No win, no fee brachial plexus compensation claims
Be represented by a highly-experienced lawyer at no upfront cost to you. Under our No Win No Fee agreement you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of the compensation awarded if your case is successful.
What are brachial plexus injuries?
Brachial plexus injuries occur when damage is caused to a network of nerves in the spine which send signals to the shoulder and arms to give them their feeling.
The injury can cause muscle weakness or loss of sensation in the shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists and hands, and can cause paralysis in some cases.
Whilst some brachial plexus injuries only result in temporary symptoms which can be improved with treatment and rehabilitation, they can also be permanent. These injuries can have a huge impact on quality of life.
Hudgell Solicitors has a team of lawyers highly experienced in pursuing compensation for clients in cases where the negligence of an individual or organisation either caused or contributed to a brachial plexus injury being suffered.
Our immediate specialist support
As part of our support, we pledge to offer all of our clients and their families:
- A free initial consultation – In your home, at the hospital, or any place where you feel comfortable, to discuss your situation.
- Immediate practical help – Dealing with practical issues immediately at hand, such as speaking to employers, police and insurers.
- Welfare benefits health checks – To identify entitlement to both means-tested and non-means-tested benefits.
- Independent medical opinions – We will seek independent medical opinions on the impact the injury will have on your immediate and long-term future.
- Rehabilitation – We work with some of the country’s best case managers and rehabilitation experts who oversee complete packages of physical, psychological and physiotherapy support.
Common causes of brachial plexus injuries
- Road traffic accidents – most commonly as a result of motorcycle or cycling accidents where there is a heavy impact on the shoulder.
- Accidents at work – often linked to manual handling and heavy lifting, leading to the arm being forcefully pulled or stretched. Heavy weights falling on a shoulder can also cause compression injuries.
- Falls from height – resulting in a heavy impact on the shoulder and arm.
- Wound injuries – such as a knife wound damaging or cutting a nerve or nerves.
- During birth – when a baby’s shoulder is stretched – known as Erb’s Palsy.
Was negligence the cause?
Our dedicated team of personal injury solicitors have handled many cases in which brachial plexus injuries have been suffered in avoidable circumstances. In such cases, compensation claims can be considered and damages pursued.
We have supported many people who have been injured due to unsafe work practices breaching health and safety standards and procedures, or due to the negligent driving of another person in a road traffic accident.
Brachial plexus injuries vary greatly in severity, from minor injuries which heal quite quickly and don’t need any treatment, to cases where nerves are completely pulled from the spinal cord and require significant surgery.
Why seek compensation?
Compensation can be sought for:
- The period of pain and suffering.
- Any loss of earnings or future disadvantage the injury causes with regards to employment.
- The cost of any required surgery or medical treatments.
- For any required aids and equipment, home adaptions or vehicles.
- Any travel expenses when attending related appointments.
How to make a brachial plexus claim
Make a claim in seven easy steps
Free Initial Advice
Call us, request a callback or complete our online claim form and we will assess whether we think you have a claim.
Funding
We will help you to decide how best to fund your claim. Usually, we will be able to offer you a No win, No fee agreement.
Rehabilitation
We will arrange an immediate needs assessment and invite your opponent’s insurers to fund any treatment or further support that you require.
Letter Of Claim
We will send a letter to your opponent with details of your claim, setting out why we think they are at fault.
Obtain Medical Records & Medical Reports
We will request copies of your medical records and instruct a medical expert to prepare a report about the extent of your injuries.
Prepare Claim Valuation
We will put together a schedule of loss setting out the losses you have incurred and the extent of the injuries you have sustained.
Negotiate Settlement
We will send all the evidence to your opponent inviting their settlement proposals. If we cannot agree on a reasonable settlement, we will prepare court proceedings.
Start your claim today
Feel free to give us a call or begin your claim online
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FAQs
Why choose Hudgell Solicitors?
- We’re one of the UK’s leading serious injury compensation claims teams, ranked by the Legal 500 Guide and rated one of the UK’s Best 200 Law Firms by The Times.
- Established in 1997, we’ve been helping people secure compensation for injuries for more than 25 years.
- The vast majority of our cases are settled successfully for clients without the need to go to court.
- We are committed to supporting clients on ‘hard to win’ cases many other firms refuse to take on, including cases where employers dispute liability.
What are the main brachial plexus injury symptoms?
It all depends on the type and location of the injury, but most commonly people suffer from weakness or numbness, a loss of sensation or movement, and pain. The same patient can injure several different nerves of the brachial plexus in varying severity.
The pain can be very difficult to deal with and can last for a very long time.
What is the usual brachial plexus injury recovery time?
The recovery time depends on how significantly the nerves have been damaged.
Mild brachial plexus injuries can heal often without treatment, but severe injuries may require surgery to regain the function of the arm or hand.
Severe cases can also lead to people being left with a flailing arm, with no control over movement and debilitating pain, or needing amputation if surgical reconstruction is unsuccessful. The severity of a brachial plexus injury is usually classed in one of four groups. They are:
- Neurapraxia – A small stretch or compression injury with no structural damage. This causes only temporary loss of function and a recovery is usually made without the need for surgery.
- Axonotmesis – When the nerve remains intact but is stretched. Recovery can take longer but does not usually require surgery.
- Neurotmesis – When the nerve is stretched and snaps or tears as a result. Ruptures such as this usually need surgery to repair them.
- Nerve root avulsion – The most severe brachial plexus injury in which the nerve root is pulled out of the spinal cord. These types of injuries may not be repairable with standard surgeries and some functionality in the arm may be permanently lost.
How much will making brachial plexus injury claim cost?
All brachial plexus injury compensation cases taken on by Hudgell Solicitors are handled on a “no win, no fee” basis. This means that you will not have to pay any money upfront and there will be no financial risk if your case is unsuccessful.
If your case is successful, you will only be expected to pay a contribution to your solicitor’s fees once the case has been resolved. The costs paid are usually a percentage of the compensation awarded and will be agreed upon before your case is carried out.
If your case does not win, we won’t charge you for our services, and in the event of a successful claim, you’ll only pay an agreed percentage of your damages.
This approach enables you to fight for the justice you deserve with confidence, allowing you to have expert legal representation to seek compensation for the injury you have suffered.
What is the time limit for making a brachial plexus injury claim?
If aged 18 and over, you will typically have three years from the date that the injury or negligent treatment causing the injury occurred, or from the date that you became aware of negligent treatment.
For under-18s, there is no time limit. However, once a child reaches 18, the standard 3-year claim period comes into effect.
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