Spinal Injury Solicitors

Spinal cord injuries are both traumatic and life-changing. At their worst, they can cause paralysis and leave you or a loved one with permanent disabilities. According to NHS figures, a spinal cord injury paralyses someone every four hours in the UK.

Even less severe spinal injuries can still cause loss of movement, problems with limb or bladder control, and numbness in the hands and feet. The road to recovery is long for serious spinal injuries and you may require extensive psychological and physical support.

No-one should have to suffer from the after-effects of a spinal injury due to someone else’s negligence, but accidents do happen and in a wide range of scenarios. Injuries sustained from road accidents, sporting incidents, accidents in the workplace, or as a result of medical negligence all have the potential to cause damage to the spine.

In any of these cases, you may be entitled to make a spinal injury compensation claim.

What classifies as a spinal injury claim?

A spinal injury might involve the bones of the spine or damage to the spinal cord. For simplicity, we can separate these injuries into two categories:

Spinal cord injury: This refers specifically to damage to the spinal cord, which is a very serious condition. The spinal cord is the bundle of nerves that runs down the middle of the vertebrae (spine) and carries signals between the brain and the rest of the body. If it is severed, the result is partial or complete paralysis for which there is no cure. Incomplete injury, where the spinal cord is damaged but not severed, may result in limited mobility and sensation with the potential for some recovery over time.

Back injury (spinal column injury): This broad term refers to any type of injury affecting the back, but without damaging the spinal cord. Back injuries can range from mild muscle strains, which are common and often heal with rest and conservative treatment, to more severe injuries such as fractures of the vertebrae and herniated discs. In most cases, a spinal column injury will not result in permanent loss of movement. Visit our dedicated back injury page to learn more.

What causes spinal injuries?

The most common cause of spinal injury is physical impact to the body that damages the back and neck. This may be the result of:

• Car Accidents
• Cycling Accidents
• Motorcycling Accidents
• Accidents at Work
• Slips, Trips and Falls
• Falls from Height
• Sports Injuries
• Criminal Assault

The consequences of a spinal injury can vary greatly depending on the severity of the accident. Some injuries place significant limitations on a person’s ability to move and work, and may put an end to the injured person’s career.

The impact extends to the family of those affected, who may have to provide significant support and personal care.

If your spinal cord injuries are the fault of someone else, you might have a compensation claim. This could be due to a motorist driving recklessly, your employer failing to follow health and safety procedures, or a poorly maintained sports pitch. To make an injury claim, you have to show that another person was negligent and their actions or failures caused you harm.

Can medical mistakes lead to a spinal cord injury claim?

Spinal cord injuries can also be caused by medical negligence.

Medical negligence happens when the care you receive falls below the professional standard of a competent medical practitioner. Many actions and inactions may fall within this definition. The main ways in which medical negligence can lead to a spinal cord injury include:

• Failing to diagnose a neck or back fracture.
• Failing to perform the proper scans and tests, for example, an MRI to investigate a suspected disc prolapse.
• Ambulance crew ‘manhandling’, where suspected spine injuries are not properly immobilised.
• Surgical errors.
• Delays in treating cauda equina syndrome.

These events are not mutually exclusive and spinal injuries can often be caused or worsened by a series of medical events.

Proving what caused the injury is often the most complex part of a medical negligence spinal cord injuries claim. It requires experience, skill and knowledge from a specialised team that has your best interests at heart.

How do I make a spinal injury claim?

• Contact us for a free consultation. A specialist lawyer from our spinal injury claims team will advise you whether you have a claim and guide you through your best next steps.
• We will help collect relevant evidence such as medical records, financial statements, witness statements, and police reports to establish negligence or liability of the other party.
• We help you understand how much compensation you may be entitled to. It may be possible to secure interim payments before the final settlement to cover immediate rehabilitation costs for your spinal injury.
• Most claims are settled out of court, but if necessary, we will take the case to court to ensure fair compensation.

Proud to work with the Spinal Injuries Association

Osbornes is a longtime supporter and partner of the Spinal Injuries Association. The SIA advocates for exceptional care and quality of life improvements for people with spinal cord injuries. Their belief — that we share — is that a spinal injury should not stop you living your life to the fullest. Our team of solicitors works closely with the SIA to ensure that our clients with serious spinal cord injuries access the same opportunities as everyone else.

Our solicitors have received training on spinal cord injury from the SIA, so they understand your condition and what you need. That knowledge helps us value your claim accurately and signpost you to the right support, to ensure you get the best outcomes from your rehabilitation and your legal claim.

Our team also abides by the Spinal Injuries Association Code of Conduct, which is backed by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. Solicitors who sign up to the code agree to put your best interests first and communicate with you in a clear and compassionate way.

Why choose our expert spinal injury lawyers?

Here’s why spinal-injured clients work with us:

• Our lawyers act exclusively for individuals who have suffered spinal injuries due to personal injury or medical negligence.
• A reputation for exceptional success, winning seven or eight-figure compensation payments in serious spinal injury claims.
• Compassionate and thorough support: we will always treat you and your family with dignity and respect.
• Approved lawyers for the Spinal Injuries Association.
• Consistently rated highly by The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for our reputation as spinal cord injury and back injury specialists. Additionally, our personal injury Partner, Ben Posford, specializing in spinal cord injuries, is a band one (top-ranked) leading individual in Chambers & Partners.
• ‘No win, no fee‘ funding agreements.
• We are committed to accessibility and can visit you at home or in hospital.