The Brain Injury Group has established a free, online legal and welfare advice service (‘LAWS’) to support individuals, families and carers affected by brain injury.
“Dealing with the aftermath of a serious injury can have a massive impact on all aspects of your life and your family,” according to Sally Dunscombe, Director and founder of the Brain Injury Group. “LAWS Online has been developed to respond to the many and varied legal and welfare challenges faced by any family affected by brain injury. Our member firms are acknowledged experts in supporting individuals affected by catastrophic injuries, including managing third party claims. However the support required by a family often extends to things such as employment, family and financial matters, and our members are prepared to offer the broader expertise they have within their firms to advise across the range of issues people face.”
LAWS Online is a free service for people and families affected by brain injury, and will provide advice on legal, financial and welfare issues on a confidential basis such as:
- Mental capacity
- Powers of Attorney or Court of Protection
- Finances – such as debt, welfare benefits, budgeting and planning
- Employment and housing
- Personal injury claims or criminal injury compensation
- Matrimonial and family matters
- Education
People looking for advice simply need to complete a brief online questionnaire, and one of our member firms will respond to the initial enquiry usually within two working days. Whilst every case is unique, it is expected that the free service will equate to around one hour of the professional’s time per enquiry, although it could be more.
“Just one conversation may be enough to set a person’s mind at rest,” continued Sally. “If the initial consultation does lead to someone seeking further advice or taking legal action that will incur costs, they are not obliged to use the Brain Injury Group member who responded in the first instance. In fact all our member law firms will be happy to provide pointers on how to choose an appropriate adviser.”
The Brain Injury Group is also looking to launch LAWS clinics within neuro rehabilitation facilities to enable face-to-face meetings with members of the group. The first clinic launches at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, Putney, on 02 February 2016.
The service can provide support and help at a difficult time in a number of ways by:
- Being simple to access
- Identifying and helping to manage legal and financial issues
- Giving specialist, experienced and trustworthy guidance
- Identifying funding sources to access rehabilitation
- Advising if there may be a case to seek compensation for the injury
- Providing information on how best to obtain further advice, if needed
For further information, visit LAWS Online by clicking here.
If you are a healthcare professional and interested in establishing a LAWS clinic, please contact Clare Harrison by email at clare.harrison@braininjurygroup.co.uk. In a hospital setting, LAWS will be simple to administer and use very few resources.
About the Brain Injury Group
The Brain Injury Group comprises a national network of dedicated brain injury lawyers and related professional services which together provide a gateway to support, information and advice for those directly affected by an acquired brain injury. It exists to support individuals and families affected by brain injury, and the health and social care professionals working in this highly specialist field. As a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), our mission is to provide anyone affected by brain injury with access to legal, financial and welfare services delivered by proven experts in the field who have been chosen not only for their skills and knowledge, but also for their passion and dedication to helping people.
