What is brain injury and how does it give rise to brain injury compensation?

Brain injury is damage to the brain that causes the destruction or deterioration of brain cells.

A person who experiences brain injury because of another person’s fault is entitled to receive brain injury compensation.

Brain injury compensation is used interchangeably with head injury compensation but they have different meanings.

Causes of brain injury compensation

Brain injury compensation can arise from two causes: traumatic brain injury and acquired brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury occurs when the head is hit by a direct blow with a force large enough to break through the skull.  It is usually caused by car crashes, falls, sports, firearms or physical violence.

Acquired brain injury occurs when the brain is damaged on a cellular level. This means that cells throughout the entire brain are affected instead of just a particular area. It is usually caused by airway obstruction, near drowning, choking or blood loss.

A person who is entitled to receive brain injury compensation, traumatic or acquired, needs to seek immediate medical attention.

Factors that affect brain injury compensation

The amount of brain injury compensation will depend if the injury is mild or if the injury is severe. The more severe the injury, the greater the brain injury compensation.

If the injury is mild, doctors will stabilize the patient to prevent further injury, ensure blood and oxygen are flowing properly to the brain and ensure that blood pressure is controlled.

If the injury is severe, doctors will recommend rehabilitation through physical, occupational, speech and language therapy and psychological support for the patient.

To avoid another brain injury compensation case, it is best to prevent it ahead from happening. Examples ways of prevention are wearing helmets during sports or cycling, wearing seatbelts in cars and driving carefully and installing handrails on stairways.

Brain injury compensation is also valued based on the general and special damages caused by the brain injury.

Brain injury is a type of personal injury, which is discussed inclusively in the injury compensation claim guide.