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Serious Brain Injury Claims
Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you to bring a brain injury claim to recompense you for:
- your pain and suffering;
- any reduction in your quality of life;
- any out of pocket expenses you have incurred;
- the cost of any ongoing treatment or care that you need;
- the cost of making adaptations to your home or vehicle;
- the cost of buying mobility aids or specialist equipment; and
- any short-term or permanent loss of earnings or pension entitlement.
Where you are making a claim on behalf of a loved one who has died as a result of a head trauma, we can help you to obtain recompense for:
- your grief;
- the cost of arranging their funeral;
- any medical bills incurred prior to death; and
- the loss of any financial support they provided to you.
We can deal with claims for minor, moderate and severe injuries and are particular specialists in serious injuries with life-changing consequences.
Types of injuries we can assist with include, but are not limited to:
- lacerations to the face and head;
- bruising to the head;
- brain contusion;
- concussion resulting in unconsciousness;
- brain swelling;
- brain damage; and
- hypoxic brain injury.
Personal Injury Compensation
A compensation claim may be possible in any case where a brain injury has occurred following an accident for which you or your loved one were not entirely to blame. This includes injuries sustained as a result of:
- a road traffic accident or pedestrian accident;
- an accident at work;
- a slip, trip or fall while in a public place;
- an accident abroad or while travelling by air, rail or sea; or
- a dog bite or animal attack.
We can also deal with injuries sustained as the result of a violent crime or act of terrorism covered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Geographic Restrictions
Step Legal Solicitors can deal with any case where the injury sustained was caused by an accident which took place in England or Wales or while visiting a foreign country as part of a package holiday booked through a UK tour operator.
In criminal injuries or terrorism cases, we can provide legal representation in any case where an injury is sustained in England, Wales or Scotland and certain other countries covered under the terms of the scheme.
Compensation Amount
The amount of compensation you receive will depend on a range of factors, including the severity of your injury and the impact it has had on your life and your ability to financially support yourself, the extent to which you can be expected to recover and whether you are likely to need ongoing treatment or care. In cases involving traumatic brain injuries it is not uncommon for payments to run into hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds.
Time Limits
You normally have three years from the date on which the injury occurred in which to make a claim, but longer time limits will apply where you have lost mental capacity as a result of the accident in which you were hurt or where you are making a claim on behalf of a child. Conversely, shorter time limits will usually apply where you want to claim for a brain injury sustained during an accident on holiday or as a result of a violent crime or terrorist act. For this reason it is important that you seek legal advice as soon as possible.
Why choose Step Legal Solicitors?
Our lawyers are expert brain injury solicitors who have been working in the personal injury field for over 40 years and who have a proven track record in securing substantial compensation payments in serious injury cases. We are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and The Law Society Personal Injury Accreditation Scheme and come highly recommended by clients, past and present, who consistently praise our services through positive testimonials.
We are particularly valued for the care and compassion we show to accident victims and their family, who are often faced with the daunting prospect of having to make huge adjustments to the way in which they live their lives and come to us feeling angry, frustrated and overwhelmed.
Our aim is to do whatever we can to make your life easier, principally by securing you compensation and ensuring you have access to whatever you need – be that medical treatment or regular sessions with a range of therapists, home adaptations or mobility aids, regular visits from a care worker or even a place within a care home – but also by ensuring that you are put in touch with groups and organisations who are on hand to provide practical and emotional support, such as Headway and the Child Brain Injury Trust.
In addition, we will flag up where we believe steps may be necessary to safeguard any compensation you receive, for example by setting up a personal injury trust so you do not lose entitlement to state benefits and by making or updating your will.
Legal Fees
We understand that the cost of making a claim will be a big concern. However, there is nothing to worry about when using our service as we offer an initial free consultation and thereafter we can usually provide representation under a no win, no fee arrangement, which means that there will be no charge to you for our service unless your claim is successful. Any other costs that you might otherwise have to pay can generally be covered by insurance, meaning that you are effectively shielded from any financial risk.
You can find out more by reading our costs information factsheet.
Location
Our offices are based in Crewe, within easy reach of the train station. There is step-free access to our reception area and a ground floor meeting room for clients with mobility issues. We have a limited number of on-site parking spaces and home visits can be arranged by prior appointment where needed.
We cover the whole of Cheshire and Staffordshire, including Macclesfield, Sandbach, Northwich, Nantwich and Stoke-on-Trent.
Polish Clients
For members of the Polish community who may worry about language difficulties when making a compensation claim, it may reassure you to know that we employ a Polish paralegal to assist with interpretation during meetings and with the translation of documents.
Any questions?
We understand that you may be nervous about asking a solicitor to help and that there will undoubtedly be questions you need answering before deciding whether or not to proceed with a claim. If this is the case, why not give one of our lawyers in Crewe a call now to discuss your concerns?
Alternatively, take a look at our frequently asked questions guide where you will find lots of useful information about the process you will need to follow and the likely benefits for you and your family where a personal injury claim is successful.
You can make a personal injury claim whenever you have been physically or psychologically injured in an accident for which someone else was to blame or where an injury has occurred as a result of a criminal act in which you were an innocent bystander.
A claim can also be made for injuries suffered by a close relative where they are unable to claim for themselves, for example due to their age, the severity of their injuries or because they have since passed away.
The type of things you can claim for will vary depending on how your injuries were caused, who you are claiming against and whether your claim is governed by English law or the law of another country, for instance where you have been hurt in an accident abroad.
In most cases a claim can be made for:
In the event of a fatal accident, a claim can usually be made for:
In the event of a criminal act resulting in injury, a claim can usually be made for:
any associated loss of earnings or out of pocket expenses.
