Learn How To Make Spine Injury Claims – A Guide To Compensation

If you have suffered a spinal injury that wasn’t your fault, you might be looking for information about whether you have a case for compensation and the next steps you should take. This guide about making a serious injury claim should help answer your questions.

Key Takeaways For Spine Injury Claims

• If you injured your spine in an accident that was someone else’s fault, you could be entitled to claim compensation.
• The size of your compensation will be linked to the severity of your injuries.
• In cases of serious spinal injury, there could be significant financial losses, such as lost earnings and the need for ongoing rehabilitation.
• You normally have three years to start a personal injury claim.
• Our expert solicitors have years of dedicated experience handling serious injury cases and can represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.

Please continue reading the sections below to learn more. Or, alternatively, you can discuss the claim you wish to make with our advisory team. They offer an on-the-spot case check :

• Contact us online to discuss spine injury claims.
• Ring the team on 0161 509 2856
• Message us via the discussion window below for an instant reply.

Go To A Part of Our Spine Injury Claim Guide

1. Could I Make A Spine Injury Claim?
2. Making Spine Injury Claims On Behalf Of Someone Else
3. Common Types Of Spine And Spinal Cord Injuries
4. How Can Spine Injuries Happen?
5. What Are The Long-Term Impacts Of A Serious Spine Injury?
6. How Much Compensation Could I Get From Spine Injury Claims?
7. How Can Advice Help Me Claim For A Serious Injury?
8. More Information

Could I Make A Spine Injury Claim?

There are eligibility criteria to consider when thinking about making spine injury claims. You need to answer the following:

• Was I owed a duty of care at the time of injury?
• Did those responsible breach that duty?
• Were my spinal injuries a direct result of this?

There are three main areas where you could commonly be owed a duty of care and suffer a spine injury.

Accidents At Work

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HASAWA), employers must take reasonable steps to ensure their employees are reasonably safe at work. What is reasonable will depend on the circumstances of each case, but reasonable steps could include:

• Failing to perform risk assessments and reducing risks identified where possible.
• Training staff so they can safely do their job.
• Providing adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Inspecting and maintaining workplace equipment and machinery.
• Dealing with hazards such as spillages promptly and keeping walkways clear of tripping hazards.

There are many other steps that could be reasonable depending on where you are working and what you are doing. If you think your employer was at fault in any way, it is always worth checking to see if you can make a claim.

Accidents In A Public Place

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 (OLA) states that those in control of places open to the public should implement reasonable steps to prevent them from encountering harm on their premises. Again, what will be reasonable is on a case by case basis, but reasonable steps could include:

• Performing risk assessments
• Having a system of inspection for the facilities or premises they control.
• Dealing with hazards that they find or are alterted to.
• Placing warning signs when necessary.

Road Traffic Accidents

All road users owe a duty of care to each other. They must meet the standard of a reasonable road user and use their vehicles in a way that reasonably avoids harm. This can include complying with the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.

Rules of the road that should be followed include:

• Keeping the speed limit
• Changing lanes only when it is safe to do so
• Leaving sufficient braking distance to the vehicle in front
• Obeying signs such as ‘give-way’, ‘one-way’ and ‘no-turning’.
• Giving proper signalling.

A failure to do any of these could cause a road traffic accident and result in a spinal injury.

Call For A Free Case Assessment

Get in touch with our advisors if you’ve had an accident that wasn’t your fault. Even if you do not see your circumstance in the examples above, you may still have a case. We offer a free case assessment, and it comes with no obligation. It can only take a few minutes of your time to see if you are possibly eligible for compensation.

Making Spine Injury Claims On Behalf Of Someone Else

You can make a claim on behalf of someone else if they are legally unable to make their claim themselves. The two main groups that this applies to are children (those under the age of 18) and those who lack the mental capacity to handle their case.

Can I Claim If My Child Suffered A Spinal Injury?

