Suffering a lumbar spine injury can significantly impact your life. If you’ve suffered this type of injury due to someone’s negligence, you may be entitled to lumbar spine injury compensation.
Compensation won’t reduce the pain you’ve already experienced, but it can help you get your life back on track. A spinal cord injury can impact your social and work life, as well as affect you financially. Making a personal injury claim can compensate you for this.
What Are Lumbar Spine Injuries Worth?
Before beginning this guide, you may have some questions such as:
- How do you know if your back injury is serious?
- How long does a lower back injury take to heal?
- Should I go to the doctor for a lower back injury?
We recommend seeking medical professional advice in relation to your own (or a loved one’s) injuries. However, this article will answer all these questions and more to ensure you have as much guidance as possible about claiming lumbar spine injury compensation. Our advisers are available 24 hours a day to offer free legal advice about your situation.
They can assess how much compensation you may be entitled to and discuss your possible next steps. If you have a strong claim, they can connect you with our solicitors to discuss No Win No Fee agreements with you.
You can get in touch with our advisers by:
- Calling them on 0800 073 8801 to have a chat about your situation.
- Filling in our online claims form with your information to receive a response at your earliest convenience.
- Chatting with an adviser via our live chat pop-up box for a response instantly.
Select A Section
- A Guide On How Much Lumbar Spine Injury Compensation You Could Claim
- What Are Lumbar Spine Injuries?
- How Many People Suffer From Back Injuries?
- What Is The Lumbar Spine Made Of?
- Types And Levels Of Lumbar Spinal Damage
- Causes Of Injuries To The Lumbar Spine
- Symptoms Of A Lumbar Spine Injury
- What You Need To Know About Lower Back Injuries
- Treating Injuries To The Lower Back
- Calculating Lumbar Spine Injury Compensation Payouts
- General And Special Damages In Spinal Injury Claims
- No Win No Fee Claims For Lumbar Spine Injury Compensation
- Why Choose Us To Handle Your Lumbar Spinal Injury Case?
- Start Your Lumbar Spinal Injury Claim
- Essential References
- Lumbar Spine Injury FAQs
A Guide On How Much Lumbar Spine Injury Compensation You Could Claim
Firstly, this guide will explain what lumbar spine injuries are and how people can suffer from back injuries. Next, it’ll look at what the lumbar spine is made of and the types and levels of lumbar spine damage.
Furthermore, there’ll be sections talking about the causes of a lumbar spine injury and what you need to know about lower back injuries. The article will then discuss how lower back injuries are treated. Additionally, there’ll be a compensation table showing how some injuries could be valued.
Moreover, the article will discuss what general and special damages can compensate for and what a No Win No Fee claim is. There’ll also be a section exploring how you can find the best personal injury lawyer for you and why our solicitors may be best suited to you.
Finally, there’ll be some links to other guides and FAQs to offer you as much information and advice as possible about personal injury claims for a lumbar spine injury.
What Are Lumbar Spine Injuries?
Lumbar spine injuries can significantly affect someones daily life and cause severe pain and suffering. You may be able to make a personal injury claim if you’ve suffered a lumbar spine injury due to someone else’s negligence.
The lumbar spine is situated below the cervical and thoracic segments of the spine in the lower part of the back. Lumbar spine injuries can be either complete or incomplete and impact either one or both sides. How complete the fracture is can determine how severe the injury is and how long treatment may take.
The lumbar spine is made up of 5 vertebrae: L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5. These lumbar vertebrae protect spinal cord nerves that are responsible for communication from the brain.
Therefore, a lumbar spine injury may affect the hips and groin, as well as affecting the muscles in the lower abdominal area.
L2 is the lowest vertebra that has spinal cord tissue. Injuries below this (L3, L4 and L5) can impact the legs and hips and can cause a numbing sensation in the feet.
If you’ve suffered from this type of back injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to lumbar spine injury compensation. Our advisers would be happy to have a chat with you about your situation and assess how much compensation you may be owed.
How Many People Suffer From Back Injuries?
According to the NHS, back pain is the single biggest cause of disability in the UK. Lower back pain makes up 11% of all disabilities in the UK.
