Back Injury Claims
Claim Compensation for a Back Injury
Back pain is the single largest cause of disability in the UK. Injuries range from minor to extremely serious, with some back injuries leading to permanent loss of mobility. If you have suffered a back injury in an accident that wasn't your fault, you may be entitled to compensation.
“This is an excellent PI team, who are highly respected in the PI sector. Their team includes bright, hard-working solicitors dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for their clients”
“Osbornes is a well-regarded personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims.”
A back injury is caused by damage to the muscles, bones, ligaments or nerves in the back. It can occur anywhere along the spine from the neck down to the pelvis.
Symptoms of a back injury can range from mild discomfort to chronic pain and loss of movement. In some cases, these injuries result in long-term disability which impacts a person’s ability to work and reduces their quality of life.
Almost 200,000 back injuries are reported each year to the NHS. They arise from a wide range of circumstances, from vehicle collisions, to accidents at work, to everyday slips and falls.
If you or a loved one has suffered a back injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may be able to make a compensation claim with the help of a personal injury solicitor.
Table of Contents
What counts as a back injury?
A back injury can look different for each individual. It might involve any of the following:
- Sprains, strains or tears to muscles or ligaments in the back
- Nerve damage
- Bruised coccyx
- Slipped discs
- Fractured vertebrae
- Spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebrae)
- Spinal stenosis
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
While many back injuries heal in a few weeks with rest and treatment, others may take several months to heal and may require surgery or the use of a back brace in some instances.
Even moderate back injury can have a substantial financial impact. Long periods off work can put a strain on your household finances. Where the injury wasn’t your fault, back injury compensation can help you cover these costs and move forward.
What are the causes of a back injury?
Back injuries can occur in a wide range of situations, including in a road accident, in a cycling or other sporting accident, or as a result of a slip, trip or fall in a public place.
Lifting heavy objects at work is a common cause of back injuries. Your employer has a duty to protect you from harm and must follow all relevant health and safety legislation. If they have failed to provide safe working conditions, policies and training, you may be able to make a back injury at work compensation claim.
Back injuries can also be caused by medical negligence. This is where a healthcare professional damages your back, or fails to adequately diagnose or treat a back problem, resulting in further injury. Examples of medical negligence that can lead to back injuries include misdiagnosis of spinal fractures or failure to detect cauda equina syndrome.
At Osbornes law, we have expert solicitors in all types of accidents and medical negligence. You will work with a solicitor who is experienced in your type of claim, ensuring you receive the highest standard of legal advice and representation.
Am I eligible to make a back injury claim?
To qualify for making any personal injury claim:
- You must have been injured within the last three years
- The accident must have been someone else’s fault
- The accident must have caused or worsened your back injury
You can still make a claim if you were partly at fault for the accident, but the amount of compensation you receive may be reduced to reflect your contribution. An example would be if you weren’t wearing a safety harness while working at height and subsequently suffered a back injury due to a fall. In this scenario, your compensation may be reduced because you shared the responsibility.
If you have any questions about your eligibility to make a claim, contact us for free and impartial advice on 020 4502 8630. We’ll listen to what you tell us and let you know if we think you could make a no win, no fee back injury claim.
How much is the average settlement for a back injury?
Back injury compensation claim amounts vary according to how serious your injury is and the impact it has on your life. We cannot give you a specific figure until a solicitor has investigated all the details.
However, every back injury compensation amount will be made up of general damages and special damages:
General damages
These cover the pain and suffering caused by your back injury, including the psychological impacts, inability to perform everyday tasks, and loss of enjoyment for your hobbies and interests. They are calculated using guidelines set by theJudicial College, a government department which provides guidance to solicitors on how much compensation should be awarded for different types of personal injury.
The following example back injury payouts are taken from the latest Judicial College guidelines:
- Mild back injury: e.g. slipped disc and muscle tears with full recovery without surgery in 2-5 years – up to £12,510
- Moderate back injury: eg ligament and soft tissue damage with ongoing pain and discomfort – £27,760 to £38,780
- Severe back injury: eg fractures or disc lesions causing chronic disabilities and continuing pain – £38,780 to £69,730
- Most severe back injury: eg spinal cord and nerve root damage with paralysis – £91,090 to £1160,980
Special damages
As well as general damages, you can claim an amount for special damages. These cover any financial losses or expenses you have incurred as a result of your back injury. Examples include:
- Lost wages if you took time off work to recover
- Medical expenses
- Travel costs, such as taking taxis to doctor’s appointments
- Walking aids
- Physiotherapy treatment
If the back injury stops you from working or you must take a lower-paying job due to your injury, this will be factored into your special damages. For younger people who suffer a serious back injury, the award for future loss of earnings may make up the biggest part of their compensation.
