“There was a period of time after the injury where I had to get myself ready to accept that I might never be independent again.”
A workplace accident
Aged 19, Liam enjoyed spending time with his friends, playing football, golf and going to the gym. He was as an apprentice electrician and wanted to work in Australia one day.
But, in February 2022, Liam’s life changed forever. He was working on a building site when flat-packed furniture fell from height in high winds and crushed him.
Liam had to be resuscitated twice before paramedics could move him to Addenbrookes Hospital. He sustained skull and facial fractures and cracked ribs. He also suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Scoring the lowest level of consciousness on the Glasgow Coma Scale, he needed emergency surgery. Surgeons removed part of his skull to relieve the pressure in his head due to a bleed on the brain and placed him in an induced coma.
Post-traumatic amnesia means Liam doesn’t remember what happened to him.
Hearing that your child’s been injured
Liam’s family heard about the accident when a policeman came to the house. By the time they got to the hospital, Liam was already in theatre, and they couldn’t see him until he was settled in neuro-critical care later that night.
Seeing Liam in hospital was, “possibly the worst experience ever,” says his mum, Melanie. “He’d been intubated, and the machines and noises were overwhelming. I don’t think anything can ever prepare you for seeing your child like that.”
The first 24 hours were critical and as the days wore on, so did the uncertainty. “We had to completely trust the doctors and nurses and the brilliant team he had around him,” says Melanie.
Liam was in an induced coma for four days. When he was brought out it, he was very confused and over time, frustrated by being stuck in bed or having restricted movement. He was desperate to get home as soon as possible, so he asked the nurses what he needed to do and concentrated on that.
After a further three-and-a-half weeks, Liam was discharged into his parents’ care. When he first got home, part of his skull was still missing, and he struggled with his balance and short-term memory. Melanie was paranoid about him falling or hitting his head.
At first, Liam slept downstairs and relied on his parents for everything, including washing, dressing and using the toilet.
It was a big change for Liam, who’d been looking forward to more independence. He says, “I was in denial for a long time about why I was in this situation. None of us really knew all the different things I’d have to do to try and live a normal life.”
Legal support
“Legal advice wasn’t something we thought of in the early days and weeks after Liam’s accident”, recalls Melanie. “We were focused on caring for Liam.” But as they started to process what had happened, they questioned why people had been allowed to work and lift materials in the very high winds on that day.
They sought advice from a family friend who worked in the legal profession. He recommended Irwin Mitchell.
Sarah Griggs, partner in our Serious Injury team, met Liam and his family at home and helped them put everything into perspective. Melanie says, “I felt so consumed with the accident, with Liam’s care, and we were still working as well. You want to do the best for your child, but sometimes you don’t know how to go about it. We were very concerned about Liam’s future, and it lifted some of that burden.”
At the outset, Melanie acted as Liam’s Litigation Friend because he was too unwell to give instructions. Sarah says, “To get the best outcome for a client after brain injury, everyone that supports them has to be on the same page. We essentially became ‘Team Liam’.”
Liam says, “Sarah mapped out what life would look like with Irwin Mitchell handling my case. Lawyers can be intimidating but the way she explained things gave me confidence to tell other people what was going on. For the first time, I had an answer to give them.”
Rehabilitation
Once interim payments were secured, the claim gave Liam access to the best quality rehabilitation. Julie Jay, who worked for Unite Professionals at the time, was appointed as Liam’s case manager. She made recommendations about how funds could be used to support Liam’s recovery.
Julie says, “Liam’s family had struggled with rehab through statutory services. There’s a limit to what’s on offer and they’d been trying to manage on their own.”
The complexity of what Liam needed required quite a few different stakeholders to work together efficiently. Julie conducted an all-encompassing needs assessment to understand how Liam’s injuries affected his daily living.
Liam set goals which would be used to monitor his success. He wanted to go back to work, to play golf again, and he wanted to live on his own. Julie says, “I had to look at how his physical changes and fatigue impacted on his ability to do these things.”
Liam says, “It was hard for me to accept I needed something, but I put my pride to the side, which is hard for a 19/20-year-old to do.”
Liam’s rehabilitation package included:
- An occupational therapist to help him relearn tasks and get back to work
- A neuro-physiotherapist worked with him on strength and balance
- A personal trainer helped him towards his wider fitness goals
- A neuropsychologist supported him with adjusting to his brain injury
- A speech and language therapist focused on his communication
- A neurorehabilitation consultant oversaw Liam’s medication after his epilepsy diagnosis
- A neuropsychiatrist assessed to assess his low mood.