Although lumbar back injury statistics, in general, aren’t readily available to the public, we can look at workplace back accidents to get an idea of how common they are. The table below includes statistics from RIDDOR on non-fatal injuries to employees in Great Britain by the site of injury in 2019/20.
As you can see, the area of the body (out of the three areas presented in the graph below) with the least amount of workplace injuries was the wrist, with 4,464 reported injuries. On the other hand, the back had the highest reported workplace injuries, with 9,514. This shows how common back injuries are in the workplace compared to other injuries.
What Is The Lumbar Spine Made Of?
As you get older, the spinal column outgrows the spinal cord. The spinal cord is no longer than the L1 or L2 vertebrae and it forms the conus medullaris. The area past the conus medullaris is known as the cauda equina.
There are 5 vertebrae in the lumbar spinal column. The spine is divided into five sections, known as the L1-L5. These vertebrae are located close to the spine’s base and are positioned in an outward curve, below the thoracic spine that curves inward.
The vertebrae are important as they protect the bottom of the spinal cord and support the torso’s weight. Therefore, a lumbar spine injury can cause significant pain and suffering and prevent you from completing daily activities.
For more advice about pursuing lumbar spine injury compensation, you can get in touch with our expert team of advisers. They’d be happy to offer a helping hand and connect you to a personal injury lawyer if you have a valid claim.
Types And Levels Of Lumbar Spinal Damage
The L1 vertebra sits at the highest point of the lumbar part of the spinal column. If the L1 is injured, it can impact the flexion of the hips, cause a loss of bladder and bowel control, cause paraplegia and create a numbing sensation in the legs.
The L2 vertebra contains the last part of the spinal cord, as vertebrae underneath this contain just spinal nerves. An injury to the L2 vertebrae will produce the same symptoms as an injury to the L1 vertebra.
The L3 vertebra is situated in the mid-point of the lumbar spine. It’s the first segment that doesn’t contain any spinal cord. An L3 injury can produce symptoms such as numbness, weakness and less flexibility in the groin, hips and legs.
The L4 is the second the last segment of the lumbar spinal column. L4 injuries are usually less severe than to the L1 and L2 as the L4 doesn’t contain the spinal cord. However, symptoms such as being unable to bend the feet in certain directions may be present.
The L5 vertebra is the last segment of the lumbar spine. If the L5 suffers an injury, the legs may become weak and numb. The severity of these symptoms depends on each individual case.
Causes Of Injuries To The Lumbar Spine
Here are some common causes of a lumbar spine injury:
- Road traffic accidents – Back injuries aren’t uncommon in car accidents as the force of the crash can often cause someone to jolt forward and back aggressively. This can damage the back and result in a lumbar spine injury. If you’ve been in a road traffic accident due to someone’s negligence, you may be able to make a road traffic accident claim. All drivers must follow the rules of the road included in the Road Traffic Act 1988.
- Slips, trips and falls – An example of this is if you slip on a spillage in a supermarket because it’s unattended or there’s no wet floor sign. This could mean you’re entitled to make a public place accident claim as the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 states that anyone who controls an area has a duty of care to safeguard and protect anyone who has access to it (whether invited or not).
- Accidents at work – If you suffer a lumbar spine injury due to heavy lifting at work, you may be entitled to compensation if this was caused by your employer’s negligence. For example, if they didn’t offer you rest breaks or failed to train you properly, it could lead to an accident. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 concludes that employers have a duty of care to safeguard employees by minimising hazards and risks as much as reasonably possible.
Our advisers would be happy to have a chat with you. If your claim is legitimate, they can then connect you with our personal injury lawyers to begin the personal injury claims process with you.
Symptoms Of A Lumbar Spine Injury
Lower back pain symptoms include pain felt in the spine, downwards from the neck to the hips. It usually improves within months or weeks.
However, symptoms that can go alongside back pain and indicate a serious injury include:
- Numbness around the genitals/buttocks
- Difficulty urinating
- Chest pain
- Swelling/deformity in the back
If you’ve suffered any of these symptoms, you should seek medical attention to receive a diagnosis and treatment.
Here are some consequences of a lumbar spine injury:
- Paraplegia – This is a condition where the lower half of your body is paralysed. This can be caused by the lumbar spine injury affecting the nervous system that controls the lower part of the body.
