How Much is my Back Injury Claim Worth?

Suffering from a back injury can have a huge impact on your everyday life. We understand how painful, stressful, or even debilitating suffering from a back or spinal injury can be. A back injury can leave you struggling to complete even the simplest of everyday tasks, and in some serious cases, the damage to your back or spine can be permanent.

The long term effects of a back injury can have huge financial impacts on your life. You may need to take long periods of time off work to recover from your injury, which may cause you to worry about keeping up with your bills and everyday expenses.

Can I make a claim for a back injury?

If you have suffered a back injury that was caused by negligence or by an accident that wasn’t your fault, whether it was a car accident, an accident at work or elsewhere, then you may be able to make a personal injury claim.

Accidents at work

A large number of personal injury cases are for back injuries that were caused by an accident at work. Your employer has a duty of care, and they must ensure that the workplace is as safe as possible. To do this, they must provide relevant training and put processes in place to ensure your safety at all times. You may have suffered a back injury due to lifting heavy objects, slipping, tripping or falling, or because you weren’t provided with appropriate office equipment. If the correct training or protection measures were not put in place, you may be able to make a personal injury compensation claim against your employer. For more information about making a claim for a back injury at work, check out our Back Injury at Work Claims page.

Slips, trips and falls in public areas

Slipping, tripping or falling in a public place can be embarrassing, but these types of accidents happen every day. Many of these accidents result in back injuries, which can seriously affect your everyday life. In many cases, accidents involving slips, trips or falls in a public area could have been avoided if the person responsible for the area had followed the correct safety regulations and procedures. If you have sustained a back injury following a slip, trip or fall accident that was due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to make a personal injury compensation claim. Who you make your claim against depends on where the accident took place – you may be able to make a claim against the council or local authority if your accident took place on a road, pavement or in a park. If your accident took place inside a building or premises, such as a supermarket, shop or entertainment venue, you might be able to make a claim against the occupier of the property. To find out more information about making a claim for slips, trips and falls in public areas, check out our Claiming for an Accident in a Public Place page. 

Road traffic accidents

Road traffic accidents happen every day, and one of the most common injuries sustained from a road traffic accident is back pain. Suffering from a back injury can have long term consequences on your health and wellbeing, no matter how minor the accident was. Even a minor collision that occurred at a relatively slow speed can leave you suffering from a back injury, which can impact negatively on your day-to-day life. If you have been left suffering from a back injury following a road traffic accident, you could be entitled to compensation. You can find out more about making a claim for a road traffic accident by checking out our Road Traffic Accidents page. 

How much is my back injury claim worth? General damages and special damages

You may be wondering “how much is my back injury claim worth?”. There is no simple answer to this question, as each case is unique. It is impossible to determine the exact amount of compensation you will receive because back injuries can range from minor soft tissue injuries or strains and sprains to more serious injuries, such as paralysis or spinal cord injuries. Therefore, the exact value of your claim can only be determined on a case-by-case basis. We can give you some guidance on what your back injury claim could be worth. 

Your compensation award will be split into two sections: general damages and special damages. Your general damages and special damages will be added together to give you the total value of your compensation award.

General damages

General damages refer to the compensation you will receive for your pain, suffering and loss of amenity. “Loss of amenity” is the legal term that refers to the impact that your accident or injury has had on your quality and enjoyment of life. The amount of general damages compensation you will receive depends on the type and severity of the injury you sustained, your recovery time, and the impact your injury has had on your day-to-day life. 

 General damages are calculated according to Judicial College Guidelines, which are used by all personal injury lawyers when making a personal injury compensation calculation. Your personal injury solicitor will need to obtain all the required medical evidence in order to give a valuation of your general damages. 

Special damages

Special damages refer to the financial losses incurred as a direct result of your accident. Some examples of special damages include:

· Travel and transportation costs – this can be for travelling to and from medical appointments, whether you travelled by car, taxi or public transport.

· Medical costs – this can include medical expenses, such as medication and consultation fees, and costs for long term treatment, such as physiotherapy.

· Loss of earnings – you should be able to claim for loss of income compensation if your injury forced you to take long periods of time off work.

It is very important to keep all receipts and invoices for your special damages, as they will be required to prove your financial loss. 

How much is my back injury claim worth? JC Guidelines

No two personal injury cases are the same, so it is not possible to determine the exact amount of compensation you will receive for your back injury claim. At Beacon Law, we will calculate your back injury claim according to Judicial College Guidelines and recent case law. In order to determine how much your back injury claim is worth, we need to take into account the type of back injury you have sustained, the severity of your back injury and how long it took for you to make a full recovery from your back injury.

According to the Judicial College Guidelines, back injury compensation amounts can range from a few hundred pounds to £137,330. The information below can provide an estimate for your compensation calculation.

Minor back injuries: a few hundred pounds – £10,670

Minor back injuries can include strains, sprains, and soft tissue damage. The amount of compensation you could receive usually depends on how long it takes to make a full recovery. If you make a full recovery within three months of your accident, you could receive up to £2,100. If your back injury symptoms last between three months and two years, you can expect to receive between £2,100 and £6,000 in compensation. If your symptoms last between two years and five years, and you didn’t need any surgery, your personal injury compensation claim should settle between £6,00 and £10,670.

Moderate back injuries: £10,670 – £33,080

Moderate back injuries can refer to a wide range of injuries, including ligament damage, prolapsed discs and compression of the lumbar vertebrae. The amount of compensation you could receive depends upon your recovery time, whether or not you needed surgery and the long term impact on your day-to-day life. 

Severe back injuries: £33,080 – 137,330

Severe back injuries refer to more serious back injuries, such as fractures, permanent nerve damage, damage to the spinal cord and even paralysis. The amount of compensation you could receive depends on the long term impact your injury has on your life, such as continuous pain, impaired mobility or impaired bladder and bowel function. 

Making a back injury claim with Beacon Law

Beacon Law is a law firm that specialises in personal injury claims. Our team of highly experienced personal injury solicitors and legal professionals have processed large numbers of successful claims for personal injuries, including back injuries.

Beacon Law can assist you in making a compensation claim for your back injury on a no-win, no-fee basis, which means that you won’t have to pay any of our fees if your case is unsuccessful. We are experts in no win, no fee claims, and we are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

If you have suffered a back injury following an accident or as a result of someone else’s negligence, then contact Beacon Law today by calling 0330 1332 857 or complete the contact form at the top of the page to request a call back, and we will put you in touch with an experienced personal injury solicitor. Our team of experts will be more than happy to guide you through the process of making your personal injury claim.

If you decide to make a claim with Beacon Law, our highly professional personal injury solicitors will work hard to ensure that you receive appropriate treatment and the highest level of compensation for your back injury.