Gordon Cartwright - Partner in personal injury department

Hello and welcome to JMW’s guide to head and brain injuries. My name’s Gordon Cartwright and I’m a partner in the personal injury department at JMW.

Over this series of videos we’ve helped you with the legal process and how you can pursue a claim for a head injury but I’m also keen to let you hear from the victim of a head injury so that you can understand how they’ve managed to cope and how you can cope as well with the effects of a head injury like this.

The following is a video of an interview we took with Mohammed Danyal who’s now twenty two years of age but was involved in a very serious road traffic accident when he was only seven years of age.

Mohammed Danyal - Accident Sufferer

I don’t recall anything, only from what my parents have told me. It was our fasting season, it was Ramadan on the 2nd of January 1998 around 15:45 and I’d just come out the mosque. Usually I come out with my dad and he put, I remember he said he put my shoes high up next to his but I must have got someone to take them down for me, so. My grandma’s house was just up the road so I thought it’s only a couple of minutes so I’ll just walk up.

So I was crossing the road and I was next to the pavement when the car just came, I believe it was a taxi driver, and he just crashed into me and ran me over. He didn’t stop, he stopped, he stopped and then went off. He pulled me to the side and then just went and drove away. So that’s what I remember.

My dad, he told me, he came out of the mosque and he’s going up and saw all these people were in a crowd and he just, he looked down and then he saw, that’s Mohammad’s coat, that’s my coat and so he went over, lifted it up and there I was, I was bleeding from my nose, my mouth, my ears and yeah practically everything.

I got taken to the hospital. I was unconscious for two to three weeks. When I woke up I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t really do anything, I was in a wheelchair for two, three weeks. I wasn’t the same person, my personality had changed and I kept getting headaches, I kept falling down a lot and as a result I’ve got left sided weakness as well so I couldn’t really do much as well.

It wasn’t easy and because I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t scream so I kept like, I couldn’t really say anything as well, so I couldn’t say ow or anything, so just made little murmurs while my parents kept making me do stuff because they wanted me to learn to walk and talk again.

I didn’t want to go to school, I had to go because I was with all these people and I didn’t like any of the people, they say, oh hi you’ve come with all these people what’s wrong with you. To many I do come across as normal but my parents say there’s a lot of stuff wrong with you, even I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

At the moment I get, I have a support worker who comes to my house every week, every Wednesday. He goes through stuff, they ask how I am. Recently I’ve applied for a job, I’ve got my results, I wanted to do journalism, English literature with journalism, I was guaranteed a place but on results day I just thought why don’t I just do law, so I just thought I was just going to do law. I need that one chance and I’ll just... I know, I know I’ve got the capabilities, I know I’m strong minded so I can do it, I know I can do it.

Personal injury is definitely something that I want to go into because obviously I can relate, I’ve had an accident as well so I can appreciate where people are coming from. I can tell people about my experience and the stuff that I’ve accomplished and hopefully they can take something from that and maybe they can obviously apply to their own lives.

I’m very grateful for JMW for all that they’ve done. I’ve really gained a lot from them and hopefully they’ll stand me in good stead for what I’m looking for do to in the future.

What I would tell people is there’s nothing wrong, just because you’ve had a head injury doesn’t mean that you can’t do stuff. People tell you that you can’t always do stuff but you can always do everything you want. Doctors told me I won’t be able to finish school or go university and look where I am.

Gordon Cartwright - Partner in personal injury department

We hope that’s been helpful but if you have any queries then please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us either through the website or on 0345 872 6666. Myself or one of my colleagues will be more than happy to help out with any questions that you may have and hopefully put to rest any concerns you have about the legal process.

Thank you for watching.

