If a spinal injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
If you have been affected by a spinal injury, we can help. If your injuries were caused by someone else's actions or negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
You can make a compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.
In this article
With up to 2,500 people diagnosed with a spinal cord injury every year., you are not alone
It is estimated that 2,500 people are injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury every year (aspire.org.uk).
Figures published by the national charities Aspire, the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) and The Back Up Trust indicate that around 2,500 people sustain a spinal cord injury each year in the UK.
Currently, there are an estimated 50,000 people living with paralysis caused by spinal cord injury.
Over 78% of spinal cord injuries are caused by road traffic accidents and slips, trips and falls. Although some spinal cord injuries lack completely effective treatments, rehabilitation support can help, and medical research into spinal injury continues worldwide.
Compensation enables injured claimants to fund treatment and rehabilitation care to ensure they enjoy the best possible quality of life.
If you decide to make a spinal injury claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.
If you decide to make a spinal injury claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.
Do I qualify for spinal injury compensation?
You will usually be eligible to claim compensation if you have been injured in the following circumstances:
- in the last 3 years,
- by someone elses actions or negligence, and
- they owed you a duty of care.
Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.
What if I was partly to blame?
Liability for an accident often involves fault on both sides.
In our recent 2023 Personal Injury Claimant Survey, 13.99% of respondents thought they could be partially to blame for their accident.
Even if your actions or negligence played a role in the accident, you could still be eligible for compensation. Cases with shared fault (contributory negligence) frequently settle through a split liability agreement.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
How long after a spinal injury do I have to claim compensation?
For most injury claims, you have up to 3 years from the date of your injury to start the claims process.
The 3 year limitation period does not apply to minors (under 18s). A parent, guardian or litigation friend can start a claim on a child's behalf up to their 18th birthday and the child has until their 21st birthday to claim for themselves.
Spinal injuries
Spinal injury can be complete damage across the whole width of the spinal cord, or incomplete damage across part of the spinal cord.
Both types of injury can cause varying degrees of paralysis, loss of bodily function, and loss of sensation.
In the most serious spinal injuries, spinal cord damage can result in:
- Tetraplegia (also known as quadroplegia) - partial or total loss of use of all limbs. The injury usually results in loss of both sensation and motor control of limbs.
- Paraplegia - impairment of motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. This can include the functions of the lower torso and motor control of the legs.
Your specialist personal injury solicitor will assist you in assessing and documenting your injury for your compensation claim. Assessment will include the impact of your spinal injury on your livelihood, personal care needs and quality of life.
Spinal injury claims
There is a statutory time limit for making personal injury claims. This time limit is three years from the date of the accident; or three years from the date the claimant was aware of injuries caused by an accident.
Personal injury claims for spinal injuries should be made as soon as possible following the accident. In many spinal injury cases the Court will agree an interim pay-out before the final settlement is agreed. This interim payment can fund essential care and equipment needed following the spinal injury.
How much compensation can I claim for a spinal injury?
The amount of money you could claim for your injury will depend on:
- the seriousness of your injury, and
- any financial losses or costs you have incurred.
At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.
Spinal injury
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General damages
General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).
Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Special damages
Special damages is compensation for quantifiable financial losses you've incurred as a result of your spinal injury. Compensation can include loss of earnings, including lost overtime, holiday pay, benefits and pension contributions, and any additional expenses directly related to your injury.
These damages will also cover any medical or treatment bills, such as surgery, pain medication, physiotherapy and spinal stabilisation.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
Average spinal injury general damages compensation
The following spinal injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, Sixteenth Edition by the Judicial College.
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
| Injury | Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back injury | |||
| Back injury | Serious | Less severe disability | £25,240 to £35,250 |
| Back injury | Serious | Ligament or disc damage with permanent symptoms | £11,370 to £25,240 |
| Neck injury | |||
| Neck injury | Serious | Fractures or dislocations or severe soft tissue damage | £41,350 to £50,900 |
| Neck injury | Severe | Causing paralysis | Around £134,850 |
| Paralysis | |||
| Paralysis | Paralysis of short duration | Up to £44,850 | |
| Paralysis | Paraplegia | £199,150 to £258,420 | |
| Paralysis | Tetraplegia (Quadriplegia) | £295,090 to £367,260 | |
Claiming compensation for psychological injuries
Although psychiatric injuries are less obvious than physical injuries and illness, mental health conditions can be no less debilitating.
Our 2023 Personal Injury Claimant Survey found that 29.03% of claimants reported a psychological injury, with 70.97% of these relating to a physical injury.
Spinal injuries can cause significant psychological distress due to concerns about paralysis and long-term mobility. In some cases a phobia of movement (also known as fear-avoidance behavior or FAB) can develop.
Psychiatric harm is less obvious than physical injury, but the consequences can be just as difficult to deal with.
Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.
No win, no fee spinal injury compensation claims
With no win, no fee, you can claim spinal injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
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What happened?
The claims process for a spinal injury will depend on where and how the accident happened. Click the icons below for more information:
Injury FAQs
How long does an injury claim take?
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No win, no fee spinal injury compensation claims
With no win, no fee, you can claim spinal injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
How we can help you with your injury claim
Your solicitor will fight for the best possible compensation settlement for you, and the highly-experienced panel of solicitors have an excellent track record of winning injury claims.
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Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher
About the author
Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.