Claiming Compensation For Lumbar Spine Injury

By Richie Billing. Last Updated 23rd November 2023. Are you looking to find out if you can receive compensation for a lumbar spine injury that wasn’t your fault? Perhaps this was as a result of a slip and trip on premises owned by the council, or a car accident on a public road.

lumbar spine injury compensation

Whatever the case, our advisors are here to help you. They can offer you free legal advice with no obligation to proceed with the services of our panel of lawyers. They are also available 24 hours a day — so they are ready when you are.

If you have sustained a lumbar spine injury and would like to find out more about starting a claim, read this article, or get in touch by:

  • Calling us on 0800 408 7825
  • Talking to us via live chat, which you can use at the bottom of this page
  • Contacting us through the website

Select A Section

  1. What Lumbar Spine Accidents Could I Claim For?
  2. Causes Of Lumbar Spinal Injuries
  3. Types Of Spinal Cord Injury
  4. Spinal Injury Compensation Payouts
  5. Contact A No Win No Fee Lumbar Spine Injury Compensation Solicitor
  6. Related Spinal Injury Claim Articles

What Lumbar Spine Accidents Could I Claim For?

If you have suffered a lumbar spine injury, to be able to make a personal injury claim, you will need to demonstrate that your injury was caused by another party breaching the duty of care they owed you.

For example, car accident spinal injury claims could be made if your injury was caused by a driver breaching their duty of care. All road users owe each other a duty of care to use the roads responsibly to avoid causing harm or injury to one another. To uphold their duty of care, they must also follow the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the rules and regulations found within the Highway Code.

You may also be able to make a personal injury claim following an accident at work. While working, your employer owes you a duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure your safety and health. This duty is outlined within the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Should they breach this duty and you suffer an injury, you may be able to make a claim for compensation.

Furthermore, you are also owed a duty of care when in public spaces. This duty is outlined within the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, and states that those in control of public spaces must take the necessary steps to ensure your reasonable safety while you are using that space. Should a breach in this duty occur, and this causes you to suffer an injury, you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim.

To see whether you could be eligible to make a spinal injury compensation claim, contact a member of our advisory team today.

Causes Of Lumbar Spinal Injuries

As mentioned, a lumbar spine injury could happen in a variety of situations. You may sustain an injury to the lumbar discs through:

  • A road traffic accident
  • A manual handling incident
  • Slip and fall accidents
  • A heavy load falling on you from a height.

We recognise that this list is not absolute and you could have sustained your injury in more complex circumstances. We are here to help no matter the details of your case. To find out more, speak to an advisor today for free legal advice.

Types Of Spinal Cord Injury

Not only might you have to deal with lumbar disc injuries, but there can also be related spinal cord injuries. Lumbar discs protect the spinal cord, which means that injury to the discs can also cause injury to the cord. Such injuries include:

  • Anterior cord syndrome — this is where blood flow to the front side of the spinal cord is reduced.
  • Central cord syndrome — this is where we would see the middle of the spinal cord sustaining an injury.
  • Posterior cord syndrome — alternatively, this is where the rear of the cord is damaged. 
  • Brown-Sequard syndrome — where only one side of the cord sustains damage.

These classifications of spinal injury are important, as you may still have function below the lowest point you were injured. If you need to know more about your injury, however, please speak to a doctor. This article does not constitute or replace medical advice.

If you want to learn more about compensation for your lumbar spine injury, we can help. Get in touch with an advisor today who can connect you with a solicitor from our panel. This may prove instrumental in your case. 

Spinal Injury Compensation Payouts

If you suffered a back injury due to a third party’s negligence, you might be interested to know how spinal injury compensation claims could be valued. As each case is different, we can only tell you how compensation could be awarded in this section. For example, some claimants may recover special damages, which we will explain shortly.

General Damages

If your claim is successful, you will be awarded general damages to compensate for the physical pain and mental suffering caused by your injury. To help value this part of your spine injury claim, legal professionals use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document provides guidance when assigning value to general damages by listing compensation brackets for injuries in differing severities.

Our table below contains figures for injuries you might suffer to your spinal cord from the JCG. It is only provided as guidance and not representative of what your claim could be worth.

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Injury Nature of incident Possible compensation
Multiple Severe Injuries Plus Special Damages Multiple serious injuries, both physical and mental, plus compensation for financial losses such as care costs and loss of earnings. Up to £500,000+
Paraplegia The amount of compensation you could receive depends on your age, life expectancy, and any level of mental illness and impact on sexual dysfunction £219,070 to £284,260
Back Injuries: Severe (i) Where you may expect to see an incomplete paralysis as well as impaired bladder and bowel function as a result to damage to the spinal cord or nerve roots. £91,090 to £160,980
Back Injuries: Severe (ii) Features of this type of injury may include nerve root damage with impaired mobility and sexual difficulties. £74,160 to £88,430
Back Injuries: Severe (iii) Fractures or lesions of the discus that lead to chronic conditions despite treatment taking place. £38,780 to £69,730
Back Injuries: Moderate (i) A less severe back injury where there has been compression or a crush of the vertebrae in the lumbar region, leading to a continuous sensation of pain or numbness as well as a reduction in mobility. £27,760 to £38,780
Back Injuries: Moderate (ii) Not as severe as the above bracket but can still involve damage to ligaments and muscles, which can exacerbate prolapsed discs. £12,510 to £27,760
Back Injuries: Minor (i) A back injury that can involve less serious disc prolapses. Compensation will be altered depending on the severity of the condition and injury. £7,890 to £12,510
Back Injuries: Minor (ii) Injuries such as a disc prolapse or sprain that fully recovers within one to two years. £4,350 to £7,890

Special Damages

As mentioned above, some claimants might recover special damages for the financial losses caused by their injuries. However, it is likely that you will need to submit evidence of your costs, such as receipts, to claim special damages.

Examples of special damages that you might be able to recover include:

  • Medical expenses, such as prescriptions and physical therapy.
  • Home adjustments, such as fitting a ramp.
  • Loss of earnings for time spent away from work. This may include future earnings and pension contributions.

Call our advisors for a free claim valuation. This will consider how much spinal cord injury compensation you could be eligible for under special damages as well as a valuation of your general damages.

Contact A No Win No Fee Lumbar Spine Injury Compensation Solicitor

If you are interested in receiving compensation for your lumbar spine injury but are concerned about affording legal fees, a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) may benefit you. If you choose to be represented by a solicitor under No Win No Fee, you pay your solicitor no fees upfront, while your case is ongoing, or in the event of a loss.

In the event of a successful claim, you pay a success fee to your solicitor. This is a small percentage of the compensation.

An important note is that you are not legally obligated to use the services of a solicitor in your claim. You can start a claim on your own. However, doing so through a solicitor may make the claims process easier and could increase what you receive in compensation. 

To find out more, you can speak to our advisors today. They offer free legal advice (with zero obligation for you to proceed with our services) on a 24-hour basis. If you’re awake, they’re here to help. Get in touch by: 

  • Calling us on 0800 408 7825
  • Talking to us via live chat, which you can use at the bottom of this page
  • Contacting us through the website

Related Spinal Injury Claim Articles

Thank you for reading our guide to claiming lumbar spine injury compensation.

Article by EC 

Publisher UI