Gordon: Hello and welcome to JMWs guide to head and brain trauma. My names Gordon Cartwright and I’m a partner in JMW’s personal injury team. Over the coming series of videos I’ll be discussing head and brain injuries and the claims process. We will look at the types of accidents that can cause head and brain injuries, what you can claim for and how much you might receive. I’ll help you to understand why involving a solicitor is important, the claims process and how involving a solicitor can help through it all. We will also talk about the affects head and brain injuries can have on the injured party’s life, as well as family and friends. I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with you and helping you understand exactly what’s involved when it comes to head and brain injuries. I’m also looking forward to being able to give you an insight into how JMW, rated personal injury team of the year, and a top 10 law firm in the North West by independent industry experts, works hard to get the best results for its clients. I know that at times securing compensation for head and brain injuries will feel like a long process, but as a head and brain injury specialist I’m here to help you every step of the way. These videos are intended to give you a good idea of what to expect when entering into the claim process. But if you have any more queries please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us, either through the website or on 0800 054 6078, my colleagues and I will do our best to answer any questions you may have and hopefully put to rest any concern you have about entering into the legal process.

Gordon: Hello, My name is Gordon Cartwright I’m a partner in the PI department of JMW,foolishly I’ve agreed to the zip line in aid of the child brain injury trust. Fantastic charity but I can’t say it’s something I’m particularly looking forward to. Not over the moon going over the end of a building on the zip wire. So the part I’m looking forward to most I would have to say is being unclipped at the other end of the zip wire.

When you’ve got a child who’s had a brain injury, that something that’s more than likely going to be with them for the rest of their lives and will change everything about their lives so as a charity I think it’s as worthwhile as you get.

I think it’s important that as PI lawyers we give something back to the clients that we represent...

Hannah: Well naturally is a fantastic cause, I think it deserves being thrust into the public eye, and every bit of support that we can possibly raise for it, and every bit of awareness is well deserved because it really just gives the charity the opportunity to bring to the public attention how difficult it is for both the children and the families to cope on a day-to-day basis.

Chris: It’s just an important issue and I think there’s a lot of misconceptions out there about brain injuries and people perhaps don’t realise just what a massive impact it can have on people’s lives, so to bring that more into the public eye is definitely very worthwhile

Hello, I’m Gordon Cartwright, a partner in JMW’s personal injury team, specialising in head and brain injuries. Today we are going to discuss the likely kinds of effects head and brain injuries can have on an individual and how you can start understanding your injury.

As your solicitor, in order to gain the maximum amount of compensation possible for your injury, it is important for me to know your accident circumstances inside out, as well as helping me to gather evidence to support your case. It will usually help me to understand what types of effects you may experience because of how you gained your injuries, and therefore help me to guide you through them. Unlike many other types of injury there is no certain set of affects a head and brain injury will have on your life. This is because the brain controls every element of human life from moving each part of the body, to higher brain functions such as personality and intelligence. When it is damaged it will be adversely affected in a way too complex to predict. However, my experiences with past clients can help me to give you an idea of what affects you may encounter.

After any accident you will naturally feel emotional distress, but with a head and brain injury it is common to feel depressed and frustrated and be subject to the knock on effects these emotions can have. Experiencing difficulty controlling your temper, as well as feeling unable to solve problems are equally common and you may need help to deal with these issues.

The way you interact with friends, family and other members of society can also be affected and you may find yourself becoming less social and experiencing lower levels of self-esteem. Being able to discuss this with a rehabilitation expert will help you to resolve these feelings.

It is also common to experience some form of memory loss or disorder, but this can also be linked to issues with attention, as some aspects of memory are directly linked to attention. Investigative rehabilitation work can help understand the particular type of disorder you experience and help rebuild your memory.

Aside from emotional and psychological affects you may experience changes to how your brain is able to process things, for example, some of my clients have experienced problems with their sense of smell and there is a very well documented case of a person with a brain injury who was not able to perceive the right hand side of things. Of course this is in no way an exhaustive or definitive list of how you will find yourself affected after a head or brain injury and although my primary role as your solicitor will be to maximise your claim, I will also be making sure you are well on your way to rehabilitation, making a recovery and re-engaging with the rest of your life after the trauma of an accident.

We are going to explore the rehabilitation process and the effect your injury can have on friends and family in later videos, but for now, as always, please don’t hesitate to get in contact if you have any queries, either through the website or on 0800 054 6078. Thank you for watching.

