06 Aug Personal Injury Compensation: Back or Spinal Fracture injury claim
The back is hugely important to all forms of movement and is made up of an assembly of major nerves, muscles, bones, tendons and soft tissue and most importantly, it houses the spine. Any injury to the back can result in serious and long-lasting symptoms.
What are the effects of a back injury?
A back injury can be devastating to a person’s ordinary lifestyle, with injuries limiting movement and often leading to surgery, therapy and extended periods of rest.
Serious injuries may involve partial or complete damage to the spinal nerves, serious exacerbation of disc lesions requiring fusing of vertebrae, or irritation of a spinal nerve root. The most severe back injuries involve paralysis, or other severe consequences such as loss of sexual function or loss of bladder function.
The back can be injured in any number of ways. Some of the most common types of injury that our personal injury solicitors in Dublin see, include:
- Workplace accidents due to manual handling
- Injury due to sharp movements or twists
- Slips, trips or accident falls
- Road traffic accidents
Back Injury compensation claims
More standard back injuries would include an over extension or sprain often suffered in a motor vehicle accident or high impact slips/trips/falls type of accidents.
Guidelines as set out in the Book of Quantum for compensation ranges from up to €14,800 for minor (substantially recovered) injuries, up to €92,000 for severe and permanent injuries. The level of compensation in each case is individually determined and will depend on the severity and level of permanence of an injury. It should be noted that these are guidelines only.
Vertebrae Fracture compensation claims
This category includes all types of personal injuries resulting in vertebral fractures, including fracture dislocations, wedge fractures, chance fractures, burst fractures and exion tear drop fractures.
Guidelines as set out in the Book of Quantum range from €32,500 for minor injuries up to €139,000 for severe and permanent conditions. As stated above, the level of compensation in each case is individually determined and will depend on the severity and level of permanence of an injury. It should be noted that these are guidelines only.
Spinal Cord injury compensation claims
Spinal Cord injuries can mainly present as Quadriplegia, a paralysis of all four limbs or Paraplegia being paralysis of both lower limbs and partial or total loss of urinary and bowel function, due to spinal cord disease or injury.
The Book of Quantum sets €450,000 is the upper range for compensation of spinal cord injuries. As previously stated, the level of compensation in each case is individually determined and will depend on the severity and level of permanence of an injury. It should be noted that these are guidelines only.
The people who qualify for this level of compensation are the most catastrophically injured members of society and suffer great pain and distress. They may never work or enjoy the benefits of a loving relationship and may remain dependent on the care of others for years or indeed for the whole of their lifetime.
