If you have been injured in an accident and you want to make a compensation claim for personal injury and loss just complete the contact form, email our lawyers offices or use the solicitor's helpline. Our head injury solicitors offer advice at no cost without further obligation. If our head injury solicitors deal with your claim it will be on a no win no fee basis, compensation is paid in full and you do not have to fund or finance your car accident compensation claim.
Head injuries range widely in their severity from minor cuts and abrasions to permanent brain damage and about 20% of traumatic brain injury (TBI) victims will die. These claims should be handled by a head injury solicitor with expertise in traumatic brain injury (TBI). If a third party failed to take reasonable care to ensure your safety and you are injured as a result, you may be able to bring a head injury compensation claim against them. A person whose negligence causes an accident is legally responsible to pay compensation for the victim's suffering, injuries and losses. A judge can make an award for pain and suffering and all losses and expenses associated with the injury both for the past and estimated for the future.
Some of the most serious head injuries include concussions, contusions, hemorrhages and skull fractures. All of these injuries can potentially cause damage to the brain, which is known as a traumatic brain injury (TBI). There are both mental and physical symptoms associated with head injuries. In addition to the pain and physical limitations the injury causes, the victim's mood may also be affected. Depression, sudden mood swings, anxiety and noticeable changes in personality are all potential symptoms of head injuries. Cognitive disabilities can also result, including memory loss, poor concentration, inability to focus and slowed speech. A TBI can lead to permanent disabilities, including paralysis.
Head injuries are categorised into three main areas:
Closed head injury: This is typically caused by rapid acceleration or deceleration. With a closed head injury, there is no open wound or other visible damage to the victim's skin. Closed head injuries can result in widespread damage throughout the victim's brain.
Open head injury: These injuries are less common than closed head injuries. An open head injury is the result of the brain being exposed and damaged. In some cases, the damage is limited to one area of the brain and the victim may recover well.
Crush injury: This is the least common of the three types of head injuries. Rather than damage to the brain itself, a crush injury usually involves damage to the base of the skull and the brain stem.
The law limits the amount of time you have to bring a claim for head injury, so it is crucial that you act quickly. For legal advice at no cost and an assessment of your case just use the helpline. Speaking with one of our head injury solicitors does not obligate you to take any legal action, and there is no charge for the consultation even if you do not go forward with your claim.
If you have suffered physically, mentally or financially, you should consider making an accident compensation claim. For telephone advice at no cost from specialist personal injury solicitors just call the helpline. Our head injury solicitors will assess the strength of your claim and will advise you on your potential award of compensation without any further obligation.
These injuries are usually caused by road traffic accidents (especially bike and motorcycle accidents), falls or work accidents. The head is particularly susceptible to acceleration/deceleration and rotational forces because it is heavy in relation to its size, is mobile in 3 dimensions and occupies a relatively unstable position (the only support being the neck muscles). If your injury is the result of somebody else's negligence or fault, then you may be entitled to make a head injury compensation claim. To make a claim you should seek legal advice from an experienced personal injury solicitor.
Injuries can range from relatively minor damage to the scalp and face including cuts, abrasions and bruising to more serious consequences involving damage to the brain. Those with permanent and ongoing symptoms may have difficulties adjusting, resulting in relationship problems, financial problems and psychological difficulties. The amount awarded in a head injury compensation claim can be substantial, frequently amounting to millions of pounds, for very serious injury which requires ongoing care.
If you have suffered a head injury then you should seek medical advice. If you are experiencing any ongoing symptoms, you should speak to your doctor urgently. Your doctor may refer you for tests (such as MRI, CAT Scan, X-rays) and send you to a specialist such as a Neurologist or Neuro-psychologist.
When to call for medical help - Emergency medical treatment may be necessary if:
Types of injuries:
There may be long-term consequences. Signs of serious damage include:
A head injury involves trauma to the skull, brain or scalp. It can involve a small bump to the head or serious head and brain injury. Head injuries are open (penetrating) or closed head injuries. Closed head injuries involve no bleeding or cut but there are internal injuries. An open or penetrating injury involves bleeding and or a foreign object within the brain or skull, such as a bullet injury or puncturing injury to the brain. Motor vehicle accidents can involve open or closed head injuries.
There are a number of brain injuries you can get. These include a concussion, which is the most common type of injury, and a brain contusion, in which the brain is bruised. Subarachnoid haemorrhage and subdural haemorrhages can be the result of a head injury as can an epidural brain haemorrhage.
Head injuries occur in millions of people every year. Most of these injuries do not require much in the way of medical intervention and although half a million are bad enough to need hospitalization, at least overnight for observation.
In patients who have suffered a severe head injury, other organ systems are often involved. You can have facial injuries, spinal injuries or other bodily injuries along with a head injury.
Causes of head injury include sports injuries, falls, assaults, accidents at home, and motor vehicle accidents. Some result in permanent or irreversible brain damage. This can happen when there is bleeding into the brain or bruising of the brain that damages the nerves on a permanent basis. Serious head injuries can result in chronic headaches, coma, loss of nerve functions, paralysis, seizure disorders, and speech or language problems.
Symptoms of a head injury can happen right after the injury or can develop slowly over several days to several hours. The skull can bang about in the skull if there is enough force to do so. This can occur even though the skull itself may not be fractured. This is why CT scans of the head or MRI scans of the head can show internal damage when there are no signs of external injury.
Doctors look for a number of symptoms of head injury. These can include an unequal pupil size, seizures, fluid draining from the nose, ears or mouth, fracture of the skull or face, with swelling and bruising, impaired sensory functions, inability to move one or more extremities, unusual behaviour or personality change. There can be restlessness, clumsiness, severe headache, slurred speech, stiff neck, nausea or vomiting and changes in level of consciousness.
You should get immediate help if the patient is drowsy or has loss of consciousness, if the person behaves abnormally or has a severe head or neck ache, or vomits more than one time.
If there is a severe or moderate head injury, you need to call 911. Begin CPR if there are circulatory or breathing problems. Make sure you know that a cervical spine injury is always possible and do not move the spine during CPR or other treatment. Stop any bleeding with a cold compress or a soft cloth. Do not apply direct pressure if you suspect a skull fracture and do not remove any debris or any foreign object from the wound. Roll the person to his or her side paying attention to the cervical spine if they are vomiting. Apply ice packs to any swollen areas you see.
There may be no treatment outside of observation for a mild, non penetrating head injury. Watch the person for twenty four hours and wake them up every 2-3 hours during the night to make sure they can rouse without difficulty. If a child begins to play soon after an injury to the head, a serious injury is not likely to be the case. It is safe to use acetaminophen or Tylenol for the headache but don't use aspirin, ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory drugs for pain as these increase the chances of bleeding.
LAWYER HELPLINE: ☎ 1800 339 958The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here