BBK Early Support Service: Immediate support for clients and families after brain injury

Dealing with the aftermath of a serious brain injury is far more than just stressful – it’s a life-altering experience. At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we understand our clients and their families face immense challenges during this critical period, which is why we’ve introduced a new support service to give them immediate practical support.

What is the BBK Early Support Service?

Our Early Support Service addresses pressing issues right from the outset.

We understand waiting for funds to become available isn’t always feasible. So we step in promptly to provide practical assistance, allowing our clients to concentrate on their recovery and rehabilitation while we get on with investigating their potential claim for compensation.

The key features of our Early Support Service include:

Managing creditors and service suppliers

If an injured person can no longer meet their financial commitments due to their injury (such as being unable to work), we help by preparing letters to creditors and service suppliers. These might include utilities companies, mortgage lenders, credit card companies, landlords, mobile phone companies and broadband providers, for instance.

When one of our clients had fallen behind with rent and utilities payments after a brain injury, we contacted their landlord and utility companies. We explained the situation and negotiated a payment holiday and repayment schedule, alleviating the immediate financial burden, creating a pathway for resolution, and giving our client much-needed breathing space.

Employment support

At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we understand our clients who worked before their injury face unique challenges. They will inevitably require time off work due to their injuries; some may never be able to return to their previous roles and some may never work again. For those who were self-employed, concerns about business continuity and financial stability can be particularly daunting.

We can help by writing to employers, explaining the situation, and ensuring that the injured person receives their entitled sickness pay. Additionally, if they’re returning to work, we help convey their needs and any necessary accommodations. For self-employed clients – who won’t receive statutory sick pay – we provide support in applying for employment-related benefits.

Emergency funds for essential expenses

In the aftermath of a serious brain injury, families can have unexpected but essential additional expenses. Some charities offer emergency funds for expenses such as travel costs or accommodation near the hospital. This support is especially valuable when an injury occurs far from home.

We help our clients to apply for these funds, ensuring they have access to necessary resources during a critical time.

On discharge from hospital, there may be an urgent need for equipment or home modifications. Unfortunately, not everyone has the funds to cover these expenses. Some charitable trusts provide grants specifically for home alterations and essential equipment. We can guide our clients through the application process to secure this vital assistance.

Connecting to reputable organisations

A significant brain injury affects many aspects of a person’s life and often leads to the need for specialist support across a range of issues.

Our clients may face family law issues. These could relate to childcare responsibilities if the injured person was the primary caregiver, or to relationship breakdown. Often clients and their families need urgent support in relation to their housing or immigration status.

We recently helped a client with a complicated immigration status, connecting him with the specialist legal advice needed.

Clients may need advice on creating a will. They may also have to apply for probate if a family member passed away in the same incident. Sometimes clients need to challenge the decisions made by public bodies, such as decisions around life-sustaining treatment. Invariably, our clients and their families need practical and emotional support at this difficult time in their lives.

At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we recognise the importance of addressing these varied and complex issues.

Through our well-connected network we can confidently direct our clients to reliable and highly regarded organisations for the specialist support they need. Whether that be specialist legal advisers or brain injury charities, such as Headway, The Silverlining Charity and Different Strokes, with whom we work closely, we ensure a smooth transition to these services so that our clients have the legal assistance, emotional support or practical resources they need, when they need them.

Help with state welfare and disability benefits

At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we understand that trying to find a way through the challenging state benefits system can be an added source of stress for our brain-injured clients and their loved ones, particularly if they have not previously claimed benefits. Clients who were already receiving benefits before their injury may be entitled to further benefits.

We can help with benefits applications and social services assessments, navigating the process for our clients and their families and ensuring they receive the benefits and support they are entitled to.

Ad hoc support with other issues

After a brain injury, loved ones are left picking up the pieces of a shattered existence, under tremendous stress and pressure. The world outside doesn’t pause to accommodate our clients’ struggles, but whatever the problem in the immediate aftermath of a brain injury, we will help if we can.

For instance, one of our clients recently needed a medical referral from her GP. When her request wasn’t properly considered, we stepped in. We wrote a clear explanation to the GP of why the referral was essential. As a result, the GP promptly made the referral. And we helped another client access advice from an immigration solicitor.

With you every step of the way

When a brain injury is sustained, suddenly the lives of our clients and their families are turned upside down and they find themselves in crisis mode without warning. Whether it’s a matter of life or death, everything else takes a back seat as they focus on survival.

Through our BBK Early Support Service, we aim to lift the crushing weight of the challenges confronting our injured clients and their families in the immediate aftermath of a brain injury so they can focus on their recovery while we work towards obtaining the compensation they deserve.