- The need for a wheelchair – People with a lumbar spine injury may need a wheelchair full-time or part-time, depending on the severity. However, not all patients will need a wheelchair.
- Braces or other devices to aid walking – Patients that don’t require a wheelchair full-time may need a brace or other walking device.
- Inability to control the bowel or bladder – If you’ve suffered a lumbar spine injury, you may be unable to control your bladder or bowel movements.
Our advisers are on hand 24 hours a day to discuss your situation and see if you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim. Furthermore, they can assess how much lumbar spine injury compensation you may be able to receive and connect you with our personal injury lawyers if your claim is strong.
What You Need To Know About Lower Back Injuries
Although lumbar spine injuries aren’t usually life-threatening, they can sometimes be severe. Moreover, lumbar spine injury patients can care for their own needs and be independent once treated and diagnosed.
Many patients can use a wheelchair themselves or walk alone for short distances. However, some back injuries can have permanent, severe effects. Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) impacts the lumbar spine nerve roots, which can result in bladder damage, bowel damage and sexual dysfunction.
Treating Injuries To The Lower Back
Here are some lumbar spine injury treatments:
- Medication – Some patients may be given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation surrounding the spinal cord.
- Surgery – Surgery may occur to relieve pressure surrounding the spinal nerves to initiate some lower back function.
- Physiotherapy – Weakness is a common symptom of lumbar spine injuries. Therefore, physiotherapy is done to restore strength in the areas that have become weak. It can also help patients learn how to use their bodies again.
If you have suffered a lumbar spine injury due to negligence, you can get in touch with our expert advisers today to discuss making a personal injury claim. If your claim is favourable, an adviser can connect you to an experienced personal injury lawyer to discuss No Win No Fee agreements with you.
Calculating Lumbar Spine Injury Compensation Payouts
You may come across a personal injury claims calculator in some articles. This can calculate how your injury may be valued. However, this guide has included a compensation table instead.
It includes figures from the Judicial College Guidelines to show what some injuries may be worth. These guidelines are used by legal professionals to help them when valuing injuries.
The below compensation table is used purely for example purposes and figures may vary.
| Injury: | Notes: | Compensation: |
|---|---|---|
| Back Injuries | Severe (i). Nerve roots and spinal cord injury causing serious consequences such as severe disability and pain. | £85,470 to £151,070 |
| Back Injuries | Moderate (ii). Disturbed muscles and ligaments resulting in back ache. Soft tissue injuries that worsen pre-existing back conditions. | £11,730 to £26,050 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips | Severe (i). Extensive pelvis fractures involving dislocation of a lower back joint or a hip injury causing spondylolisthesis of a lower back joint. | £73,580 to £122,860 |
| Scarring | A number of significant laceration scars, or just one disfiguring scar on the back. | £7,350 to £21,330 |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Severe. The person’s life is affected significantly as they can’t function how they did before the injury. Unable to work or socialise well. | £56,180 to £94,470 |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Moderately Severe. Recovery is likely but there is a long-term significant disability. | £21,730 to £56,180 |
As part of the personal injury claims process, you would attend a medical assessment carried out by an independent medical professional. The purpose of this assessment is to:
- Prove the severity of your injuries.
- Prove that your injuries were caused or exacerbated by the accident.
The medical professional would create a report from the assessment and send it to your solicitor, who could use it to help support and value your claim.
The above table shows how much general damages compensation some injuries may be worth. The awarded bracket can depend on the length of treatment and how severe the injury is.
General And Special Damages In Spinal Injury Claims
Compensation in a personal injury claim is typically split between general damages and special damages. General damages compensate for the injury itself and how it’s affected you mentally and physically.
For example, you may suffer post-traumatic stress disorder due to your accident and injury. This can significantly affect your daily life, possibly resulting in you being unable to work or socialise the same way you did before you suffered the injury.
Special damages compensate for the financial loss you’ve suffered due to the injury. However, it’s difficult to claim special damages without evidence to prove you’ve suffered financially. Here are some examples of what special damages can compensate for:
- Loss of earnings: If you had to take time off work whilst recovering from your injury, you may have suffered a loss of earnings. An example of evidence you could provide to prove this is payslips from before and after your injury. The amount you were paid before and after can then be compared to see how much less you were paid.