Gordon: Hello, I’m Gordon Cartwright, a partner in JMW’s personal injury team, specialising in head and brain injuries. This video will discuss why in the case of a head or brain injury it is important to get a solicitor involved as soon as possible, and how that solicitor can immediately benefit the injured party. In the days following an accident, a solicitor can ensure that the means to seek the best possible treatment for the client is available from the outset. I’m always happy to come and meet a new client and their family in hospital or at their home address regardless of where this might be in the country to help get the whole process moving. This also takes some of the strain away from clients and their families, allowing them time to adjust to what has happened and the effect it may have on their lives. I believe it is the role of a solicitor to remain as sensitive as possible during this period and help protect their client and loved ones from additional stress. Once I have met up with the client I can make contact with the defendant and their insurers in order to agree on interim funding for the immediate needs assessment.

Gordon: This interim funding is a sum of money the defendant will pay which will be deducted from the final amount of compensation. Defendants usually agree to the release of this funding in the case of a head or brain injury as they understand the complexity of such cases and appreciate the claimant, my client, will require an immediate assessment to find out exactly what their needs are after the accident and what it will cost to meet those needs. These needs can be anything from paying for medical bills, to paying the mortgage if the client is unable to work. The quicker we start the process, the quicker these payments can be secured, this is particularly important as the compensation process can be lengthy. For example, a defendant is entitled to take up to three months just to investigate liability for the accident. By starting your claim quickly, we can get in contact with the defendant quickly and get to work on ensuring you are financially secure. With head and brain injuries the majority of recovery takes place during the first six months to two years after the accident. It is therefore vital to get the best possible treatment at the earliest opportunity so that the claimant has the best chances of making a strong recovery. As a solicitor I will work very hard to ensure my clients get the best possible treatment for their injuries. NHS treatment, and head and brain injuries may not always be available in the timeframe my client needs it by to best benefit from it, particularly when it comes to being seen by a specialist, who are few in number and whose time is limited. In these instances, it is often best for a client to seek private medical treatment and as your solicitor I can make sure that private treatment is funded by the defendant’s insurers. A case for this can be made as long as I’m able to present evidence of my client’s needs to the other side. This is helped by the results of an immediate needs assessment. Once my client is on the road to recovery and I am confident they are receiving the best possible medical treatment, we can then continue to work towards settling the case. Remember, a final settlement figure may not be agreed for a long period of time after the accident. We will discuss the reasons behind this and the claims process in our forthcoming videos. As ever if you have any queries about head or brain injuries and the surrounding legal process then please don’t hesitate to get in contact through the website, or on 0800 054 6078 where myself or one of my colleagues will do our best to answer any queries you may have. Thank you for watching.

Gordon: Hello, I’m Gordon Cartwright, a partner in JMW’s personal injury team, specialising in head and brain injuries. This video will discuss why it’s important to claim compensation after sustaining a head or brain injury from an accident that wasn’t your fault. In the case of head or brain injuries, I think it is vital for the injured party to appoint a solicitor and seek compensation for injuries. In head and brain injury cases medical expenses can be very costly, but these can be eased or removed if you seek compensation.

Gordon: As your solicitor I can make a case to thedefendants to release interim funding for medical expenses and ultimately secure a compensation package that will help with any on-going care costs for life. There are many costs that can be incurred as a result of a head or brain injury such as loss of earnings or replacement of damaged items that the money simply isn’t in the bank to pay for. A solicitor can help you seek a compensation package that can help you to fund these matters and provide adequate financial stability during the recovery process and beyond.

Gordon: I work on the basis of a ‘no win no fee’ agreement, and in the event that you lose your case you would not stand to lose out financially. Additionally, I will never ask you for any up-front payments so you needn’t worry about a solicitor being an additional financial outlay at any point in the legal process. My main role as your solicitor will be to secure the maximum compensation for you after an accident that wasn’t your fault. However, when you engage me you are also gaining a support network of individuals I have access to.

