Surviving brain injury: a life re-written | Medical Negligence and Personal Injury Blog | Kingsley Napley

Each year, Kingsley Napley gets behind Headway’s Action for Brain Injury (ABI) Week, seeking to support the charity’s mission to raise awareness of the complex issues surrounding brain injury.
 

Many of our lawyers work closely with brain injury survivors – including those in our Medical Negligence and Personal Injury team. We see first-hand the incredible challenges that are brought by traumatic brain injuries and the support that can be required in the aftermath.

This year’s ABI Week campaign is called ‘A Life Re-written’, which focuses on the realities of life and identity after a brain injury. The campaign is fronted by Andrew Jenkins, a finalist on TV show ‘The Traitors’, who survived a brain injury following a car crash in the late 1990s. His fascinating story can be found on the Headway website, where he talks about having hit rock bottom and losing his dream of playing Rugby for Wales. He says that he overcame adversity and has gone on to have a great life. His story will no doubt bring inspiration to many.

The phrase ‘a life re-written’ is very poignant for me when I consider the brain injured clients we have in the Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury Team here at Kingsley Napley. They are so often coming to terms with enormous changes to their lives – no longer being able to carry on with their careers or their life goals. The path that was before them has shifted monumentally, often having a huge impact on identity.  

A successful legal claim can certainly alleviate some suffering since it can bring financial security and funds for the treatment of ongoing issues both physical and psychological. However, as lawyers seeking to support these clients, we recognise that much of what a brain injured person has lost cannot be replaced and that they will often struggle to come to terms with a new future. 

Legal claims can often take a long time to conclude.  As specialist lawyers, we will seek an interim payment for our clients wherever possible, so that they can access the help they need quickly. However, more needs to be done to assist brain injured patients in the aftermath of injury so that they can access the best care and support in the shortest possible time.

In a recent BBC news article, Dr Mike Dilly from King’s College Hospital is reported as saying that patients who see him about their brain injury are often far more concerned about anxiety, mood and memory problems than about physical difficulties, to which they may have adjusted already. This also chimed a chord with me with regard to some of our brain injured clients who have significant challenges around personality changes and difficulties within their relationships and interactions with others. This can be incredibly complicated to navigate, and significant support is needed. Research by Headway reveals that around 74% of brain injury survivors consider themselves to be ‘a new person with a new personality’.

Depression and early support

 
It is widely documented that depression is common following a traumatic brain injury with up to 50% of people going on to suffer some form of depression in the 10 years following their injury.

A recent study in the United States has suggested that taking a common antidepressant in the weeks after the injury could help prevent severe depression. Here in the UK a study called ‘STOP-D’ is now taking place at Oxford University Hospitals in collaboration with Kings College London to measure the effects of the drug Sertraline on depression and quality of life for brain injured patients. Co-Chief study investigator, Dr Vanessa Raymont states that the risk of post traumatic brain injury depression emerging soon after injury suggests that commencing an anti-depressant within a few weeks could significantly reduce the incidence. The outcome of the study is awaited.

We hope that further advances in early support for brain injury survivors will be forthcoming and that this ABI week will raise awareness of the considerable issues for those who are having to accept that their lives have changed forever and that they must forge a new path. 

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury through an accident or medical incident and would like more information about the potential for bringing a legal claim, please contact our sensitive and friendly team on +44 (0)20 7814 1200 for a no obligation consultation. Further information is also available on our Brain Injury Webpage.

further information

If you have any questions regarding this blog, please contact Eurydice Cote in our Medical Negligence and Personal Injury team.

about the author

Eurydice is a Senior Associate in the Clinical Negligence Team. She represents individuals who have sustained life changing injuries.

Eurydice joined the department in 2015. She now acts for a variety of claimants, both adults and children, and deals with claims involving delays in diagnosis, surgical errors and patient mismanagement. She has expertise in assisting claimants who have sustained spinal or orthopaedic injuries. She has also advised on numerous ophthalmic claims.