Head injuries can be extremely serious. Statistics from Headway, the UK’s main brain injury association, have revealed that every three minutes, someone in the UK is admitted to hospital with a head injury and that there are over 160,000 head injury admissions each year.
The UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum have identified road traffic accidents as the leading cause of all head and brain injuries. However, amongst the over 65s, falls account for the majority of head injuries.
Serious head injuries can also be caused by accidents such as tripping on unsafe paving, sporting collisions and assault.
Complications
The consequences of a head injury can vary hugely. There may be severe physical disabilities, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia. There can be serious long-term consequences such as brain injury, memory loss and speech problems.
Compensation
The most severe head injuries could attract a compensation payout of £214,350 – £307,000. In these cases, there may be little ability to follow basic commands. There will be little, if any, evidence of meaningful response to the environment, little or no language function and the need for full-time nursing care.
In moderate cases, compensation payouts can range from £32,725 – £166,500. The compensation figure would depend on the severity of the injury and factors such as a reduction in intellect, a change in personality, the impact on sight, hearing and speech and the effect that the injury has upon the sufferer’s ability to work.
£11,650 – £32,700 would be likely if the recovery from the brain injury was good, yet there are continuing problems with concentration and memory.
£1,675 – £9,700 would be expected for a minor head injury.
Head injuries can also lead to the development of serious conditions such as epilepsy. In the most serious cases of epilepsy where there is established grand mal (symptoms such as convulsions and loss of consciousness), the injury could attract a compensation award of £77,500 – £114,100. In less serious cases, where there is established petit mal (brief spells of unconsciousness), the compensation could be £41,675 – £100,000.
This information is taken from the Judicial College Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases (13th ed.). These guidelines help judges standardise compensation awards across the UK. The figures are for guidance only, and an experienced personal injury solicitor will be able to give you a more accurate calculation of the compensation you may be able to secure.
Compensation can also be claimed for things such as the wages that have been lost as a result of the injury, the impact the injury has had on work, social and family life and the psychological effects of the injuries.
Contact a specialist personal injury lawyer today to have your claim assessed.
The Accident ClaimLine Manchester
DISCLAIMER: This article should not be regarded as constituting legal advice in relation to particular circumstances. This article is merely a general comment on the relevant topic.