Back Injury Compensation Claims*

Types of Claims, Types of Injuries | by Simon McGarr
Back Injury claims illustrated by Back exercises by Urban Wired under creative commons licence

The back is a complex assembly of muscles, bones, tendons and other soft tissue, including major nerves. Unfortunately, any back injury can result in serious and complicated medical outcomes. Almost all movement involves the use of the spine and its muscles, and you can therefore injure your back in a variety of ways, such as lifting, slips and falls, road traffic accidents, sports accidents, or assault.

The consequences will usually be severe. They include:

  • Fractured vertebrae
  • Herniated discs
  • Muscle strain or spasms

A back injury is one of the most devastating injuries to a person’s ordinary lifestyle. Consequences may include:

  • Chronic pain
  • Difficulty walking, lifting, or performing ordinary tasks
  • Full or partial paralysis

The injuries will usually limit movement and often lead to bed rest, physical therapy or surgery. Lifting heavy objects is a common cause of back injury. The injury may result not so much from the measured weight of the object as the frequency or circumstances of the lifting. It is essential to seek immediate medical attention if you think you have injured your back in any kind of accident. Then seek advice from a Personal Injury solicitor.

Back Injury Compensation

The Personal Injuries Assessment Board estimates that compensation for a minor back injury (being one which heals within 12 months) would be a sum up to €16,300. For a healing time of 2 years, their estimate is between €11,700 and €19,600. For injuries that do not heal, which studies suggest may be up to 20% of all back injuries, the indicated range of compensation is between €18,300 and €85,900.

Regardless of the nature of a person’s back injury, it will always need to be assessed by a medically qualified person in order to allow them to write a Medical Report. This report forms the basis of any Injuries Board or PIAB claim initially. The Injuries Board process takes a maximum of 12 months, but in general will be completed before that time.

Solicitors’ Costs and contact details

While legal costs for litigation are a complex field, for the purposes of an Injuries Board claim, we can usually agree an affordable set fee in advance with the client for representation and advice.

If you want to contact a solicitor about assessing your situation, you can reach us us via our Online Contact Form or by calling 01-6351580