It is unlikely that you have ever considered what situations you might have to face if your child, brother, sister or a parent were to suffer a catastrophic accident that left them with a severe brain injury, unless you presently find yourself in such an unfortunate situation.
When a brain injury occurs, any combination of effects is possible.
In more extreme cases, a family member who has had a trauma resulting in a brain injury may be unable to feed, clothe or wash themselves unaided; speech and cognitive thought may be impaired. It is also possible that co-ordination and movement could be adversely affected by a brain injury. For example, in some milder cases a family member who has had a trauma resulting in a brain injury may lose the ability to remember what was said or done a few moments previously, or may be unable remember much of their previous life, but may function quite normally in all other respects.
Precisely which effects are experienced will depend on which areas of the brain have suffered injury and damage. Unlike many other body tissues, our nervous system is not able to heal or repair itself very effectively, even with time. Very small improvements and recovery of partial function can be gained as a result of ongoing specialist therapy and treatment for brain injury. However, in the vast majority of cases, a significant degree of recovery from the damage caused by a serious brain injury is unlikely.
However severe a brain injury may be, the time will come when the patient can be brought home, and day-to-day responsibility for care will pass to the family and specialist nursing staff. This means that practical plans must be made to address the realities that face a family member who has had a trauma resulting in a brain injury in the months and years ahead.
A compensation award will fund the ongoing care of a family member who has had a trauma resulting in a brain injury, enabling families to achieve the best possible quality of life in the years ahead for all concerned. This is where specialist advice from a legal firm with considerable experience in handling, managing and executing brain injury claims is essential.
The issues are many and complex and only one compensation award will be made. If the figures or claim procedures used to pursue a compensation case are inadequate to provide lifelong care, there is no opportunity to go back to the courts to ask for further funds at a later date, even if the initial compensation award for brain injury proves to be insufficient. Settlements may take between three and five years to achieve, and in the interim, the brain injured patient will still need specialist equipment, adaptations to homes, therapy and specialist nursing care. A legal firm that specialises in serious brain injury cases will be able to help you, as contrary to widely held beliefs, they will do far more than merely fight your case for you in the courts. A good firm will be able to assist you in finding expert staff as well as helping you to manage the day to day living requirements of a patient with a brain injury.
If you are reading this article because you are experiencing the trauma of a loved one having suffered a brain injury and are seeking further information, visit the website of any prospective serious law firm to check that they specialise in serious injury compensation cases, and have successful track record in dealing with brain injury cases. Brain injury does not have to be a life sentence for the whole family.
About the Author
Neil Glover - Serious injury lawyers with unrivalled expertise. Specialist services for spinal injury, brain injury, head and amputation clients from the UK's leading specialised injury law practice. ng@seriouslaw.co.uk 0800 61 66 81See Also:
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