Gordon: Head and brain injuries can have a massive affect on the injured party and the lives of those around them, and as your solicitor I can help with the adjustments and support that may be needed. This can be anything from engaging a case worker, to giving close support to the injured party and family, to looking at potential counselling and rehabilitation opportunities. I will also fight for the best treatment for my clients, but this starts with them making a choice to engage me to seek compensation.

Gordon: As ever if you have any queries about head or brain injuries and the surrounding legal process, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us through the website or on 0800 054 6078 where my colleagues will do our best to answer them. Thanks for watching.

Gordon: Hello, I’m Gordon Cartwright, a partner in JMW’s personal injury team, specialising in head and brain injuries. This video will discuss what a client, known as the claimant, can claim for in the case of a head or brain injury. My main role as your solicitor will be to secure the maximum compensation for you after an accident that wasn’t your fault. Unfortunately it is usually the case that head and brain injuries are very serious, when someone makes a claim for a head or brain injury they are likely to receive a significant amount of compensation if their claim is successful, perhaps even running into the millions, depending on the severity of any residual symptoms.

Gordon: The claim amount, known as damages, is usually made up of two broad categories, general damages and special damages. General damages are designed to compensate the claimant for non-monetary aspects of the specific harm suffered during the accident. These are usually actual physical injuries that the client has sustained during the course of the accident, the discomfort and pain they have caused and the embarrassment or upset which is known in the legal world as loss of amenity the client has experienced as a direct result of the accident. Special damages are designed to compensate the claimant for monetary losses they have suffered. Private medical expenses will generally be classed under this category of damages, but they can also include loss of earnings, replacement items damaged in the accident and additional domestic care incurred by the client, such as a family member spending additional time helping the client with domestic activity or transportation requirements.

Gordon: We must be able to clearly prove these financial losses so, if for example, you’re self-employed and your injury has prevented you from working, we need access to enough evidence to demonstrate to the defendant’s insurers how much you earn and make an estimate about how much you may lose as a result of your injury. Once we have calculated the sum-total of general and special damages you are claiming for, we are then in a position to discuss a settlement figure with the defendants. It is important to understand that defendant insurers and solicitors seek to pay the least amount of compensation possible, and will therefore be likely to dispute any figures they are presented with. Having an experienced solicitor on hand to help with your claim will ensure that you can maximise your claim and get what you deserve.

Gordon: Remember, no two cases are the same, that means that no two sets of damages are the same and no two compensation amounts are the same. It is impossible to predict what sum of compensation you may receive at the start of a case; we can only sensibly give a ball park idea of what your case may be worth as it progresses. As ever if you have any queries about head or brain injuries and the surrounding legal process then please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us either through the website or on 0800 054 6078 where my colleagues and I will do our best to answer them. Thanks for watching.

Gordon: Hello, I’m Gordon Cartwright, a partner in JMW’s personal injury team, specialising in head and brain injuries. Today we are going to discuss how the friends and family members of someone with a brain or head injury can be affected by their loved one’s accident and what they can do to help. I have already discussed the possible affects a head or brain injury can have on the injured party, my client, but while it will be hard for them to come to terms with these affects, it will be equally difficult for the client’s family and friends. It is also natural for those closest to the injured party to want to play an active role in the rehabilitation process. It is fair to say that the help and support of the client’s family is invaluable and alongside specialist medical personnel they can help my client make the best possible recovery from a head injury.

Gordon: I’m always happy to meet with my client as well as their family and friends. I feel that the best recovery is made from everybody involved in the client’s life working as a team, with medical professionals, family and friends pulling together, with a specialist solicitor like me on hand, providing support and answering questions claimant’s families may not even realise they have.

Gordon: The NHS and any private medical treatment will of course offer rehabilitation support, including nurses, neurologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists, who will provide treatment in a medical facility.

