BRAIN INJURY
Tragically several hundred people are killed and many thousands are injured each year on the roads in Northern Ireland. Of the latter, a significant amount of those are brain-injured usually with long-term consequences.
Often victims of a traumatic brain injury are left with a wide range of medical problems which will require intensive and lengthy rehabilitation for many years. Some may also be dependant for the rest of their lives. If the victim was an innocent party to the accident then they will likely be entitled to substantial financial compensation for their injuries and consequential financial loss. It is essential that you instruct the right firm of solicitors with the necessary experience to advise you on all aspects of any potential claim for damages.
At Francis Hanna & Co we have been acting on behalf of accident victims for almost 70 years. We have considerable experience in dealing with traumatic brain injury cases and know well the type of team of experts that need to be engaged in these complicated cases in order to maximize the value of any claim.
Many specialist experts will have to be instructed over and beyond those Consultants actually treating the victim for his/her injuries. For example the victim may require independent care for the rest of their life. In these circumstances a nursing care regime will need to be put in place as quickly as possible and nursing experts and disability specialists will need to be engaged to assess properly the cost of providing for care needs. Often the family home of the victim will need to be substantially adapted to enable the victim to live as independently as possible. In these cases expert architects and occupational therapists will often become involved.
The victim's employment is crucial when properly considering these difficult cases. Often victims of accidents can no longer return to work. They may have been qualified or trained in a particular field of employment. A team of specialist forensic accountants and employability consultants will therefore need to be instructed to calculate as precisely as possible the potential future financial loss.
Recovering the appropriate level of compensation in these cases requires a high level of skill. Victims of catastrophic brain injury need a specialist and experienced team of lawyers to cover all of these difficult issues.
One of our partners Martin Hanna heads our traumatic brain injury legal team. If someone you know has been the victim of a serious accident and has sustained such a Brain injury please contact him by emailing him directly or by completing the brief online form.
In 2009 Francis Hanna & Co was involved in the first ever Periodical Payments case in Northern Ireland for a brain injured victim. The Order approved in the High Court in June 2009 ensured that the annual cost of the victim’s care will be guaranteed for the remainder of her life, tax free. Before this case catastrophic brain injury cases tended to be resolved by lump sum settlements which gave no guarantee that the settlement amount would cover the actual cost of care for the rest of the victim’s life. The Periodical Payments option now gives families this certainty and it is anticipated that most if not all of these types of cases will be dealt with by way of a similar order.