How long after a back injury do I have to claim compensation?
In most cases, you have up to three years from the date of your accident or injury to start a claim.
If a child has suffered a back injury, their parent or guardian has until their 18th birthday to make a claim. If a claim is not started in that time, the child can make a claim themselves at any time between their 18th and 21st birthdays.
Three years may seem like a long time. However, back injury claims can take a long time to investigate. It’s essential to contact us as soon as possible after your injury so that we can gather evidence before time runs out.
How do I begin a back injury compensation claim?
Contact our friendly personal injury solicitors when you’re ready. We’ll listen to your experience and let you know straight away whether you are able to make a back injury compensation claim.
We’ll then talk you through your options so you can make an informed decision about what you’d like to do next. We will not put any pressure on you to make a claim – the decision is entirely yours.
If you decide to proceed, we’ll connect you with a solicitor from our personal injury or medical negligence teams who specialises in your type of claim. They will guide you through the process and handle all the legal details so that you can focus on your recovery.
With our no win, no fee guarantee, there’s no financial risk to you in making a claim. No win no fee means you do not pay any legal costs upfront. Instead, you pay an agreed-upon percentage of your compensation if you win.
Why our lawyers for your claim?
- We have been fighting the corner for injured persons for over 50 years and have an excellent track record of success.
- We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which means we adhere to the highest professional and ethical standards.
- We are proud members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers which means we have proven experience in handling personal injury claims.
- We have been ranked in The Times Best Law Firm Guide for six consecutive years.
- We are highly rated by independent guides ot the legal professional, including Chambers & Partners and Legal 500
- We have hundreds of reviews on Trustpilot and hold an ‘Excellent’ rating.
What types of injuries can I claim for?
We have helped clients claim compensation for a wide range of injuries including:
Osbornes prepares cases well; the whole team is good and lawyers there know their stuff.
They deal with people compassionately and take on the right amount of detail. The firm has some really brilliant key solicitors.
The personal injury team is responsive and its level of service towards clients and other professionals is exceptional and high quality
The team offers specialist expertise in cycling-related injury claims and regularly acts for foreign nationals.
It has considerable experience in cases arising from motor accidents and accidents at work
Osbornes is a well-regarded personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims.
Their team includes bright, hard-working solicitors dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for their clients from partner level to paralegal. Their client care is exceptional.
They are a team who are highly respected in the PI sector.
This is an excellent PI team doing a broad range of PI work.
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims, with notable strength in acting for European clients for whom English is not a first language.
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims
Osbornes’ ‘highly respected‘ personal injury team is experienced in a range of complex, high-value claims.
"Osbornes always provides work of excellent quality and the advice is sound."
"The firm has the ability to handle the most sophisticated and complex matters."
"Osbornes is always client-focused and works tirelessly to obtain the best outcomes."
'The team deals with multi-million pound, often multifaceted claims, involving such factors as severe brain, psychiatric, gynaecological and spinal injury, major trauma, amputation and fatality.'
"They are a boutique firm with highly experienced partners who are well-respected in the industry."
"The team at Osbornes deals with catastrophic injury claims with the same professionalism as the largest firms, but provides a much more client-focused experience."
"A really first-rate team, well capable of dealing with the most serious and complex injuries."
"This team has carved out an exceptional reputation in catastrophic injury work."
"Osbornes has impressed me with their personal touch for clients whilst offering a first-class handling of catastrophic injury claims. The partners all have vast experience and are highly respected in their field."
"This is a really excellent personal injury team that can be regarded as one of the major players in the London claimant personal injury market."
"Osbornes have managed to recruit a team of outstanding catastrophic injury lawyers who are at the top of the game."
"They punch well above their weight. The quality of service they provide equals that of any of the larger top-name firms in this area"
Ben Posford is fiercely bright, with an unrivalled passion for his clients’ cases. His encyclopaedic knowledge of all things PI is second to none. His foresight and commercial nous have propelled Osbornes into the highest echelons of the market where they rightly belong.
The firm has an excellent and innovative line in cases involving non-English speaking claimants, managed by recruiting paralegals with multi-language skills – an impressive route for expansion of the caseload.
Great expanding team with expertise and respect in the sector. Led by a commercially savvy and business minded team.
A really excellent group of PI solicitors, notable for their individual quality.’
A niche firm that punches well above its weight in the catastrophic injury sector, borne out by the quality of work they obtain.
This combination of experience and diligence reaps massive rewards for clients, Osbornes being well known in the industry as a fantastic firm.
The Osbornes personal injury team now comprises some of the most technically adept and hard hitting lawyers in the business.
Ben Posford is one of London’s best catastrophic injury lawyers, in my view. He is a real brain injury specialist.
