Spinal Injury Claims – How Much Compensation Am I Eligible To Claim?

Whether you’ve suffered a spinal injury in a road traffic accident, a fall at work, or due to medical negligence, if the accident wasn’t your fault you may be eligible to make a spinal injury claim for compensation. Therefore, we’ll show you when you might be eligible to claim spinal injury compensation and how the process works. We’ll also explain how compensation levels are set and show how much you might be paid for your back injury.

We have a team of specialist solicitors that provide a No Win No Fee service for spinal injury claims. They have many years of experience in personal injury claims and could represent you if you decide to start a claim.

If you’re ready to start a spinal injury claim right away, call us on 0800 6524 881. Otherwise, please continue reading our guide on spinal injury claims.

Am I Eligible To Make A Spinal Injury Compensation Claim?

Many different types of accidents could cause you to suffer a spinal injury. We’ll review them in more detail shortly. However, whether you’re eligible to claim compensation for a spinal injury will generally boil down to the following criteria:

1. Did the defendant owe you a duty of care?
2. Did the defendant act negligently?
3. Was your spine injured as a result of their negligence?

Demonstrating that your case meets these criteria is what you’ll generally need to do if you want to make a spinal injury claim. We’ll explain what types of evidence can help do that in a later section.

Common Causes Of Spinal Injury Claims

Accidents involving force can often result in back injuries. The force doesn’t always need to come from behind though. The spine can be injured when being hit from any direction. While we can’t list every different accident that could cause you to suffer a back injury here, we have listed some common causes of spinal injuries leading to compensation claims. They include:

• Road traffic accidents.
• Medical negligence during surgery. Claims are possible against the NHS and private medical providers.
• Falls from height in the workplace.
• Slips, trips or falls including falls down the stairs at work.
• Sporting injuries.
• Criminal assault.
• Birth injuries affecting the neck area of the spinal cord.

Any of the injuries listed (and those that aren’t) could lead to a spinal injury claim if they were caused by negligence. For example, if you fell from a height at work and injured your back, you could sue your employer if they failed to provide adequate protective equipment.

Common Injuries To The Spine

Spinal injuries can be some of the most serious injuries a person can sustain and could lead to lifelong disabilities. Even where spinal cord injuries don’t lead to some form of paralysis, you might have to struggle with limited movement due to back pain for the rest of your life.

Some common types of injuries to the spine that could lead to a claim include:

If you’d like to know if you could make a compensation claim for your back injury, why not speak to our team today?

How Much Compensation For A Spinal Injury Could I Claim?

When it comes to calculating compensation amounts for spinal injuries,  it is often very complex. Sometimes it’s not possible to understand the impact of the injuries for a very long time, especially for cases linked to birth injuries. When spinal injury compensation claims are assessed, the factors used to determine compensation levels include:

• How much pain you have to endure because of the injury.
• Your reliance on others.
• Your loss of amenity and future prospects.
• The psychological impact of your injuries.

On top of this, any financial impact needs to be considered. Therefore, your claim could also include:

• Care costs.
• The cost of adapting your home and vehicle to help you cope.
• Your lost earnings as well as future lost earnings.
• Medication costs.

Due to the complexity of these types of claims, we can’t tell you exactly how much compensation for a spinal injury you might receive without all of the details of what’s happened and why. Only after your case has been reviewed by a solicitor and medical reports have been obtained will it be possible to provide a reasonable compensation estimate.

Average Spinal Injury Compensation Amounts

Although it’s not possible to estimate what compensation you might receive for spinal damage,  we can provide a range of average compensation amounts for spinal injuries below.

• £111,150 to £196,450 compensation for the severest of injuries to the spinal cord and nerve roots.
• £90,510 to £107,910 where nerve root damage is less severe than above.
• £80,240 to £159,770 compensation for serious damage or fractures to discs in the cervical spine.
• £47,320 to £85,100 for disc lesions/disc fractures leading to chronic conditions.

We haven’t included every possible scenario here so don’t fret if yours isn’t included as we could still help you begin your spinal injury claim.

We should emphasise that these figures are for general damages and don’t include special damages and therefore should be used as a guide only. If your claim is settled in your favour, we can’t guarantee you’ll receive the amounts listed.

