After you’ve contacted us, we’ll set up a free initial consultation to discuss your case and whether you have a legal claim. We’ll discuss what funding options are available to you to pay for your claim, including No Win No Fee agreements*.
We’ll then get in touch with those responsible for your accident at an early stage to see if they accept the blame for your injuries. If they accept responsibility, we’ll try to secure interim compensation payments which can fund private medical care and ongoing expenses, before your claim fully settles. Any interim payments will be taken out of your final compensation award.
Our lawyers will look into your case in detail, gathering evidence from independent medical professionals and health and safety specialists. These experts will analyse why your accident happened and can determine any future implications to your health. They’ll also advise us on the care you’ll need in the future.
We’ll always try and negotiate claims out of court, keeping the claim process as short as we can. However, if your employer doesn’t accept responsibility or doesn’t agree with the amount of compensation we feel you need, we’ll start court proceedings.
Even when trial dates have been set, claims are still often settled before reaching court. If your claim does need to go to court, we’ll be there to help you every step of the way, talking you through what will happen so you feel as comfortable as possible.
Read more about what happens if your case goes to court.
If you have an accident in the workplace, it may lead to a head injury. Depending on the category that your head injury falls into, there are varying levels of severity and this will alter the type of medical care you need. When making a claim for a head injury that has taken place at work, it's important that you understand what type of head injury you've experienced, as it will have an impact on your claim.
There are three main categories of head injury:
- Concussion - this is a minor type of head injury that can cause unconsciousness, temporary loss of awareness or confusion
- Skull Fracture - this is a break to the bones in the skull, seriousness will depend on the type of fracture
- Intracranial Hematoma (ICH) - these are blood clots that form in the brain due to a head injury and often could be life-threatening.
As well as cuts and lacerations, you may suffer from fits or seizures. These can occur within the first seven days of the accident (known as early post-traumatic seizures) or in the subsequent weeks or months (late post-traumatic seizures). Some head injury sufferers can go on to develop epilepsy as a result of the injury.
You normally have three years to make a claim from the date of your accident. However, there are some exceptions to this rule:
- Under 18s – you can claim on behalf of a child who was on work experience or working part-time. No time limits apply in these circumstances until the child turns 18. When the child turns 18 they can make their own claim but the three year time limit will then apply.
- Mental capacity – you can make a claim on behalf of someone who doesn’t have the ability to do so themselves, this can quite often be the case when there is a head injury involved and someone has suffered a serious head/brain injury as a result of their accident. In these circumstances, no time limits apply.
- Fatal claims – if you’re claiming on behalf of a loved one who died, you’ll either have three years from the date of their death or the date of the accident to make a claim.
The amount of compensation for a head injury will vary depending on the severity. The Judicial College sets out a range of approximately £2,000 - £400,000 for the injury element of a claim but this does not include claims for loss of earnings, treatment or care fees.
- Very Severe Brain Damage £282,010 to £403,990
- Moderately Severe Brain Damage £219,070 to £282,010
- Moderate Brain Damage – Type (i) £150,110 to £219,070
- Moderate Brain Damage – Type (ii) £90,720 to £150,110
- Moderate Brain Damage – Type (iii) £43,060 to £90,720
- Less Severe Brain Damage £15,320 to £43,060
- Minor Brain or Head Injury £2,210 to £12,770
Our lawyers will look into your case in detail, gathering evidence from independent medical professionals and health and safety at work specialists. These experts will analyse why your head injury happened and can determine any future implications to your health. They’ll also advise us on the care you’ll need in the future.
Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there’s no financial risk* to you when making a compensation claim.
At the start of your claim, we’ll discuss the funding options available, advising you which we think is the most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI), or can access support through trade union membership, these may be best for you. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household and car insurance policies, so it’s always worth checking whether you’re already covered.
Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.
Depending on the severity of your head injuries, you may wish to return to work following any accident. It will be important for your employer to assess whether you are capable of doing your previous job.
If you are able to carry out the same role, then appropriate adjustments may need to be put in place. If you are not able to return to your previous job, you may still be capable of working within a different role at the same organisation. This is something that will need to be discussed with your employer when you are ready to plan to return to work after a head injury.
As well as helping you claim compensation, we can also help with your rehabilitation and recovery. If you can’t work because of your injuries, then we can also advise you on benefit entitlement and arrange for the best possible support to help you recover.
Having helped many other clients who have suffered head injuries at work, we can use our experience to get a positive outcome for you and your family.
