendly, trusted, and straight-talking local firm with over 60 years of experience in serving clients in Blackburn and across the North West. Our solicitors draw upon a wealth of knowledge and industry-specific expertise in order to answer all of your most pressing questions regarding head injury claims.
For free initial advice on pursuing a claim, feel free to get in touch with our Blackburn head injury claims solicitors today on 01254 367855 or contact us by email to arrange an appointment.
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Once you’ve taken care of all of the above, you can trust us to be here to help at Farleys Solicitors. Drawing on decades of specialist legal experience, we make sure to spare you from any unnecessary legal jargon, preferring instead to lay out your options as clearly and simply as we can. Above all, we’re focused on achieving the best possible outcome for you.
To ensure that your case has the very best chance of success, we’ll need to know:
When your accident happened.
The details of any medical treatment you’ve had.
Whether or not you’re suffering pain, and if not, when it stopped.
Whether you’ve had to take any time off work.
How your daily life has changed.
What adaptations (if any) have you had to make to your accommodation or living situation?
What are the common symptoms of a head injury?
Head injuries can vary in severity, from bruising and minor lacerations to a concussion, fractured skull, or brain injury. Even minor head injuries should be treated extremely seriously, as they can have wide-ranging effects on your physical and mental wellbeing. Crucially, the full extent of these repercussions may not be immediately obvious, so before you begin making a head injury compensation claim in Blackburn, the very first thing to do is ensure you’re seen by an appropriately qualified medical practitioner.
Even relatively mild head injuries can still incur a wide variety of distressing or debilitating symptoms, including:
If your head injury is more serious, it can have even more long-term (and sometimes) permanent consequences for your physical and mental health, as well as your overall quality of life. Accordingly, more serious no-fault head injuries tend to entail higher amounts of head injury compensation. You may find yourself suffering any of the symptoms we’ve already outlined above, as well as one or more of the following:
How can head injury compensation help?
Head injuries can inflict a great deal of pain, suffering and distress, any of which can extend far into the long-term. Compensation can make things easier by minimising the amount of stress and suffering you may have to endure, while alleviating the costs of any medical treatments, lifestyle changes, or extra amenities you may require – allowing you to fully focus on your recovery.
These costs may include:
If you’ve suffered a serious head injury, you may need continuous specialist care in order to regain and retain your quality of life in the long term. (In some cases, it may even be a lifelong requirement.)
If you’re being treated for a no-fault head injury, you can therefore claim for medical expenses such as diagnostics, surgical and non-surgical procedures, hospital stays, and medication. This isn’t necessarily limited to treatments only available on the NHS – you can also seek compensation for private medical care too.
If you require any specialist rehabilitative care such as physiotherapy, speech therapy, or any other kind of therapeutic treatment, you may also be eligible for compensation to cover the cost of these.
You can claim for compensation to cover the expenses of any trips you’ve had to take specifically because of your injury, such as visits to the hospital or travel to specialist care providers like physiotherapists.
If you’ve had to take any time off work as a direct result of your injury, you may be able to make a claim for loss of earnings. If there’s little or no chance of you returning to full time work in future, our head injury claims solicitors in Accrington will make sure to take your future earning potential into account when submitting your claim.
If you’ve had to hire a care-giver to assist you because you’re no longer able to care for yourself, you can claim compensation for the costs of their service. Similarly, if it’s been necessary for you to make any alterations to your home or environment in order to accommodate a change in your condition, then you can claim recompense for the cost of the alterations in question.
‘General damages’ is a term that’s generally used to refer to pain and suffering, loss of amenity etc – that is, for the injury itself.
What should I do if I have had a head injury?
If you’ve suffered a head injury that wasn’t your fault, you could be eligible for compensation. But before you begin full-fledged legal proceedings, it’s worth making sure you’re properly prepared by doing the following:
If you’re able, take pictures of the scene of your injury, including anything that may have contributed to the accident – directly or indirectly – and the object you were struck by. Plus, make sure you take detailed pictures of your injuries. (You may need someone else’s help for this bit.)
Try and make a record of the names and contact information who may have witnessed your accident, or been involved immediately afterwards, and can vouch for the circumstances and cause – including all the people, objects or vehicles involved.
This is perhaps the single most important step. Don’t do anything else until you’ve been seen (or at least arranged to be seen) by the appropriate medical care provider. Depending on the nature and extent of your injuries, this could be involve a trip to the hospital, your GP, or a dentist, or all of the above. One of the main reasons it’s so critical is that it can limit any further pain or worsening of your injury. At the same time, it generates an official record of your injuries that can be used as a reference to in any subsequent legal proceedings.
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