This year, Brake celebrates 25 years of working to prevent road crashes and reduce casualties. It works tirelessly to produce best practice guidance and literature and to educate and support road crash victims.
At Hugh James, we’re delighted to be partnering with Brake to help the charity continue its invaluable work in all of these areas, in particular, its work with police family liaison officers and those affected by road collisions.
COVID-19 has presented the charity with additional challenges at a time when access to its services has remained a vital lifeline for many.
Cari Sowden-Taylor, Partner in the Neurolaw team, said:
“We see, all too often, the devastation and heartbreak road crashes can cause as we work with people who have suffered life-changing injuries or had a loved one killed. We are very aware of the importance of accessing appropriate and specialist support and advice quickly and easily. Often, the first port of call is the pack produced by Brake (pictured below) – information and advice for bereaved families and friends following a death on the road. It’s is given to every family bereaved in a road crash by their Family Liaison Officer. The guide contains information on what happens after a crash, practical issues, investigations and criminal charges, court cases, claiming compensation and useful organisations, as well as for the first time this year, a solicitor directory, containing details of solicitor firms that specialise in fatal injury cases. This means that families can access expert legal advice quickly and easily. This can make a massive difference to them then navigating the maze of processes they will go through – potentially a criminal trial, inquest and very importantly the financial and practical challenges they may face, as a result of the loss of a breadwinner or childcare issues.”
Deborah Johnson Chair of Brake’s Board of Trustees said:
“The support of corporate partners is crucial to the work Brake does. It enables the charity to work with and support even more people year on year. The challenges the charity sector is facing, because of the recent pandemic, are immense and many organisations have had to adapt their work accordingly, including to assist those affected by Covid-19. Brake is no exception and in addition to its work around crash prevention and supporting victims post-collision, it has developed its Sudden service which offers training, guidance and resources for professionals working with and supporting people affected by sudden bereavement.
To have the support of law firms like Hugh James, with initiatives like the bereavement literature and the Family Liaison Officer Hub and webinars, is key to helping the charity continue with its vital work, at a time when we are sadly starting to see a rise in the number of road crashes post lockdown. This is a trend that we will need to work very hard to reverse over the coming months”.