Gordon: Brain injury clients can be given exercises to help improve their mood, memory or any other area that they need to be treated and often these exercises need to be undertaken on at least a daily basis. With support my clients find these tasks much easier. For example, many clients will experience issues with memory and be given aids such as diaries and iPads or exercises to help them improve. Family and friends can help to diarise daily events, provide a good sounding board for anything the client could have missed during the day, and are clearly vital in helping to explain missing gaps in their memory.

Gordon: Friends and family will also be invaluable in encouraging my client to be positive and upbeat about their situation, and working with them to lift any depressive moods they may be experiencing. Remember, brain injury often comes as a result of a trauma and positively reinforcing the injured party, particularly during the early stages of their recovery, will be very important in helping them to deal with any shock or residual stress symptoms.

Gordon: There are also cases in which my client needs more specialist help from afriend or family member. A proportion of brain injury cases are so severe that the injured party may lack the capacity to conduct proceedings. In this case they would require an individual known as a litigation friend. A litigation friend acts as a competent representative for the injured party and is able to make decisions on their behalf. A litigation friend needs to be someone with a close relationship to the injured party, often a parent, grandparent or partner who does not have a conflict of interest with the party and can act responsibly on their behalf. The addition of a litigation friend doesn’t make a difference to how I would run the claim, but does mean that if the case is settled outside of court the compensation amount needs to be approved by court at an approval hearing.

Gordon: Ultimately the road to recovery following a brain injury is not straight forward. My best advice is to stay positive, as your loved ones solicitor I am part of the support network and I can offer advice and insight from my experience gained working on other brain injury cases. If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to get in contact, either through the website or on 0800 054 6078 where myself or one of my colleagues would be happy to speak with you. Thanks for watching.

Gordon: Hello I'm Gordon Cartright, I'm a partner in JMW's Personal Injury department.

When you or a loved one have suffered a head injury as a result of an accident, dealing with the consequences can be taxing and upsetting. On top of that there's a great deal of medical and legal language to get to grips with which you may never have encountered before. I have put together a series of short videos to explain some of the terms you may come across, starting with the two types of head injury someone can sustain. A Closed Head Injury and an Open Head Injury.

A head injury is classed as a closed head injury when nothing has penetrated the scalp or skull to cause damage to the brain tissue. This means damage is caused because of violent movement the brain has been subject to, not because of a foreign object in the brain. A good example of when this sort of injury can occur is a road traffic accident where a closed head injury can be sustained as the brain is thrown forward and then backwards against the wall of the skull after a sudden or high speed impact.

On the other hand an open head injury occurs when an item fractures the skull and pierces the brain tissue, these are known as penetrating head injuries and can occur in a number of different settings.

Neither sort of head injury should be given anything less than serious consideration, if you or anyone you know has sustained a head injury it is vital that they seek immediate medical attention so that they can be treated appropriately. If you are interested in making a claim, give us a call on 0800 054 6078 and we will get the ball rolling for you. Thanks for watching.

Gordon: Hi I'm Gordon Cartwright, I'm a partner in JMW's Personal Injury Department. When you or a loved one has suffered a head injury as a result of an accident, dealing with the consequences can be very difficult. This is part of a series of short videos that sheds light on some of the terms you may encounter when dealing with a head injury. Today I'm going to talk about the Glasgow Coma Scale.

The Glasgow Coma Scale, or GCS is what medical professionals use to assess the severity of a head injury. It is split into three elements;

• Physical Responses
• Verbal Responses and;
• How easily a patient can open their eyes

A person with a head injury is scored on each of these three elements, with 15 indicating the least severe head injury and 3 indicating the most severe head injury. A score of 13 or more is classed as a minor head injury, a score between 9 and 12 is classed as a moderate head injury with a score of 8 or less being classed as a severe head injury. Remember the responses to the GCS can change regularly and it is a postivie sign if someone's GCS score keeps climbing.

Once a person with a head injury has received immediate treatment and is stable, consideration should then be given to making a personal injury claim. If you are interested in making a personal injury claim as a result of a head injury you or a loved one have sustained, my colleagues and I can help you, give us a call on 0800 054 6078 and we'lll get the process started for you. Thanks for watching