Blog
Individual / Personal Injury Claims
A serious brain or head injury changes everything, not just for the person injured but for their whole family. If your injury, or a loved one’s, was caused by someone else’s negligence, we can help you claim the compensation and, just as importantly, the rehabilitation and support needed to rebuild life. Our serious injury solicitors act for people across Greater Manchester, the North West and nationally, in most cases on a no win, no fee basis.
To talk to us, call 0161 930 5151 or use our online contact form and we will call you back. The first conversation is free and without obligation, and we can come to you if travel is difficult.
You may be able to claim if your brain or head injury was caused, wholly or partly, by another person’s negligence, meaning their failure to take the care the law expected of them. To succeed, a claim must show that someone owed you a duty of care, that they breached it, and that the breach caused your injury. Even where you were partly at fault, you may still recover reduced compensation. If you are making a claim on behalf of a relative who cannot manage their own affairs because of a brain injury, you can usually act as their litigation friend, and we can guide you through what that involves.
We help people whose brain or head injuries arose from a wide range of causes, including:
Injuries range from concussion and skull fractures through to traumatic brain injury with lasting cognitive, physical and behavioural effects. Head injuries can also cause hidden problems, such as changes to memory, concentration, mood and personality, that only become apparent over time, which is one reason specialist legal and medical input matters.
For serious brain injuries, getting the right rehabilitation early can make a real difference to recovery, and money is often needed long before a claim finishes. Where liability is reasonably clear, we can seek interim payments, part of the compensation paid in advance, to fund treatment, therapies, care, adaptations to your home and lost income while the claim continues. We work with case managers and medical experts to put a rehabilitation plan in place, and in appropriate cases the Rehabilitation Code encourages the other side’s insurer to help fund this early. Our aim is not just a final settlement but practical support throughout.
Compensation in a serious injury claim usually has two parts. General damages compensate for the injury itself, the pain, suffering and loss of quality of life. As a guide, the Judicial College Guidelines, updated to their 18th edition in April 2026, place the most severe brain injuries in a bracket of roughly £372,570 to £533,720 for this element alone, though every case turns on its own facts and this figure is only one part of a claim. Special damages compensate for financial losses, and in serious brain injury cases these are often far larger than general damages: past and future loss of earnings, the cost of care and case management, therapies, medical treatment, equipment, home adaptations and travel. Where an injury affects someone for life, a claim may be structured partly as a lump sum and partly as regular annual payments (a periodical payments order) to cover care for as long as it is needed.
In most personal injury cases you have three years from the date of the accident, under the Limitation Act 1980, or from the date you first knew your injury was significant and linked to someone’s fault. Two exceptions matter especially here. Where the injured person is a child, the three years does not start until their 18th birthday. Where a brain injury means the person lacks the mental capacity to conduct their own claim, the ordinary time limit does not run at all for as long as that remains the case, so a claim can often still be brought years later. Because these rules are fact-sensitive and evidence is best gathered early, it is always worth taking advice as soon as you can.
We can take on most serious injury claims under a conditional fee agreement, commonly known as no win, no fee. If the claim does not succeed you do not pay our charges, and if it succeeds a success fee is deducted from your compensation, capped by law at 25% of certain parts of your damages. We explain the funding and any deductions clearly at the outset, so you always know where you stand.
Gorvins is a Legal 500 recognised firm based in Stockport, acting for seriously injured people across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, the North West and throughout England and Wales. We understand the physical, emotional and financial impact a brain or head injury has on the whole family, and we handle these cases with the sensitivity and patience they demand.
When you instruct us you will have a dedicated specialist leading your claim, supported where needed by the right medical experts, case managers and, in the most serious cases, our catastrophic injury team. We investigate what happened, secure early rehabilitation and interim payments where possible, build the evidence on both liability and the full lifelong cost of the injury, and negotiate or, if necessary, litigate to achieve a settlement that genuinely reflects your needs. We also handle related claims including spinal injuries and, where an injury has been fatal, claims on behalf of bereaved families.
To find out whether you can claim, call 0161 930 5151 or complete our online enquiry form and we will call you back to talk it through.
Possibly, yes. If someone else was wholly or partly to blame for your injury, you may still have a claim. Where you were partly responsible, compensation can be reduced to reflect your share of the blame, a principle called contributory negligence, but you are not necessarily barred from claiming. We can assess how fault is likely to be apportioned in your case.
Yes. Where a brain injury means someone cannot manage their own legal affairs, a family member or other suitable person can usually act as their litigation friend and bring the claim on their behalf. We can explain what this role involves and support you through it. Any settlement for a person who lacks capacity, or for a child, is subject to court approval to protect their interests.
Usually three years from the accident, or from when you first realised the injury was significant and linked to someone’s fault. Importantly, where the injured person is a child the three years does not begin until they turn 18, and where a brain injury means they lack mental capacity the time limit may not run at all. This means claims can sometimes be brought long after the event, but it is still best to seek advice early.
You can claim general damages for the injury itself, including pain, suffering and loss of quality of life, and special damages for financial losses. In serious brain injury cases the financial losses, such as future loss of earnings, care, therapies, equipment and home adaptations, are often the largest part of the claim, and compensation can be structured to provide for care needs over a lifetime.
An interim payment is part of your compensation paid in advance, before the claim finishes, where liability is reasonably clear. It can fund rehabilitation, care, home adaptations and living costs while the claim continues, which is often vital after a serious brain injury. We seek interim payments wherever the circumstances allow.
In most cases we act on a no win, no fee basis, so you pay nothing towards our charges if the claim is unsuccessful. If it succeeds, a success fee is deducted from your compensation, capped by law at 25% of certain parts of your damages. We explain the funding and any deductions clearly before you commit.