Evidence To Support A Spinal Injury Claim

To support your spinal injury claim, it’s best to have as much evidence as possible, such as:

• Medical records. Documentation of your diagnosis, treatment plans, and any surgeries related to your spinal injury.
• Radiology reports. X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans that show the extent of the spinal injury.
• Physiotherapy records. Evidence of rehabilitation and the impact on your recovery.
• Witness statements. Accounts from individuals who witnessed the incident that caused the injury.
• Accident reports. Official reports from the police or employers detailing the circumstances of the accident.
• Photographs/videos. Visual evidence of the accident scene or the injury itself. Try to obtain CCTV footage if the accident scene was covered.
• Employment records. Evidence of lost wages or changes in your ability to work due to the spinal injury.
• Personal impact statements. Written accounts showing how the injury has affected your daily life and activities.
• Proof of expenses. Receipts for medication, therapies, or adaptations to your home and/or car needed as a result of the injury.

Your next step might be to give us a call. We’ll then look at what evidence you have already and let you know if it’s strong enough for a successful claim. Don’t be discouraged if you require more evidence, though. Our advisors will explain what’s needed and how we can obtain it.

There’s nothing to lose by calling as your review will be free whether you decide to make a spinal injury claim or not.

Time Limits For Claiming Spinal Injury Compensation

In most personal injury claims, there is a 3-year time limit in which to start a claim. This applies to adults who’ve sustained spinal injuries and will usually start on the date of the accident. However, it is important to point out that spinal injury claims involving children don’t have this time limit applied until they are 18 as a parent can claim on their behalf at any time before their 18^th birthday.

Similarly, if an adult sustains a spine injury and lacks the mental capacity to handle a claim, a friend or relative can claim on their behalf at any point (unless their mental capacity returns).

When claiming on behalf of a child or an adult, the litigation friend process will be used. This means you’ll sign court papers to agree to act in the claimant’s interests and deal with solicitors on their behalf.

Do I Need A Solicitor To Claim Spinal Injury Compensation?

As we have hopefully demonstrated throughout this guide, spinal injury claims can take a long time and may require lots of complex evidence. They will usually be made against insurance companies or the NHS who will want to limit the amount of compensation they pay out. Therefore, we believe that any such claim should be handled by an expert personal injury solicitor.

Not only will you benefit from your solicitor’s legal training and experience, but you’ll also have somebody to turn to if you have any concerns or queries during the claims process. Because our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis, we believe you’ll find the whole process less stressful. We also believe that having legal representation could mean you’ll receive a higher amount of compensation as they’ll make sure everything is considered before your spinal injury compensation claim is submitted.

Our solicitors will always aim to ensure you receive the maximum settlement possible in your case. Although they’ll try to do everything for you during the case, your solicitor will keep you in the loop and provide regular updates about any progress.

Please contact us today if you’d like to discuss making a claim.

How Long Do Spinal Injury Claims Take To Settle?

While minor spine injury claims could be settled within a few months to a year if the defendant admits liability, more complex cases can take much longer. Claims involving paralysis may not be fully resolved until the claimant’s prognosis is fully understood. This can potentially take several years. However, solicitors could ask for interim payments to be paid.

In the case of a spinal injury where factors such as lost earnings may be causing financial difficulties, interim payments could cover costs such as private medical treatment, rehabilitation, and other expenses related to the injury, until the final settlement is received. The purpose is basically to provide financial support to the claimant while their claim is being processed.

If you would like us to review your spinal injury claim for free, please call our specialist advisors. There won’t be any pressure to make a claim as we provide this service on a no-obligation basis.

Starting The Spinal Injury Claims Process

If you are ready to start a spinal injury claim, please call our advice centre on 0800 6524 881. You’ll be given free legal advice as part of our no-obligation consultation regardless of what you decide to do next.

If a claim is viable, a solicitor on our team could start working on it right away. If they do, you’ll benefit from their No Win No Fee service.

Remember, no matter how straightforward a compensation claim might appear, if it is not presented professionally and concisely, you could miss out on the compensation you’re entitled to. Therefore, please don’t hesitate to seek free legal advice by phone or our live chat on the spinal injury claims process.