Liam also had support from a dietician, a gastroenterologist and endocrinologist as he developed diabetes insipidus and a growth hormone deficiency as a consequence of his brain injury, which needed additional intervention.
Julie monitored the effectiveness of Liam’s rehab package, making sure his treating team were aligned with his goals. She says, “He went from feeling quite hopeless to being quite hopeful about the future, from setting small goals to achieving big goals. He was very committed and proactive.”
Liam says, “After a while I could see progress from session to session. It started building momentum and I couldn’t wait to try things.”
A bigger goal
When Liam was back on his feet, his personal trainer encouraged him to set a new goal. Liam suggested a 10K run. He said, “For me, the benefits of running aren’t really the physical benefits. The most surprising thing was how much I benefited mentally. You’re building blocks of resilience, which I needed the whole time.”
With the support of his extended friends and family, Liam raised over £7,000 for the brain injury charity, Headway, which is also a charity partner of Irwin Mitchell.
He found a lot of support in their social media posts about the different short- and long-term effects of a brain injury, saying, “They explain it properly in human terms so people can understand.” Liam forwards them to friends and family when he feels they explain his situation better than he can. “It can be difficult to put into words what I deal with on a daily basis, so it really helps me.”
Returning to work
Returning to work was important to Liam in his drive for independence. He tried to return to his apprenticeship, starting back two-and-a-half days per week.
A couple of weeks in, he had a series of bad seizures whilst at work. A subsequent diagnosis of epilepsy made him realise that it wouldn’t be possible to return to the job he knew.
Still determined to find a role that suited him, Liam started managing the social media for a PR agency. Turning complicated information into short, snappy posts was something Liam never thought he’d be able to do, but he overcame the initial challenges and is thriving in a role that allows him to work around the continuing impact of his injury.
Looking to the future
Liam’s recently felt confident to move into his own home with his girlfriend Izzy. The pair went to primary school together but started seeing each other more regularly after Liam’s injury. He says, “I did warn her it would be a tough ride but she’s up for the challenge. Socially she does a lot for me. She’s a translator when I struggle to get my words out. She understands what I’m trying to say.”
As he’s regained his independence, Liam’s found a love of cooking, “Something where I can get creative with the flavours. I love those little things I can take charge of.”
Liam’s family have learned how best to support him with his brain injury, to help him cope with everyday life. Liam’s days need to be structured but not too long, he needs space to perform tasks on his own, and activities planned around his fatigue, which can be severe at times and quite debilitating.
Melanie says, “We’re a social family, but Liam was conscious of people looking at his head, and then when he had his plate fitted, he had to go through another phase of recovery. It was a bit of a setback, but he got more confident as his scarring got better. He still struggles in noisy environments and where there is a lot going on, but he’s confident in who he is now.
Sarah says, “Now the claim has settled successfully, Liam feels he can move on. His ultimate goal was to buy his own property. He adores his mum and dad, but to achieve that is tremendous. Irwin Mitchell will always be there for Liam and for everything he needs in the future. We’re friends for life now. I feel incredibly proud of Liam and how we’ve been able to use the legal claim to get the results he needed.”
Reflections
Melanie says, “Children don’t want to hear your advice as a parent, so it was better for Liam to hear the message from professionals. He’s always been ambitious, and he reached the point where he knew that if he wanted to achieve things in life, he had to do it himself. He’s learned coping mechanisms in rehab and it’s nice for us to see him use them in practice. We’re really proud of how he’s managed himself.”
“I would say to other families to hang in there. You feel like you’re not sure about a lot of things at the start, but with time it becomes clearer, and you learn how to adjust.”
Reflecting on how far he’s come, Liam says, “If I was talking to myself a couple of years ago, I’d say it all seems like a lot of words now and empty visions. But if you really buy into it and give it your all, you’ll get more out of it that you can ever imagine.”
“Even after this serious injury, I’m in the best and happiest place I’ve ever been in. It’s all because of the support of my family, Irwin Mitchell and Sarah.”
Get in touch
If you, or a loved one has sustained a brain injury or been involved in an accident at work, and you need support and guidance, please reach out to our caring and professional team.
0330 8088 816
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