How To Claim Fractured Vertebrae Compensation
By Stephen Hudson. Last Updated 6th April 2022. Have you suffered a vertebral fracture in an accident? Was the accident caused by the negligence of someone who owed you a duty of care? If so, you may be entitled to fractured vertebrae compensation. Our guide can talk you through the process of making a claim.
We understand that you may have some questions related to making a claim, including:
- How do you treat fractured vertebrae?
- How much compensation for a compression fracture could be claimed?
- How much is the average settlement for a back injury in the UK?
This guide will answer these questions and more to ensure you have as much information as possible about making a personal injury claim. Furthermore, our friendly team of advisers are available 24/7 to offer you free legal advice about your situation.
How Do I Claim For A Vertebral Fracture?
How to claim fractured vertebrae compensation guide
You’re not obligated to continue with our services after speaking with an adviser from our team. However, an adviser can connect you with a personal injury lawyer from our panel if you have a valid claim.
You can chat with our team of advisers by:
- Giving them a call on 0800 073 8804 to have a chat about your situation.
- Sending them a message via our live chat instant pop-up box for an immediate reply.
- Putting your information into our online claims form to receive a response at your earliest convenience.
Select A Section
- What Is A Fractured Vertebrae Injury?
- Anatomy Of Fractured Vertebrae
- Signs And Symptoms Of Vertebral Fractures
- Causes Of Vertebral And Spinal Compression Fractures
- Fractured Vertebrae Compensation Claims Calculator
- What Do Special Damages Compensate Me For?
- Who Is Eligible To Claim?
- No Win No Fee Fractured Vertebrae Compensation Claims
- Speak To Our Team
- Learn More About Fractured Vertebrae Compensation Claims
What Is A Fractured Vertebrae Injury?
A fractured vertebrae injury occurs when one of the bones in your spine is broken. The effects that this kind of accident can have will depend on where in your spine the break occurred. This kind of injury could be caused by an accident, such as a road traffic accident, an accident at work or a public place accident.
Anatomy Of Fractured Vertebrae
Your spine plays an important role in your body. As well as protecting the spinal column, the backbone supports the upper body and facilitates walking and movement. Your spinal column wouldn’t be able to function without the presence of the vertebrae bones.
Here are the spinal column regions:
- Cervical spine – This is the part of the spine that makes up the neck. It contains 7 vertebrae bones. If the cervical spine suffers a fracture, it can be extremely painful and serious.
- Thoracic spine – There are 12 vertebrae situated in the middle of the back. Most of these vertebrae are connected to the ribs, which make the middle of the spine stable and rigid.
- Lumbar spine – 5 vertebrae are situated in the lower back. These are the biggest and strongest vertebrae, and they carry a large portion of the body’s weight. They also bear the strain when you lift or carry things.
- Coccyx/Sacrum – There are 5 vertebrae that fuse when a baby is developing in the womb that make up the sacrum. The coccyx is made up of four fused vertebrae and can be found at the bottom of the spine.
This is how the vertebrae fit together within the spinal column:
- Vertebral body – This is the main part of the vertebra. It allows the discs between the vertebrae to attach.
- Facet joints – The facet joints of the spine are situated on the back part of the vertebrae. They aid movement and flexibility. If the facet is fractured, movement may be more difficult.
- Pedicle – The pedicles are on the back part of the vertebrae. The pedicles help to keep the spinal cord protected, so a pedicle fracture can result in damage to the spinal cord.
Signs And Symptoms Of Vertebral Fractures
A spinal fracture may present with different symptoms than other injuries, such as a broken finger or a broken femur. This is because the spinal column protects the spinal cord, and a break to the vertebrae can damage this. Below, we have included some symptoms of fractured vertebrae:
- Back pain that develops suddenly
- Increased pain when standing and walking
- Easing of the pain when you lie on your back
- Limited mobility in your spine
Sometimes, a spinal compression fracture may not present with pain. Therefore, people over 50 should suspect this fracture if they experience a decrease in height, limited mobility in the back, and deformity.
Causes Of Vertebral And Spinal Compression Fractures
Below, we have included some examples of potential causes of spinal and vertebral compression fractures:
- High impact car accidents – A high impact car accident could cause a vertebral compression fracture due to a sudden blow to the back. Disjointed vertebrae can then cause bruising to the spinal cord. Road users have a duty of care to one another as outlined in the Highway Code. If a driver breaches this duty of care and causes an accident in which you’re injured, you could claim compensation. You can claim even if you’re not a driver yourself; for instance, a pedestrian or passenger who has been injured by third party negligence could be owed compensation.
- Falls from a height – This can cause a vertebral fracture if someone falls from a height onto their back. The high impact, sudden blow to the back can cause significant damage to the vertebrae and spinal cord. If you suffered a fall from a height while at work, this could be the result of your employer breaching their duty of care towards you as outlined in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. As a result, you may be able to claim.
- A slip or trip could result in a broken vertebra if you land on your back. If this happened in a public place that was not maintained to be safe for use, this could be a breach of duty of care on the part of the person in control of the space. This could violate the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 and leave you entitled to claim compensation.
If you have been injured as the result of negligence and the negligent party owed you a duty of care, you may be able to claim. Speak to our team today for more information.
Fractured Vertebrae Compensation Claims Calculator
Below, we have included a compensation table that illustrates how much you could receive in compensation for fractured vertebrae. However, you can also use our compensation calculator to value your claim.
