Delivering legal expertise since 1845

Brain injury claims

Suffering a brain injury can be life changing. We work with individuals and their families in pursuing compensation claims to ensure they receive the funds and support they can rely on for the rest of their lives.

A different kind of law firm

More than one million people in the UK are living with head injury-related disabilities. It only takes a split second for someone to suffer a brain injury. The impact can be dramatic and life-changing – with physical and emotional effects lasting long after it happens.

Our highly skilled team of brain injury solicitors has helped thousands of individuals with brain injury claims to get the compensation they need to pay for ongoing care, treatment and support to provide independence and improve quality of life for them and their families.

What is a brain injury?

The brain is the most important organ in our body. It contains billions of nerve cells that control all bodily functions; from speech and senses to movement, memory, how we think, feel and breathe, even how we digest food. Anything that affects or restricts how the brain operates is a brain injury.

There are many different types of brain injury. The extent of the brain injury and the impact of the injury will depend on a number of factors including the cause of the injury and the part of the brain affected. 

Click on the link below to hear about James, a client of ours who suffered a brain injury at the time of his birth.

James's story

What are the different types of brain damage?

  • Traumatic brain injuries

    If someone suffers a brain injury from a jolt, blow or any other external damage to the head, this is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Most TBIs are mild and have no long-lasting effects, with around 95% of all head injuries falling into this category (Headway).

    But there are still many people who suffer moderate or severe TBIs each year.

    Often in TBI there may be no visible sign of trauma and even though a person may be suffering from several problems it may not be obvious and this is why this type of injury is often referred to as ‘A hidden disability’.

    Learn more about traumatic brain injuries

  • Acquired brain injuries

    An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury/damage to the brain sustained after birth. Statistics show that hospital admissions for ABI have increased by 12% since 2005-6. There were 356,699 UK admissions to hospital with ABI in 2019-20 (the latest statistics available).

    Head trauma is a common cause, but anything that restricts or limits the normal function of the brain can lead to an ABI. Such injuries aren’t always obvious either, showing 'no external signs of injury' in many cases, according to a Headway factsheet for GPs.

    Learn more about acquired brain injury

  • Hypoxic brain injuries

    The human brain relies on an adequate, regular and constant flow of oxygen. The brain cells are extremely sensitive and when the flow of oxygen is partially or totally disrupted, it can take just minutes before the brain sustains permanent damage known as a hypoxic brain injury.

    Learn more about hypoxic brain injury


Why should you choose Shoosmiths?

We have been helping our clients get the expert legal advice they need for more than 165 years. And we’re committed to giving you that same quality of service too.


We’re also recognised as leading legal experts in supporting brain injury claims:

Clients' stories

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How can Shoosmiths help you?

Not only does our team appreciate the full impact of a brain injury, it also offers comprehensive legal expertise to help your claim for head injury compensation. We’ll be with you from start to end and beyond – securing the medical, financial and practical help you need.

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Brain injury experts

Speak to our skilled team of specialist lawyers...

Sharine Burgess

Sharine Burgess

Partner

Sharine Burgess

Sharine is an award-winning lawyer in the personal injury department, acting on behalf of claimants and their families through a wide range of cases, so give her a call.

Denise Stephens

Denise Stephens

Partner - Medical negligence

Denise Stephens

Denise is a passionate, highly skilled medical negligence lawyer with a heart of gold. She cares genuinely about getting you justice so tell Denise your story.

Chris  McKinney

Chris McKinney

Partner - Personal injury

Chris McKinney

Chris will come to your home or hospital. He specialises in brain injury and has won several multi-million pound claims for clients. Call Chris today.

Frequently asked questions

  • Why I should make a brain injury claim?

    If you are coming to terms with a life-changing brain injury it is very difficult to find the time or energy to do anything other than cope and adjust. But you may still want to know why this has happened and who is responsible. If you make a claim you can press for answers to these questions and also seek compensation. The financial award you receive will help you pay for expert therapies and care to help speed up the recovery process and reduce the long term impact of the injury. It can also help family or loved ones adjust to your physical or emotional differences and come to terms with any long-term care requirements that might be required. For more information on how much compensation you could receive see FAQ below.

  • Can I claim on behalf of someone else?

    Yes you can. If you are the parent or legal guardian of a person under the age of 18, you can claim on their behalf. You can also make a claim on behalf of someone who suffers a brain injury that leaves them unable to understand information sufficiently to make decisions for themselves. This is sometimes referred to as ‘lacks capacity’. A person can have capacity to make some decisions but lack capacity to make other decision. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 sets out rules for assessing whether someone has capacity at any given time to make decisions about specific things e.g. the capacity to make a claim.

    Unfortunately, there are times when brain injuries can be fatal. If a loved one passes away and it’s the fault of someone else, you may still be able to make a claim.

  • How do I start a claim for brain injury compensation?

    For an initial chat about your options, get in touch today – call 0808 278 0254

    Don’t worry – this initial discussion won’t cost you a penny and there’s no obligation. During the discussion we will learn more about you and your injury – and using our many years’ experience - advise you on the best next steps.  If you agree with our advice, we will start the claims process for you.

  • How long do I have to claim for brain injury compensation?

    If you’re thinking about starting a claim for brain injury compensation, there is a time limit for bringing a claim. This is three years from the date of the accident/incident. If you were not immediately aware that you suffered an injury, the three year time limit only starts running from the date you knew you had suffered an injury, or the date you could reasonably be expected to have known there was an issue based on the circumstances.

    For young people, the three-year limit does apply – but only from their 18th birthday.

    In all cases, we recommend contacting our brain injury solicitors as soon as possible after an injury takes place. This gives us the best possible chance of investigating your claim – which requires gathering evidence including expert evidence and witness statements – and putting your best case forward before the time limit expires.

    Sometimes it is possible to make a claim after the time limit has expired, but this requires the discretion of the Court, and the legal arguments are complicated. Our legal advisers have some success in this area.

  • How much compensation could I receive?

    When it comes to head injury compensation, how much you receive will depend on the extent of the injury and what will be required to ensure you can enjoy the best possible quality of life.

    Our legal advisers have knowledge of the latest therapies and technology that help make living with brain injury easier. They have many years of experience dealing with different types of brain injury so understand what help you might need immediately and in the future. They will investigate your circumstances and calculate the sum you will need to support you for the rest of your life.

    We successfully obtained an award of £14.6 million for James Robshaw, who suffered a hypoxic brain injury during birth and now lives with cerebral palsy. To read more about James’s story and other people we’ve worked with to get the compensation they’re entitled to read our client stories section above.

What to do next

We can advise you where you stand and what your options are so that you can make informed choices based on expert legal advice. We have many years’ experience of dealing with different types of brain injury claims so understand and can explain both the law and the practicalities that you may be facing for the first time. Getting in touch for an initial discussion will not cost you a penny.

Call us on 0370 086 8687 or message us.

The choice is yours.

Message us

What our clients say

Who we work with

  • Brain Injury Group
  • Child Brain Injury Trust
  • Headway
  • SIA
  • Back Up
  • Macmillan
  • Danielles Flutterbyes
  • Forces
  • Bens Heroes Trust

Our accreditations

  • Accredited Personal Injury
  • Apil
  • Ama
  • Clinical Negligence
  • Legal 500
  • UK Chambers
  • The Society Of Clinical Injury Lawyers