Brain injury compensation serves several important purposes when you have suffered an acquired brain injury (ABI) as an adult, or when a family member or dependant has been the victim of an ABI.
With the help of a brain injury solicitor, you can receive a financial settlement that helps to cover immediate losses, for example due to an inability to return to work, as well as ongoing costs such as physiotherapy, care and support.
Lanyon Bowdler’s experienced team can advise on potential brain injury claims, as well as helping you to understand the various costs and losses that you may be able to claim for, and how you can spend the money effectively for the best improvements in lifestyle.
A brain injury settlement cannot undo the harm that has been caused, but it can be an important factor in improving victims’ lives for the future. Here are five examples of how this financial payout can help.
1. Healthcare costs
Essential healthcare in the UK is free at the point of delivery on the NHS, but that does not mean there are no costs associated with undergoing long-term healthcare, physiotherapy and surgery.
A brain injury solicitor can calculate the likely costs you will face in the future, based on in-depth knowledge of cases similar to your own, and can seek a brain injury settlement that will help to cover those costs.
This includes estimating the healthcare expenses you will face as your mental condition changes throughout the healing process. Some cognitive impairments are permanent, while others could result in memory loss, mood swings and other personality traits the victim has not exhibited in the past.
At the same time, family members may need to pay for transport and accommodation costs in order to be close to the victim during a hospital stay, for example, all of which can be factored into your brain injury compensation claim.
2. Physical and psychological therapy
Rehabilitation can run in parallel with multiple surgeries and other healthcare, or physiotherapy and psychotherapy may form part of the recovery phase once the initial healthcare interventions are completed.
Psychological trauma can be significant in acquired brain injuries and especially in traumatic brain injuries (TBI) which are caused by a direct blow or blunt force to the brain.
With the help of professionals, you can learn to live with your physical injuries, for example to learn how to walk or regain other motor control, or to tackle emotional anguish and post-traumatic stress.
Brain injury compensation can pay for this professional assessment and the services of a therapist to help you find the way forward, whether that is healing and recovery, or learning to cope with lasting impairments.
3. Recovery support
Recovery is not just about therapy. There are often long-term care needs arising from a brain injury, and these can require a significant amount of expenditure.
Examples include nurses to dress wounds during recovery at home, and to assist with any impaired mobility, as well as long-term support when re-learning the fine motor skills that many people take for granted.
The victim’s recovery may require specific equipment, from medical devices and monitors, to alarm systems so they can call for help in an emergency.
A brain injury solicitor can work with you to plan out a recovery roadmap, detailing the expected and potential unexpected costs, the resources you will need and the professionals who can provide this to you.
By making these calculations upfront, the solicitor can ensure that your brain injury compensation claim is for the right amount, to cover the substantial future costs and avoid the need for a further claim at a later date.
4. Future medication
Again, brain injury victims in the UK should find the majority of their future medication needs are covered by the NHS. However, there may still be ongoing prescription costs, which can add up significantly over many years.
There may also be non-NHS medications that can help with specific aspects of your condition, such as seizures or chronic pain, and a brain injury settlement can take the higher costs of private healthcare into account.
While a compensation claim should be calculated fairly, based on real-world costs you expect to incur, an experienced brain injury lawyer will know what can be included to ensure you get the best quality of healthcare and long-term medication to aid your recovery.
5. Household lifestyle and welfare
Finally, a TBI can have a lasting effect on your entire household’s lifestyle and welfare. Brain injuries, whether to an adult, a child or a newborn baby, are among the most disruptive and distressing impairments, and compensation can take this into account.
In practical terms, that can mean covering costs associated with adapting your home to improve accessibility and mobility, or moving to a suitable property with better access.
As a household, you may be able to include loss of earnings for those close to the injured party, who have been forced to reduce their time spent at work in order to provide care at home.
Get the help you need
If you or somebody in your household has been the victim of a brain injury, please contact Lanyon Bowdler today. Our experienced team of brain injury lawyers are here to help.
We listen with sympathy and in total confidence, and can help you to decide if you want to pursue a brain injury compensation claim to recover losses and to cover costs both now and in the future.
