If you’ve suffered a back injury, it can have a massive impact on your life. It can mean you can’t work, drive, or participate in your normal hobbies. Importantly, if you have suffered a back injury as a 
result of somebody else’s negligence, you may be eligible to make a back injury claim for compensation.
We provide a no-obligation consultation over the phone where you’ll be given free legal advice after you’ve told us how you injured your back. If the grounds for claiming are strong enough, we’ll refer you to one of our personal injury solicitors. If they decide to take on your case, they’ll represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.
Please continue reading to learn more about the types of back injury compensation claims we can help with. If you’d rather speak with a specialist right away, please call us on 0800 6524 881.
Table of contents
- Am I Eligible To Make A Back Injury Compensation Claim?
- Common Causes Of Back Injury Claims
- Common Types Of Back Injuries
- Evidence To Support A Back Injury Claim
- How Much Compensation Will I Get For A Back Injury Claim?
- Time Limits For Claiming Back Injury Compensation
- Do I Need A Personal Injury Solicitor To Make A Back Injury Claim?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Starting The Back Injury Claims Process
Am I Eligible To Make A Back Injury Compensation Claim?
As our personal injury solicitors all operate on a No Win No Fee basis, they can only work on back injury claims that they believe have a fair chance of success. Before agreeing to represent you, they will determine your eligibility by checking whether:
- You were owed a legal duty of care by the defendant; and
- The defendant acted negligently and caused an accident or incident; and
- You’ve suffered a back injury because of their negligence.
For example, you may have a claim if your back injury was caused by another driver in a road traffic accident, a fall from height at work, or a slip on a wet floor in a public place.
Depending on the circumstances, different laws may apply when establishing a duty of care, such as the Road Traffic Act 1988 or Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Your solicitor will investigate the details before deciding whether your claim can proceed.
Common Causes Of Back Injury Claims
It’s quite possible to injure your back in almost any type of accident. Some of the most common causes of back injury claims are:
- Broken vertebrae or other back injuries resulting from a motorcycle crash that was not your fault.
- Repetitive back injury caused by carrying out continuous manual or repetitive work over time.
- Severe strains and sprains resulting from slips, trips and falls in supermarkets, on pavements, in hotels or in other public places.
- Back strains, sprains or disc injuries caused by lifting heavy objects at work without proper manual handling training.
- Back injuries suffered by a child after falling from damaged playground equipment.
- Back pain caused by whiplash or another soft tissue injury following a rear-end collision.
Let us know how your back injury occurred, and we’ll review your chances of being compensated for free.
Common Types Of Back Injuries
Some of the most common back injuries that lead to compensation claims include:
- Nerve damage.
- Soft tissue injuries.
- Fractured discs
- Disc lesions.
- Slipped discs (or herniated discs).
- Osteoarthritis.
- Paralysis (partial or complete).
- Bruised coccyx.
Back injury claims could be made for these injuries and others besides. If you’d like to find out if you are eligible to claim, please contact us today.
Evidence To Support A Back Injury Claim
Most back injury compensation claims will be handled by an insurance company representing the defendant. They are unlikely to compensate you if you cannot prove why the defendant was responsible for your accident and your injury. Therefore, you should try to provide as much as possible. This could include any of the following:
- Accident report/s. A copy of an accident report to prove when and where you suffered the back injury, for example, if you have a back injury at work claim.
- Witness statements. Ask for the contact details of any witnesses who might be able to provide a statement of what they saw.
- Medical records. Your medical records and X-rays from the hospital, GP surgery or minor injuries unit that treated your back injury.
- Photographs/videos. Photographs and/or video recordings of the accident scene to show what caused your accident and any visible symptoms of your back injury.
- CCTV footage. A copy of dashcam or security camera footage of the accident taking place.
- Financial records. Details of any costs or expenses you’ve incurred, plus evidence of lost earnings. Bank statements, receipts, invoices and wage slips could all be useful here.
As part of our free initial consultation, we’ll review any evidence for your back injury claim you’ve already collected. If you’re struggling to secure evidence to support your claim, please let us know as one of our solicitors may be able to help.
How Much Compensation Will I Get For A Back Injury Claim?
Each back injury compensation claim is unique, as each claimant is affected differently by their injuries. Therefore, how much compensation for a back injury you’d get will typically depend on:
- General damages. To cover the pain and suffering (including psychological trauma) caused by it.