Excellent coverage of personal injury, and traumatic brain injury. There is a real specialism in claimants who do not speak English as a first language.
The group is noted for its expertise in matters relating to cycling injuries, and is the official legal partner of the London Cycling Campaign charity.
To complement its strong reputation for high-value and complex personal injury work, the firm continues to develop its 'excellent and innovative line in cases involving non-English speaking claimants'
"Osbornes comprises some of the most technically adept and hard hitting lawyers in the business"
"A small but high-powered team, dealing with cases of significant value and complexity."
"An excellent firm which achieves fantastic outcomes for clients."
"Osbornes Law have captured the magic of keeping the customer service levels of a smaller firm whilst having all the expertise and power of the biggest firms."
"A superb boutique catastrophic injury firm."
"Really good at dealing with people who have suffered a serious injury."
"Affable and charming with very good client-handling skills."
"superb firm with consummate professionals and a human touch."
Osbornes now has a team of highly experienced personal injury lawyers; particularly strong on high-value quantum cases, workplace accidents and claims involving foreign workers injured in the UK.
The team provides fantastic strength-in-depth for personal injury claims. It is also particularly well placed to service clients from Eastern Europe with specialist native language speakers. From the smallest case to a multimillion-pound spinal injury case, Osbornes has the right staff to manage every claim.
Ben Posford remains pre-eminent in his field with expert understanding of litigating cases of the upmost severity. His experience builds on Stuart Kightley’s running of the firm with recent partner additions of Rob Aylott making a fantastic addition.
A firm going from strength-to strength-which retains its client care whilst being able to offer a full personal injury service.
Beneath Ben Posford’s calm and reassuring presence, which clients love, lies a formidable tactical and legal brain. His experience tells and he gets it right at every stage of the process from arranging the best possible rehabilitation, to ensuring, so far as possible, a polite relationship with those acting for the defendant in order to ensure best and early resolution of the claim.
"Clients say he is very impressive, in terms of both his experience and his management of the personal injury team."
"They have an expanding profile in personal injury and clinical negligence and offer a superb, broad service in accidents abroad, enabled by their recruitment of bilingual legal executives who can guide non-English speakers through complex litigation."
"Solid personal injury practice well equipped to advise on high-value and high-profile claims arising from fatalities and severe head and spinal injuries."
"Offers specialist expertise in cycling-related injury claims."
"Offers specialist expertise in cauda equina syndrome cases."
"An exceptional outfit. They take on difficult cases, fight hard and win."
"Stuart Kightley is an incredibly empathetic solicitor who is very knowledgeable about traumatic brain injury."
"They are an outstanding firm to work with. They are consistently impressive in their work."
"Osbornes often handles claims valued at over £1m, particularly relating to severe brain and spinal cord injuries and niche areas such as cauda equina syndrome and cycling accidents."
"The hard-working, thorough and committed Robert Aylott, who brings significant heavyweight personal injury experience."
"Key team members include the energetic and personable Stuart Kightley who is head of the personal injury department."
"Osbornes has a growing influence and impressive work load and is gaining a reputation for handling complex catastrophic work."
"Catastrophic injury cases head Ben Posford is an excellent practical litigator who offers exceptional service."
"Stuart is also very experienced in advising on fatal accidents and workplace accidents."
Thank you for the hard work and patience and for being so patient with my constant questions.
"I have found Osbornes to be thorough, clear and understanding from the initial call. They do exactly what they say they will and with passion! I would recommend them to anyone".
Very good efficient service. Would not hesitate to use again.
I will use Osbornes for any future needs.
I don't think I could have asked for anything more. One of the best dealings I've had with the legal profession.
Sam was excellent and very professional in dealing with our claim.
Head of the personal injury department, Stuart Kightley is a first-rate practitioner, wholly focused on getting his client the best outcome in a pragmatic, sensible and consensual manner.
As a real specialist in spinal cord injuries, Ben Posford is always looking at new angles on how to maximise his cases.
Ben Posford is one of the best catastrophic injury lawyers around.
They provide exceptional service, great knowledge and understanding of the law, excellent client care and tactical nous
Stuart Kightley is praised for his expertise in catastrophic and fatal claims. Clients say he is very impressive, in terms of both his experience and his management of the personal injury team.
My claim was dealt with efficiently and professionally. Communication was excellent, and timely. Shrewd and sound advice was provided at every stage of the claim from beginning through to completion. On the basis of my personal experience I would strongly recommend Osbornes.
I just wish to thank you for your hard work and successful outcome. I am pleased with the result and would recommend you and your firm to anyone in the future.
Ben Posford … is ‘tactically astute’ and ‘one of the best personal injury solicitors around’.
Ben Posford ‘knows how to maximise the value of the claim for his clients’.