To avoid a child having to wait until they are 18 to make a claim, there are court rules that allow for a litigation friend to be appointed to claim on their behalf before they are 18. This is often a family member, but it does not have to be. A litigation friend is a suitable adult who conducts the case on behalf of the child and makes the decisions in the claim.

Any settlement agreed upon for the child would need court approval. This helps keep the child protected and makes sure they receive adequate compensation if they win their case.

If you need to start a spinal injury claim on behalf of a family member, speak to our team for immediate free guidance.

Common Types Of Spine And Spinal Cord Injuries

Here are some types of spinal cord and spine injuries, along with links to some NHS resources detailing them:

• Slipped (or herniated) discs – This causes pain, aching and reduced mobility.
• Fractured spinal vertebrae – This can require surgery and prolonged physiotherapy.
• Thoracic, lumbar and cervical spine damage – Refers to the three different regions of the spine that can be injured.
• Brown Séquard syndrome – A rare type of spinal cord lesion.
• Cauda Equina syndrome – This health issue can impact the control of the legs, the bladder and the bowel.
• Tetraplegia and paraplegia – Severe and often permanent injury that can result in partial or complete paralysis issues, creating life-altering consequences that may need round-the-clock care.

It can be possible to experience a combination of these injuries. To ensure that your claim fully reflects the harm caused to you, speak to our team about your legal options.

What Are The Main Symptoms Of A Spine Injury?

Often, people experiencing a spinal injury can suffer from the following:

• Acute pain and discomfort. Either sharp or dull pain.
• Headaches, neck pain and aching in limbs.
• Tingling, weakness and loss of sensation.
• Tenderness and numbness in limbs.
• Difficulties with bladder and/or bowel control.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• High temperature or a fever.

• A drunk driver on the wrong side of the road collides with another motorist and shatters their spine in a road traffic accident.
• An employer provides faulty equipment to workers and it collapses, causing an employee to fall from scaffolding and break their vertebrae in the fall.
• An employee in a supermarket fails to clean up or alert customers to a wet patch on the floor. A customer slips and suffers spinal damage in the fall.

There can be many other scenarios, and yours may differ. Perhaps your spinal injury was less severe or formed part of other injuries? Either way, speak to our team to ensure you submit the best claim for compensation you can.

What Are The Long-Term Impacts Of A Serious Spine Injury?

A serious spinal injury can create months or even years of pain and inconvenience to the sufferer. Some commonly noted long-term impacts include:

• Constant pain and aching.
• Partial or complete paralysis.
• Mobility problems.
• Respiratory difficulties.
• Sleep disturbance.
• Incontinence.
• A higher risk of reliance on painkillers or alcohol.
• Sexual dysfunction.
• Social withdrawal and mood problems.
• In addition to these issues, the person can experience financial hardship through lost employment or the ongoing costs of rehabilitation.

Accumulatively, these issues can have a significant impact on a person’s life. If you’re suffering these issues because of spinal injuries caused by others, compensation could be a path forward. Speak with the team to learn more.

How Much Compensation Could I Get From Spine Injury Claims?

A successful claim for spinal injury compensation can see an amount drawn from two areas called general and special damages. The first one places a monetary value on the physical and psychological injury, pain and suffering the person experienced. The second head of loss reimburses them for the financial harm caused by the spinal injury.

To calculate amounts for general damages, those involved often look at the medical evidence the person has submitted as proof. Also, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) are often consulted as they provide useful guideline award amounts for a cross-section of commonly encountered injuries. The example below illustrates:

