National award for brain injury specialist
Specialist catastrophic injury solicitor at Crawley-based asb aspire, Francis Lacy Scott, has been named as the Lawyer Innovator of the Year at this year’s UKABIF annual awards for innovation and inspiration.
The award recognises Francis’ role as a co-founder of the Brain Injury Group (BIG), a national network of specialist brain injury lawyers working in tandem with a range of other professionals involved in welfare, financial and family services to support people with acquired brain injuries.
According to Lacy Scott, a partner at asb aspire LLP which specialises in personal and catastrophic injury cases and leading regional law firm asb law, bringing all these elements together under the Brain Injury Group banner creates a clear route for brain injured clients and their families to access the support they need. It also brings much-needed clarity to brain injury claims, and enables genuinely skilled brain injury solicitors to deliver a significantly improved service to their clients and families, from accident through rehabilitation and on to compensation.
‘In the past, claims management companies often passed brain injury cases to general personal injury lawyers,’ says lacy Scott. ‘However, such a specialist area needs very particular expertise, and BIG brings together that expertise; it provides one point of access for both the legal and non-legal support services in any given region that can make all the difference to the recovery and rehabilitation of the client.’
Lacy Scott is currently Chair of Newick-based charity, Headway Hurstwood Park, which provides care, rehabilitation and support services at a day centre and in the local community to those affected by brain injury; he is also a founder and Chair of the Sussex Acquired Brain Injury Forum (SABIF), an organisation promoting awareness and services for brain injury in the Sussex community.
NOTE TO EDITORS
The United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF) is a membership organisation and charity which aims to promote the understanding of all aspects of acquired brain injury. The organisation was established in 1998 by a coalition of organisations working in the field of acquired brain injury who wished to improve awareness of ABI through education and information. www.ukabif.org.uk
PHOTOGRAPH
Francis Lacy Scott (left) receiving his award from Bill Braithwaite QC at the UKABIF awards for innovation and inspiration.