Back Injury Claims: The Amounts Of Compensation For All Manner Of Back Injuries
Discover what parts of your body make up your back and the most common types of accident and negligent act that give rise to back injury claims.
Find detailed examples of how much compensation you can claim for pain and suffering for all types of back injury from the minor to the most severe with a description of the additional financial loss and expense that you may claim.
- Back Injury Claims: The Amounts Of Compensation For All Manner Of Back Injuries
- Payouts Table For Back Injury Claims Settling In 2023
- What are the parts of your spine that form your back?
- What are back injury claims?
- What are the most common types of accident which can cause back injury?
- Examples of compensation payouts for pain and suffering in back injury claims
- Can you claim compensation for financial losses as well as pain and suffering?
- Summary of Amounts Of Back Injury Claims
- Payouts Table For Back Injury Claims Settling In 2023
Payouts Table For Back Injury Claims Settling In 2023
Use our concise table of payout amounts for back injury claims to see quickly how much you can expect to recover.
Be aware – this table is only a summary. We recommend you read the whole of our article for details as to how each figure is calculated and all the types of loss that you can claim.
| Back Injury | Claim Payouts |
|---|---|
| Pain up to 3 months | * £2,500 |
| Pain 3 months – 2 years | * £2,500 – £8,000 |
| Symptoms 2 – 5 years | £8,000 – £12,500 |
| Surgery required | £12,500 – £39,000 |
| Most severe inc. paralysis | £39,000 – £161,000 |
* Watch out – the payouts marked with an asterisk may not apply to back injuries in certain types of road accident occurring in an accident on or after 31 May 2021.
See our road accident payouts and RTA small claims articles for more details.
What are the parts of your spine that form your back?
Your spine is made up of three distinct areas.
Cervical spine / neck
The cervical spine is the upper part of your spine, which is normally referred to as your neck
Thoracic spine
The thoracic spine is the middle to upper part of your spine.
Lumbar spine
The lumbar spine is the lower part of your spine.
Your back
When you refer to your back you will normally be referring to the lower and middle to upper part of your spine and the surrounding muscles and tissues. The upper part of your spine and surrounding muscles and tissues is typically referred to as your neck.
What are back injury claims?
Now that you know the different parts of the spine that make up your back – a definition of a back injury claim is more straight-forward.
Back injury claims normally refer to claims for compensation when your lower or mid to upper spine (below your neck) is injured in an accident, as a result of medical negligence or as a result of some other negligence of another person or business.
What are the most common types of accident which can cause back injury?
There are many different types of accident which can give rise to back injury claims, which include:
Road Accident Back Injury Claims
You will undoubtedly have heard of whiplash injury compensation claim. A whiplash is an injury where the neck or cervical spine is injured due to the head being thrown forwards and backwards.
See our car accident compensation article – for a description of the amounts of compensation you can recover for whiplash injuries in a road accident that took place prior to the 31 May 2021 (see legal update below).
In addition to whiplash – injuries to your lower and mid back are quite common in a car accident due to large forces coming to play even when a seatbelt is correctly being used by a driver and passenger.
Other types of road traffic accident can cause serious back injuries, such as a those involving a motorcycle. Click motor bike accident to see the types of injury and amounts of compensation you can claim for motorbike injuries.
Legal Update – as from 31 May 2021 – the amount of compensation was greatly reduced for certain types of back injury caused in a road accident with symptoms lasting up to 2 years. However, back injuries caused in car or or other road accidents prior to 31 May 2021, involving a motor vehicle, in which action has commenced should still be subject to the figures as set out in this guide.
Accident At Work Compensation
Heavy lifting at work can cause serious back injuries. The Manual Handing Regulations and Health and Safety laws protect you in the event of a lifting injury in the workplace, such that you can claim compensation from your employer should you suffer injury.
Medical Negligence Causing Back Injury
Operations on the spine can be very complicated – if such an operation is not performed correctly you might be entitled to claim compensation. The NHS can be held liable for negligent acts of their doctors, nurses and other medical staff employed by them.
Other Types of Personal Injury Claim
Other types of personal injury claim, which might involve an injured back include: slip and trip accidents, sporting accidents, criminal injury compensation claims, industrial disease claims, animal accidents and even some accidents abroad.
Examples of compensation payouts for pain and suffering in back injury claims
Some examples of the amounts of compensation you can claim in 2023 for your pain and suffering caused by a back injury, include:
Back Injury Compensation For Symptoms Up To 3 months
The average compensation payouts you can expect for a back injury lasting from a few weeks to 3 months would typically be calculated up to £2,500 .
Watch out for road accidents – the same back injury for certain types of road accident that occur on or 31 May 2021, will be subject to a compensation tariff as set out in our whiplash & back injury payout article.
Back Injury With Pain Between Three months To Two Years
If you have suffered a back strain or muscle injury lasting for more than 3 months, but for which you have no further symptoms of pain after two years you can expect an average compensation payout of £2,500 – £8,000 .
Watch out – compensation for this type of back injury when caused in a road accident on or after 31 May 2021 will be calculated in accordance with the small claims whiplash tariff.
Average Payouts For Symptoms Between Two to Five Years
If you have a back injury which involves a strain, muscle injury or a prolapsed disc (where surgery is not necessary) with pain symptoms lasting between two and five years – your back injury claim will be calculated between £8,000 – £12,500 .
Back Injury Settlements When Surgery Required
Back injuries causing prolapsed discs requiring laminectomy surgery to remove part of a spinal vertebra, spinal fusion. You might have acceleration of degeneration of your spine (effectively as though your spine has aged prematurely) or experienced crush fractures of the spine.
Back injury of this nature will lead to a claim settlement payout of between £12,500 – £39,000 .
Most Serious Injury Of The Back Claims
The most serious back injuries can result in paralysis, sexual difficulties, problems with functioning of your organs (such as bowel and bladder problems) resulting compensation settlements between £39,000 – £161,000 .
Can you claim compensation for financial losses as well as pain and suffering?
“Yes” – in addition to pain and suffering for your back injuries, you will be entitled to claim compensation for any financial loss and expense you may incur.
The amount of financial loss you can claim will depend entirely on your own financial position and expenditure both before and after your accident.
If these sums of money are likely to be large amounts – your solicitor will likely have an accountant report produced describing all of the past and potential future financial expenditure.
See our rehabilitation of spinal injuries article – to see how to claim rehabilitation expenses in the event of a serious back injury claim.
Summary of Amounts Of Back Injury Claims
In this article you have seen examples of how much compensation your back injury settlement may be worth for all manner of back injuries, together with financial loss and expense that can be claimed.
Specialist Solicitor Free Online Help
Use our specialist solicitor free online / telephone help to discuss your particular accident circumstances that may give rise to a back injury claim and have any questions you may have answered.