Compensation Guidelines

• Several serious injuries as well as special damages – Instances of more than one serious injury and special damages for care, lost earnings and medical fees – Up to £1 million plus.
• Paraplegia – Significant paralysis – Award reflects the extent of pain and degree of reliance on others, as well as life expectancy and prevalence of depression – £267,340 up to £346,890
• Back/Spine – (a) – Severe (i) – The most severe degree of spinal cord and nerve root damage and pain as well as incomplete paralysis – £111,150 up to £196,450
• (a) Severe (ii) – Cases with special features that include lost sensation, nerve root damage, impaired mobility – £90,510 up to £107,910
• (a) Severe (iii) – Vertebral fractures, disc lesions and chronic soft tissue damage that prompts continuous severe pain, discomfort, personality change and susceptibility to depression and alcoholism – £47,320 up to £85,100.
• (b) Moderate (i) – Covers a wide range of injuries to the back, including cases of crush or compression to the lumbar spine region, causing pain and risk of osteoarthritis – £33,880 up to £47,320
• (b) Moderate (ii) – Disturbed muscles and ligaments that cause backache as well as soft tissue injuries that accelerate a pre-existing problem by 5 years or longer – £15,260 up to £33,880
• (c) Minor (i) – A complete recovery or one to nuisance level, only takes place without the need for surgery within 24 – 60 months – £9,630 up to £15,260
• (c) Minor (ii) – A complete recovery (without recourse to surgery) takes place within 12 – 24 months – £5,310 up to £9,630
• (c) Minor (iii) – Complete recovery (without need of surgery) within 3 – 12 months – £2,990 up to £5,310.

Please note that the sums detailed in this bullet point list are only guideline amounts. It’s really worth consulting with an advisor to get a more accurate idea. Also, the first entry isn’t from the JCG:

Special Damages In Spine Injury Claims

To claim for financial harm under special damages, the claimant needs to put forward documented evidence of the losses. This can include:

• Any payslips of evidence from their employer showing a drop or loss in earnings.
• Medical bills for private care.
• Receipts for amounts paid to anyone who provided domestic care.
• Proof of travel expenses.
• Physiotherapy costs and receipts for vital adaptations to your home or car, or to manage a disability after a spinal cord injury occurs.

Consulting with a skilled personal injury solicitor can help boost the compensation amount you seek. They have the expertise to spot other expenses or future costs, thereby making sure a more complete claim is put forward. Call to see how we can help you.

How Can Advice Help Me Claim For A Serious Injury?

Although anyone can manage their personal injury claim for compensation, it’s sensible to see if a skilled professional might be able to help. Our spinal cord injury lawyers are able to offer a wealth of expert services to those they represent, such as:

• Helping them to pull together useful evidence.
• Collecting statements and chasing up medical reports from experts.
• Calculating an amount that includes all the impacts of the spine injury.
• Forcefully arguing with the other side to get you the best settlement.
• Explaining legal terms and taking care of the Pre-Action Protocol steps involved in all cases.
• Representing you in a highly professional way at every stage of the process.

All these excellent services can be provided via a type of No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Not all solicitors work this way, but it typically means:

• You won’t be asked to pay upfront solicitor fees to hire the solicitors.
• You won’t be asked to pay any solicitor’s fees as the claim moves forward.
• If the claim fails, no request for payment is made for the completed solicitor’s services.
• If the claim wins, a legally restricted percentage of the compensation needs to be paid to the solicitor as a success fee.
• Because this amount is under a legal cap, you can keep the majority of the compensation awarded.

If you’d like to see if you’re eligible to access high-quality legal representation for spinal injury cases in this way, reach out to the advisory team for your free case check:

• Contact us online to discuss your spine injury injury claim.
• Ring the team on 0161 509 2856
• Message us via the discussion window below.

More Information

In addition to this guide on, read:

• A £1 million compensation payout for a spinal cord injury claim.
• Also, serious back injury claims are discussed in this guide.
• Read if you can claim for manual handling injuries to your back in the workplace.
• Read the latest research and statistics on rough sleeping numbers in the UK

External help:

• Read what to expect after spinal cord injury from the NHS.
• They also provide details on services for all age groups with spinal damage.
• Lastly, read general details on back pain also from the NHS.

We hope this guide on spine injury claims has been useful. If you wish to discuss any of the points raised, the team look forward to helping you on the contact options above.