The compensation table below includes the latest Judicial College Guidelines figures. However, this table is made up of guideline brackets and the amount you actually receive may vary.
| Injury: | Notes: | Compensation: |
|---|---|---|
| Neck Injuries | Severe (i). This type of neck injury results in complete paraplegia or spastic quadriparesis that’s permanent. | In the region of £139,210 |
| Neck Injuries | Moderate (i). This includes dislocations or fractures of the neck which could necessitate spinal fusion. | £23,460 to £36,120 |
| Back Injuries | Severe (i). Nerve roots and spinal cord damage causing uncommon serious consequences. Pain and disability that is severe will be present. | £85,470 to £151,070 |
| Back Injuries | Moderate (i). Lumbar vertebrae compression fracture or crush which leads to constant pain and suffering and a significant risk of osteoarthritis. | £26,050 to £36,390 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips | Severe (i). Extensive pelvis fractures, for example, a low back joint dislocation and a bladder that’s ruptured. | £73,580 to £122,860 |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips | Moderate (i). The pelvis or hip is significantly injured but it doesn’t result in permanent disability and there’s little chance of future risk. | £24,950 to £36,770 |
Personal injury claims can include general damages and special damages. The above table shows how much you could receive in general damages as part of your claim. This part of your claim covers the physical and psychological impact the injury has had on you. The amount you receive in general damages will depend on how severe the injury is and how long you’re affected.
If you would like a more accurate assessment of the general damages head of your claim, then give our team a call today. One of our advisors could offer you a free, no-obligation valuation of your claim.
What Do Special Damages Compensate Me For?
In contrast to general damages, special damages compensate you for the financial loss the injury has caused you. However, it’s important that you provide evidence to prove this financial loss, or it may be difficult to claim special damages.
Here are some examples of what special damages can compensate for:
- Care costs – You may need to hire a carer if you need help coping with the symptoms of your injury. For example, you may need someone to clean and cook for you if you’re unable to do so yourself. If you paid for this carer out of your own pocket, special damages could compensate you for the financial loss.
- Loss of earnings – If you had to take time off work to recover from your injuries, you might have suffered a loss of earnings. You could also claim for a future loss of earnings if you’re not able to return to work because of your injuries.
- Medication costs – You may have been prescribed medication for your injury that you had to pay for out of pocket. You could gather prescriptions and bank statements to prove this.
- Travel expenses – Your injury may have required you to travel to and from medical appointments. In this case, you may have had to pay your own money to travel there and back. This could be included in the special damages head of your claim.
To discuss how much compensation you may be able to claim in special damage, you can contact our team of advisers. They’re available around the clock to offer free legal advice and discuss your next steps.
Who Is Eligible To Claim?
If you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, then you could be entitled to claim. However, you would need to do this within the appropriate time limit to ensure that it doesn’t become statute-barred.
The personal injury claims time limit is generally three years. These three years run from the exact date of the accident or from when you gained knowledge that your injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence. We refer to the latter as the “date of knowledge”.
However, there are some exceptions to this three-year personal injury claims time limit:
- Child accident claims – If you’re under the age of 18, the three-year time limit begins when your turn 18. Alternatively, if you’d like to make a claim sooner, someone you trust can act as a litigation friend to make a claim for you.
- Claim on behalf of someone who cannot claim themselves – If someone doesn’t have the mental capacity to make a personal injury claim themselves, a litigation friend can do this for them. If they regain their mental capacity, the three-year limit starts again; otherwise, it’s indefinitely suspended.
If you’re not sure whether you’re still within the time limit to make a claim, our advisors can help. Simply get in touch with our team today for free legal advice.
No Win No Fee Fractured Vertebrae Compensation Claims
Our expert panel of personal injury solicitors are happy to discuss working with claimants on a No Win No Fee basis. A No Win No Fee agreement, or Conditional Fee Agreement, is an agreement between you and your solicitor. It sets out the conditions that they need to meet in order to be able to claim.
This agreement states that you don’t have to pay any of your lawyer’s fees if your case loses. They also won’t ask you to pay an upfront fee or any fees as they are working on your claim.
If your claim wins, your solicitor will deduct a small, legally capped percentage of your compensation. This will ensure that you always receive the majority of the compensation you’re awarded.
Speak To Our Team
Our team of advisers are available around the clock to answers any questions you have and determine how much compensation you could receive in a fractured vertebrae compensation claim.
If you have a legitimate claim, they can connect you to an experienced personal injury lawyer from our panel to discuss No Win No Fee agreements with you. They’re experts at helping you get more money from an injury claim and assisting you in gathering sufficient evidence to support your claim.
To discuss claiming competition for a vertebrae fracture, you can contact our team of advisers via:
- Telephone on 0800 073 8804 to have a chat about your situation.
- Our online claims form to receive a response whenever is best for you.
- The live chat pop-up box to speak to them straight away.
Learn More About Fractured Vertebrae Compensation Claims
Clinical And Medical Negligence Claims
Making a Claim For a Fatal Accident or Wrongful Death
Can I Claim For A Death By Careless Driving?
How Do I Know If I’ve Broken A Bone?
NHS Acute Lower Back Pain Information
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- What Is A Conditional Fee Agreement?
- Fractured Vertebrae Compensation
- How Much Compensation for Brain Injury Claims?
- No Win No Fee solicitors
If you would like to speak to an advisor about fractured vertebrae compensation, you can do so by contacting Legal Expert. You can reach us using the contact details included within this guide.
