£1,600 awarded for lumbar spine and whiplash injury

The claimant was awarded £1,600 in back injury compensation when he suffered a whiplash injury to his lumbar spine having been involved in a road traffic accident.

Accident circumstances

The male claimant was aged 14 at the time of the accident and was involved in a road traffic accident. He was travelling as a passenger in a car that was hit in the rear by another vehicle.

Details of injury

Following the accident the claimant immediately began to develop lower back pain but did not attend the hospital. Instead he attended his GP two days after the accident. He was advised by his GP that he had suffered a lumbar whiplash injury and that he should take paracetamol to help with the pain. The claimant did so for a few days but could not take part in games and PE at school for two weeks from the date of the accident.

The claimant also suffered with some travel anxiety. This was more apparent in circumstances similar to those when the accident occurred, for example, when other vehicles approached from behind. He was said to be a more cautious passenger and was wary of his surroundings when travelling.

Three months after the accident the claimant was still suffering with lower back pain especially after running and playing football. The travel anxiety that he was experiencing also continued.

Following expert reports the prognosis was that his lower back pain and the travel anxiety would settle within a time frame of six months. This was indeed the case and he made a full recovery. The claimant had no time off school as a result of the accident.

Conclusion and Settlement

A settlement between the parties could not be agreed and the matter was heard at a Child Settlement Approval Hearing. The claimant was awarded general damages of £1,600.00.

Disclaimer

Case studies are for informational purposes only and aim to help prospective claimants understand the injury claim process. They are based on cases handled by Quittance panel solicitors or sourced from public court records.