Spinal Injury Compensation Claims

Spinal injuries are extremely serious injuries that can have a devastating and long-term impact on a person’s health, independence and quality of life.

The vast majority of spinal injuries are the result of preventable causes, such as falls, road traffic accidents and violence. While some improvement in the condition is possible and adaptations can help sufferers to live more independent lives, there is no cure for spinal cored injuries at present.

If you’ve sustained a spinal injury, you may be overwhelmed by the costs of special care, surgery, rehabilitation, medication and counselling. You may also need to fork out to adapt your home or you may find that you have to move to a more suitable home. this can be expensive and difficult to face, especially if you’re unable to work due to your injury.

if the accident that caused your injury wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. This money could help you to receive the care you need and get on with living a fulfilling life. Get in touch with the team at Compare Compensation Claims to start your claim today.

What Is A Spinal Injury?

A ‘spinal cord injury’ refers to any damage to the long, tubular bundle of nerves that runs from the brain to near the bottom of the spine.

When this happens, communication between the brain and the rest of the body is interrupted. This can result in a loss of movement or a loss of sensation below the area of the injury. The higher up in your body the injury occurs, the greater the loss of movement and sensation will be.

Types of spinal injury include:

• Herniated or slipped discs
• Soft tissue injuries such as whiplash
• Disc fractures and lesions
• Damage to the coccyx (tailbone), pelvis, lumbar or thoracic vertebrae
• Neck injuries
• Nerve root and spinal cord damage

Paraplegia (which affects movement and sensation in the legs and sometimes stomach muscles) can occur as a result of damage to the spinal cord in your back.

Damage to the spinal cord in your neck, in contrast, can result in tetraplegia (which affects movement and sensation in your arms and legs, as well as stomach and chest muscles)

Causes Of Spinal Injuries

Spinal injuries can be caused by a variety of accidents and illnesses, including:

• Slips, trips or falls
• Workplace accidents, such as falls from height
• Sports and leisure injuries
• Road traffic accidents
• Diseases, such as cancer
• Medical negligence

Am I Entitled To Make A Claim?

Spinal injury claims can be made if the trauma to the spine occurred as a result of someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing. For example, if your injury is caused by:

• Medical negligence
• Inadequate supervision or improper behaviour by other players in a sporting environment
• An unsafe working environment
• Poor standards of training or a lack of PPE at work
• Violence or assault by another person
• Treatment during police custody

To find out if you have a case, you should seek legal advice from a specialist spine injury solicitor who can assess your claim and help you get the maximum payout you deserve.

How Much Compensation Could I Be Awarded?

Spinal injuries can have serious and far-reaching consequences for both you and your family. As a result, you could be entitled to a substantial amount of compensation if you can prove that someone else is to blame for causing or worsening your injuries.

Factors taken into account when assessing your claim for spinal injury compensation will include:

• How severe your injuries are
• Your current and future care requirements
• Any financial loss you’ve suffered as a result of your injuries (including loss of earnings)
• Any adaptations you’ve had to make to your home
• How your quality of life has been affected by your injuries

What Evidence Do I Need For A Spinal Injury Compensation Claim?

Your solicitor will tell you exactly what evidence is required to support your claim. But to give you an idea, here are some types of evidence which can strengthen your case:

• Photographs of the accident scene or your working environment (for injury at work claims)
• Photographs of your injuries
• Contact details for witnesses and anyone else involved in the accident
• Accident reports from work, or from the police if you were injured in a road traffic accident
• CCTV footage of the accident, if available
• Medical reports assessing the extent of your injuries
• Proof of loss of earnings and any other financial impacts of the incident

How Long Do I Have To Make A Claim?

For most personal injury claims, there a 3-year time limit on when you can start a claim. This means you can only claim compensation for spinal injuries sustained no more than 3 years ago.

And as the process of gathering evidence and submitting the paperwork can take time, it’s crucial to start your claim as soon as possible.