A Scottish Commonwealth Games judo star, Stephanie Inglis is in a coma with a severe brain injury, fighting for her life after a motorbike accident abroad in Vietnam.Stephanie Inglis, 27, who won silver competing for Scotland in the women’s 57kg event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, had an accident in Ha Long, north east Vietnam, where she had gone to teach English for six months. Her skirt caught in a wheel and pulled her off the bike. She has sustained severe brain injuries and has been transferred to hospital in Hanoi in a critical state. She is in a coma and there has been a lot of bleeding and swelling to the brain.Her family friend, Mr Ghelan, started an online fundraising page to help the family with medical costs running into thousands of pounds as her travel insurance said that she was not covered. Her friend said that Stephanie had gone to south-east Asia in the belief that she had the correct insurance.Adrianna Rajwa, a solicitor in Boyes Turner personal injury department comments:“It must be a very difficult time for Stephanie’s family as there are many unknowns. No one knows the answer of how long the coma will last or how severe the brain damage will be. The question of prognosis after severe brain injury may not be available for weeks or even months. Recovery from a brain injury can be a slow process and may take many months or years. It could be at least a year after an accident before the extent of potential recovery becomes clear, at least physically; psychological recovery may take even longer”.The long term effects of a brain injury can be seen in an excellent awareness-raising documentary ‘A different brain’ by Louis Theroux, which was broadcasted on 15 May 2016 by BBC2. The documentary gives a snapshot of the months of work that goes into the rehabilitation process by a range of experts and specialists, including neuropsychologists, physiotherapists, clinical psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, support workers and many others.Boyes Turner personal injury team has represented many clients with severe brain injuries. By way of examples, we have acted on behalf of a University Student who suffered severe head injuries after a road traffic accident and on behalf of a 13 year old boy who was hit by a car. We know that life with a brain injury can be very different, but it can be just as fulfilling with the right support and understanding.Our expert brain injury lawyers aim to improve the quality of life of our clients by focusing on early rehabilitation and training. We have access to case managers to ensure that practical assistance is given as soon as possible and we can arrange for interim payments to be made to deal with any pressing financial needs or purchase any equipment or care that is necessary.Our team are members of the Headway personal injury solicitors list which means we have agreed to work within the Headway personal injury lawyers code of conduct.Kim Milan, a Partner and Head of the personal injury team, is a Trustee of Headway Thames Valley. This in turn means that by choosing us you can have confidence in the quality and expertise of our firm and our commitment to addressing your particular needs and circumstances.Our priority is to work closely with the family of the injured person and to advise throughout the claim how we can help to obtain early interim payments to deal with rehabilitation costs, nursing care, specialist equipment, aids and appliances and money to replace lost income.