- Prescription medication: You may have had to pay out of pocket for prescription medication whilst your injury was healing. If so, you could use the prescriptions and your bank statements to show how much you paid for the medication.
- Care costs: You may have had to hire a carer if your injuries were too severe for you to complete daily household tasks and care for yourself. If you hired the carer with your own money, you could use your bank statements to show this.
- Travel costs: If you had to travel to and from appointments, you may have paid out of pocket for this. An example of evidence you could gather to prove this is bus tickets or bank statements to show how much it cost.
No Win No Fee Claims For Lumbar Spine Injury Compensation
No Win No Fee agreements, also known as Conditional Fee Agreements, are contracts signed by you and your lawyer. There’s little to lose as they state that you don’t have to pay any of your solicitor’s fees if your case loses.
If your case fails, you won’t be responsible to pay the fees your solicitor has gained by working on your claim. If your case is successful, your solicitor will deduct a small, legally capped percentage of the compensation. This should reflect the amount of work your lawyer has put into your case.
There are many financial benefits to a No Win No Fee agreement, so why wait? Our friendly advisers are available 24 hours a day to have a chat about your situation. If your claim is legitimate, they can connect you to a personal injury solicitor to discuss No Win No Fee agreements.
Why Choose Us To Handle Your Lumbar Spinal Injury Case?
If you choose to use the services of a lawyer, it’s important that you work with a personal injury lawyer who’s empathetic and understanding of your situation, as well as being professional and experienced. You don’t need to look for lawyers just in your local area either.
Our personal injury lawyers can work with claimants from anywhere in the country, helping them receive the maximum amount of compensation for their claim. They’re experienced with knowing how to liaise with the defendant and helping you gather as much sufficient evidence as possible.
If you have a strong claim, our advisers could connect you. Why not reach out today?
Start Your Lumbar Spinal Injury Claim
Our advisers would be happy to have a chat about your situation and assess how much lumbar spine injury compensation you may be able to receive. An adviser can point you in the right direction to pursue a personal injury claim and start getting your life back.
Once you’ve had a chat with an adviser, you’re under no obligation to continue with our services. However, if you’d like to, you can be connected with a personal injury solicitor if you have a valid claim. They can then begin working on your claim.
You can get in touch with our advisers via:
- A phone call on 0800 073 8801 to have a chat about your case.
- Our online claims form where you can input your information and receive a reply whenever is best for you.
- Our instant live chat pop-up box to receive a response immediately.
Essential References
Clinical & Medical Negligence Claims Guide – Have you suffered due to clinical negligence? If so, our guide looks at how you could make a clinical negligence claim.
Rear Shunt Accident – If you’ve suffered injuries in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence, our article explores road traffic accident claims.
Accident At Work Claims Guide – Have you suffered an accident at work due to your employer’s negligence? Our guide discusses pursuing a personal injury claim.
How Do I Know If I’ve Broken A Bone? – If you suspect you may have a broken bone injury, this NHS guide includes information you should know.
Back Pain – If you’re suffering from back pain, this NHS guide looks at possible causes and what you can do to treat it.
Acute Lower Back Pain – Are you experiencing acute lower back pain? This NHS article shows the common symptoms, causes and treatment.
Lumbar Spine Injury FAQs
In this section, we look at answers to commonly asked questions about personal injury claims.
How do you know if your back injury is serious?
Here are some signs of a serious back injury:
- Fever
- Numbness
- Paralysis
- Difficulty urinating
- Pain down the legs and past the knees
You should seek medical attention immediately if you experience these symptoms alongside a back injury.
How long does a lower back injury take to heal?
This depends on the severity of the back injury and what type of injury it is. A lumbar back strain typically takes around 3-4 weeks to heal.
What are 3 common injuries to the lower back?
3 common injuries to the lower back include:
- Strains or sprains
- Herniated disc
- Vertebral fracture
Should I go to the doctor for a lower back injury?
If you’re suffering from a lower back injury and you’re concerned, you should see a doctor or seek other medical advice.
Thank you for reading our article about lumbar spine injury compensation.
Guide by SN
Edited by RV