Tom Mooney is a medical negligence solicitor and Partner at Stephensons, here he talks about brain injuries. Tom discusses how brain injuries can occur and also the support available in circumstances where rehabilitation and compensation are required to help recover following an acquired brain injury.
Louise Sheffield is a Trustee of Headway - the brain injury association, here Louise talks about the support the organisation provides to people recovering from a brain injury and their families.
At Stephensons, we have a specialist clinical negligence team with a wealth of experience dealing with claims related to brain injuries, for more information about pursuing a claim for compensation following a brain injury please click the link below:
[ Ссылка ]
For more information about Headway please visit:
[ Ссылка ]
Video transcript
Tom Mooney - Partner, Stephensons Solicitors LLP
A brain injury is any injury to the brain that affects a person physically, emotionally, or behaviourally. Depending on the cause, the injury is considered to be traumatic or non-traumatic. Non-traumatic brain injuries are often referred to as acquired brain injuries. This type of injury is usually caused following an illness or condition within the body.
A traumatic injury is caused initially by an outside force. However, it also includes the complications that can follow. Even after a minor injury, brain function can be temporarily impaired, causing headaches, dizziness, fatigue, depression. Thankfully, the vast majority of patients do not suffer any long-lasting harm and are symptom free within two weeks.
However, depending on the severity on the injuries, some will endure devastating and life-long effects. Sadly, availability for rehabilitation services and funding for it varies considerably across the country. Compensation can therefore help brain injury survivors have access to the type and frequency of rehabilitation that best suits their needs.
In addition to rehabilitation, in more extreme circumstances, compensation can help individuals fund the carers, aids, and appliances, even the modifications to their property that are necessary to help them enjoy some additional independence.
Louise Sheffield - Headway & Active Case Management
Headway is a national organisation. There are groups and branches across the country in various towns and cities. We provide support for people recovering from a brain injury and their families.
There's a limit to what statutory services can provide, and there's only so much rehab that the NHS can provide, so some Headway groups and branches will offer a lot of support and advice with benefits. With the recent changes in the benefits system, support from a representative from Headway can be really valuable in helping people to negotiate through the benefits system to make sure that their problems are properly recognised.
Stephensons are on the committee for Headway in Wigan and separate to my role in my Headway. I'm a case manager for Active Case Management, and we work side by side with Stephensons with some of the catastrophic injury cases. We hope to be an anchor for people when they feel cast adrift. It's life changing, and it can be devastating, but it doesn't have to be the end. There's new life after a brain injury, a different life, and it can be just as good as the one before.
Tom Mooney
At Stephensons, we have a specialist clinical negligence department with a wealth of experience of dealing with claims related to brain injuries. After funding has been set up, records are acquired and are reviewed by a solicitor and an in-house nurse. The file will then be considered by a panel of specialists before independent expert evidence is obtained to determine the prospects and the value of the claim. Once appropriate and supportive expert evidence has been secured, we will correspond with the relevant defendants in an attempt to secure admissions and compensation.