The amount of compensation you receive will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
Compensation for minor injuries from which a full and relatively speedy recovery can be expected will typically command payments of a few thousand pounds whereas the compensation for more serious life changing or life threatening injuries can result in payments running into hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds.
Where a claim for compensation is made against the government then the amount of compensation you receive will usually be capped. This will be the case where a claim for injuries arising out of a violent criminal act is made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and for asbestos related mesothelioma claims made under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payments Scheme where neither the responsible employer nor their insurer can be found.
Yes. Whenever a personal injury claim is made consideration will be given to whether there is anything that can be done to help you recover more fully or more quickly. Where we believe that there are things which could help we will discuss these with the person or organisation we are proposing to sue on your behalf (or, in many cases their insurer) to see whether they would be prepared to pay for these things to give you the best chance of getting your life back on track as soon as possible.
Our request for help has to be considered seriously because under the rules which govern personal injury claims there is an obligation to assess at any early stage, in every case, whether you would be likely to benefit from any further medical treatment, rehabilitative services such as physiotherapy or counselling, mobility aids and specialist equipment or professional support while you attempt a phased return to work. These rules are set out in the Personal Injury Pre-Action Protocol and the Personal Injury Rehabilitation Code.
Generally speaking where we ask for advanced funding we get it, particularly in cases involving serious injury where the party we propose to sue is clearly at fault and acknowledges this.
We can also often secure a voluntary payment to help tide you over financially if you are beginning to struggle with a drop in wages and increased overheads. Alternatively we can seek a compulsory interim payment order from the court which will entitle you to an early payment on account of any compensation you are likely to receive.
Yes. We are always happy to provide a second opinion where you have been told by another lawyer that your case is not strong enough to proceed or where they believe the time limit for bringing a claim has expired and there are no exceptional circumstances justifying an extension.When you come to see us we will assess your case afresh and if we believe a claim is possible we will tell you
The process for making a claim will vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of injury you have suffered, whether the person or organisation we say is to blame admits responsibility and whether the amount of compensation we are trying to claim on your behalf is agreed or disputed.
Broadly speaking, when you ask us to deal with a claim we will:
signpost you to professional advisors who can help you to manage your money and set up a personal injury compensation trust if necessary to preserve your entitlement to claim means tested state or local authority benefits.
Possibly, it depends on whether the person or organisation we say is to blame for your injuries admits they were at fault and agrees to pay an acceptable amount of compensation. If they do then an out of court settlement will be a real possibility. However, in other cases a court hearing will be needed to determine your claim and decide whether or not a compensation award ought to be made.
Where attendance at court is required this should not be a cause for concern as we will be there to support you. We will explain the process, ensure your case is fully prepared and that it is presented in the best possible light to maximise your chances of walking away with a positive result.
In most cases there will be no upfront costs to pay to make a personal injury claim. This is because in the majority of cases we can deal with your claim under a conditional fee arrangement, more commonly known as a ‘no win, no fee’ deal. Full details of how this type of funding arrangement works can be found in our costs information guide, but in essence under such an arrangement we will agree not to charge you for our services if we are not successful in recovering compensation on your behalf and you will agree that if we are successful we can take a small slice of your compensation by way of reward.
Insurance will be arranged to cover any other costs which may arise and which should mean that, unless the claim you have made is fraudulent or bad in some other way, you will not be exposed to any financial risk even if your claim for compensation ultimately fails.
The time it takes to deal with your claim will depend on a number of factors, including whether the person or organisation we are holding responsible for your injuries admits they were at fault and agrees with our assessment of the compensation you are entitled to. The severity of your injuries will also be relevant, particularly where it is not immediately clear what the long term prognosis is and therefore how much ongoing care and financial support you are likely to need.
By way of example, a straightforward claim for compensation for an injury arising out of a road traffic accident, accident at work or accident at a property may take between two to 12 months to resolve where fault is admitted and the amount of compensation sought is relatively low. However, an injury arising out of a slip, trip or fall or dog bite or animal attack which results in serious injury giving rise to a substantial compensation claim may take one to three years to resolve or even longer where the case is particularly complex.
You should not be put off making a claim because of the time it may take to deal with. Once the wheels have been put in motion it is often possible for us to secure a payment on account of any compensation you are likely to receive to ensure that you can cope financially while your claim is being assessed. Immediate financial help can also usually be obtained to pay for things like private medical treatment, physiotherapy, counselling services and mobility aids which can greatly improve your chances of making a good recovery.
Yes. All personal injury claims are subject to time limits and if you fail to claim within the limit that applies to your case then there is a high probability that a claim will not be possible.
The usual time limit for the vast majority of cases is three years from the date on which your injury occurred or the date on which you became aware of the injury where it took some time to become obvious. However, there are some notable exceptions where a different time limit will apply, including:
These time limits are strictly enforced so you should take legal advice as soon as possible.
Yes, if you are on means tested state or local authority benefits and we believe that a personal injury compensation trust would be appropriate, which will generally be the case if you have received a compensation payment of more than £6,000. This is because under the rules governing means tested benefits you and anyone living in your household can only have access to up to £6,000 in capital or savings without your entitlement to those benefits being reduced and must in no circumstances have access to more than £16,000 or your benefits will be stopped.
A personal injury compensation trust is a device that can be used to help prevent your benefit payments being affected by the compensation you have received. It works by transferring your compensation into a trust which is operated by people independent of you who will manage it on your behalf and drip feed you funds as and when needed.
We will tell you where we think a personal injury compensation trust may be appropriate and help you to make arrangements for one to be established. This must be done within 52 weeks of you receiving your final compensation payment or an interim payment as appropriate.