- Special damages. To recover any associated costs or expenses.
In theory, a settlement could cover:
- The physical impact, including pain and suffering.
- Any psychological impact caused by depression, anxiety or similar conditions.
- The effect your back injury has on your hobbies or family activities.
- Loss of earnings if your back injury stopped you from working.
- Private medical treatment or physiotherapy for your back injury.
- The cost of a carer, even if that was an unpaid loved one who looked after you while you recovered
- Travel expenses.
- Future loss of earnings for long-term back injuries.
- Mobility aids or adaptations to your house to make it easier to cope with a permanent back injury.
You must try to consider all aspects of your suffering before you file your back injury compensation claim. If you work with one of our personal injury solicitors, they’ll review your case in detail to try and make sure you claim the maximum amount of compensation possible.
Average Back Injury Settlement Amounts
We will now look at back injury settlement amounts. We’re able to do this by referring to the figures provided by the Judicial College for general damages. These are figures that personal injury solicitors and insurers can use when determining payout amounts.
- Up to £15,260 compensation for minor back injuries.
- £15,260 to £47,320 compensation for moderate back injuries.
- £47,320 to £196,450 compensation for severe back injuries.
Please bear in mind that these figures are not guaranteed.
As part of the claims process, your solicitor will arrange for an independent medical assessment of your injuries. It will be carried out by a medical expert who’ll examine you and talk to you about how your back injury has affected you. A report will be sent to your solicitor afterwards to explain your prognosis.
Time Limits For Claiming Back Injury Compensation
You usually have three years to start a back injury claim, usually beginning on:
- The date of an accident in which your back was hurt; or
- The date of knowledge, e.g., if your back injury is significant but wasn’t linked to the incident until sometime after.
Importantly, different rules can apply in some circumstances, such as if the injured party is under 18 or lacks mental capacity, so it’s always best to seek legal advice about your specific situation.
To make the back injury claims process easier, we suggest that you begin as soon as you can. Waiting too long can make it harder to secure evidence, and your solicitor might not have enough time to arrange for medical reports to be obtained.
Do I Need A Personal Injury Solicitor To Make A Back Injury Claim?
Whether you decide to use a solicitor to make a claim is entirely up to you. You don’t necessarily need prior experience, but having it can be invaluable. Back injury claims can involve complex legal issues, and unless you’re familiar with the process, we feel it’s much more effective to seek the assistance of an experienced personal injury solicitor.
What’s more, our solicitors handle back injury claims on a No Win No Fee basis. This means you won’t have to pay any legal fees upfront, and you’ll only be required to pay a success fee if your claim is successful.
Since the success fee is based on a percentage of the compensation awarded, you can be confident that our solicitors will work diligently to make sure you receive the compensation you’re entitled to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we’ve answered some common questions about back injury claims.
How long do I have to start a claim?
Usually, you have three years to start a back injury claim. This time limit normally runs from the date of the accident or from when you first realised your back injury was caused by somebody else’s negligence. Different rules can apply for children and people who lack mental capacity.
Can I claim compensation if my back injury was partly my fault?
Yes, you may still be eligible to claim for a back injury even if you were partly at fault. Under the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945, your compensation may be reduced to reflect your share of responsibility.
How long does the process of claiming back injury compensation take?
The length of time a back injury claim takes to settle will vary from case to case. Straightforward claims, such as where a claimant has already recovered and the defendant has accepted liability, can be settled in as little as 6 months or so. However, it can take much longer if the defendant contests liability or the extent of the injuries suffered.
What if my back injury leads to long-term disability?
If your back injury leads to long-term disability, your solicitor should take this into account when valuing your claim so your compensation can cover things like ongoing care, lost earnings and the long-term impact on your life.
Will my back injury claim go to court?
Without knowing the details of your case, it’s impossible to say. However, most injury claims are settled out of court, although your solicitor may start court proceedings if a settlement cannot be agreed.
Starting The Back Injury Claims Process
The easiest way to find out how the back injury claims process works and whether you’d stand a good chance of being compensated is to call our specially trained advisors on 0800 6525 881 for a free consultation.
During your call, we’ll review your chances of being compensated and provide free legal advice. Again, if your case is taken on by a solicitor from our team, you will only have to pay legal fees if you are compensated because of their No Win No Fee service.
If you’ve got any more questions about back injury claims, please use our live chat service to discuss them with a specialist advisor today.