How Much Compensation For Lower Back Pain After Car Accident?

If you’ve suffered lower back pain after a car accident due to somebody else’s negligence, you might be eligible to claim compensation. Lower back pain can be debilitating and can prevent you from working or participating in your normal activities. Therefore, any compensation claim for lower back pain should take account of any suffering you’ve endured.

We can help you begin the claims process by reviewing your case for free. During a no-obligation assessment of your claim, your advisor will answer any questions that arise and offer free legal advice. If your claim appears to be viable, a solicitor from our team might offer to help you. If that happens, you’ll receive specialist legal representation on a No Win No Fee basis. That will usually make the whole process of claiming much less stressful.

You can call our claims advisors on 0800 6524 881 now to discuss your claim or continue reading to learn about claiming compensation for lower back pain after a car accident.

Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation For Lower Back Pain After A Car Accident?

Before a personal injury solicitor takes on a claim for lower back pain, they’ll first have to assess whether:

• The defendant (typically the driver or another driver) owed you a legal duty of care; and
• Negligent driving by the defendant caused a car accident; and
• You’re suffering from lower back pain which can be linked to the accident.

We won’t delve too deeply into proving a duty of care because all road users owe this to each other because of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Therefore, it’s usually more important to focus on proving the cause of the accident and who was to blame for it.

If you’re not sure if the other driver was to blame for your accident, you could speak to one of our advisors for free advice. If your claim is accepted, your solicitor will use any evidence available to them to try and determine liability for the accident. We’ll provide information about the types of evidence that could improve your claim in a later section.

Importantly, a solicitor could even help you to claim if your accident was partially your fault. For example, if you were hit from behind by another car because you spotted a red light too late, you might be 20% to blame for the accident but because the other driver was too close, they will still be 80% to blame. In this scenario, your claim could continue but any compensation you’re awarded will typically be reduced by 20%.

What Commonly Causes Lower Back Pain After A Car Accident?

Lower back pain refers to any pain in your back between the top of your legs and the bottom of your ribs. The pain can come from any structure within the lower back including bones, muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons.

Injuries to the lumbar spine (the lower section of the spine) can also cause lower back pain. This can include injuries to intervertebral discs, your coccyx and sacrum bones.

Importantly, it’s not always possible for doctors to diagnose exactly what causes lower back pain following a car crash. That’s because some back injuries don’t appear on X-rays or MRI scans.

Common Back Injuries After A Car Crash

Some of the specific injuries causing lower back pain following a car accident include:

• Fractured verterbrae.
• A herniated (slipped) disc.
• Inflammation in spinal joints (leading to conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis).
• Facet joint pain – pain in the joint that links all of your spinal bones.

Lower Back Pain Symptoms

Lower back pain caused by car accidents can result in any of the following symptoms:

• Sharp, dull, aching or extreme back pain.
• Difficulty bending to pick things up.
• Muscle spasms.
• A popping noise at the time of the accident.
• Posture problems.
• Stiffness and problems straightening the back.

If you’ve got lower back pain following a car accident and want to check if you’re eligible to claim compensation for your suffering, please call our advisors today.

Types Of Car Accidents That Can Lead To Lower Back Pain

In this section, we’ve provided details of a few scenarios that could allow you to claim compensation for lower back pain caused by a car accident. They include accidents caused by:

• Speeding.
• Aggressive driving or road rage.
• A driver who ignored traffic signals.
• Tailgating and rear-end collisions.
• Drivers distracted by their phone or satnav.
• Drug or drunk driving.

Our solicitors could help anybody who’s suffering from lower back pain caused by a car crash. That includes drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorbike riders.

If you believe that you should receive compensation for your injuries, please call our team to discuss your claim today.

How Much Compensation Will I Get For Lower Back Pain Caused By A Car Accident?

The amount of compensation you might receive for lower back pain caused by a car accident can vary widely depending on several factors, including the severity of your injuries, the impact on your daily life and ability to work, any long-term disability, and the recovery time.

Compensation in personal injury claims is generally categorised into two types of damages: general damages and special damages.

General damages compensate for the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity suffered due to the injuries.

Our compensation calculator provides some illustrative compensation amounts for general damages that could be paid for lower back pain and other injuries sustained in car accidents:

Special damages cover financial losses and expenses incurred as a result of the injury and might include compensation to cover:

• Rehabilitation and medical expenses such as the cost of physiotherapy.
• Loss of income (present and future).
• Travel expenses linked to your treatment for example.
• Care costs if you were supported by somebody else while injured.
• Home modifications if your lower back pain is likely to be permanent and the changes will improve your quality of life.
• Depression, distress and other forms of psychological trauma linked to the car accident or your injuries.

To try and ensure the correct level of compensation is awarded, you’ll have an independent medical assessment as part of your claim. This will result in a report that explains your injuries and how your lower back pain might affect you in the future.

When you make a claim with one of our personal injury solicitors, they’ll carefully review your claim with you to try and make sure any settlement offer is fair.

Evidence To Support A Lower Back Compensation Claim

If you claim compensation for lower back pain following a no-fault car crash, you’ll need evidence to try and prove a) who was responsible for the accident, b) the injuries you’ve suffered and c) how your lower back pain has affected you. The chances of winning your claim should improve with the more evidence that is available. This might include:

• Medical records. These are crucial and might include all records from your GP visits, hospital stays, treatments, and consultations with specialists.
• Photographs/videos. This might include photos or videos taken shortly after the car accident and any visible injuries.
• Witness statements. Statements from people who were present at the time of the car accident or who can testify to the impact your lower back pain has had on your life.
• Accident reports. If the police were called out to the scene of the accident, their official accident report can help establish the circumstances and liability.
• Proof of lost wages. This might mean providing wage slips, tax returns, or employment contracts that show your earnings before and after your injury.
• Diary. Keep a diary where you write down your pain levels, mobility issues, and how the pain in your back affects your daily activities.
• Receipts and invoices. Keep all receipts and invoices etc related to out-of-pocket expenses incurred because of your lower back injury, for example, travel expenses to medical appointments, costs of medical treatments, physical therapy, modifications to your home, and any assistive devices needed.
• Psychological reports. If applicable, reports from psychologists or psychiatrists documenting any psychological suffering such as PTSD after a car accident and its effects on your life.

We’ll assess any evidence you’ve gathered already when you call our team. If further information is required to substantiate your claim, your solicitor will try to find it if your case proceeds.

Time Limits For Claiming Lower Back Injury Compensation

The general rule of thumb for lower back injury compensation claims is that you have 3 years to claim from the date of your accident. However, in some cases, your limitation period might start later if your back problems weren’t obvious immediately.

If a child has injured their lower back in a car accident, the time limit for claiming doesn’t begin until they are 18 years old. Therefore, by acting as a litigation friend you could claim compensation on your child’s behalf at any time before then.

So that you’re compensated sooner rather than later, it’s a good idea to start the ball rolling as soon as possible. Generally, an early start to the claims process will make things easier for your solicitor as evidence should be easier to obtain.

Starting The Lower Back Pain Compensation Claims process

If you’re suffering from lower back pain after a car accident caused by somebody else, please call 0800 6524 881 to discuss your options today. Not only will we review your claim on a no-obligation basis, but we’ll also offer legal advice for free.

If you then decide to claim compensation for lower back pain, one of our personal injury solicitors may decide to represent you. If that happens, you’ll benefit from a No Win No Fee service so no legal fees will be due unless you receive a compensation payout.

Our live chat team are on standby if there’s anything else you’d like to know about claiming compensation for lower back pain after a car accident.