The spinal column has two functions:
- Giving the body form and function
- Protecting the spinal cord
For free legal advice call our Serious Injury Solicitors and we will help you. Ask if we can deal with your claim on a No Win, No Fee basis
If you suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s fault or negligence, our Serious Injury Solicitors can help you claim for compensation, medical treatment and rehabilitation.
We understand a spinal injury can be a life-changing event, so it’s vital you get the care and support you need as soon as possible. But we know that this can be expensive, which is why we offer a free claims assessment and free legal advice if you’ve suffered a spinal injury through no fault of your own.
If we take on your case, we’ll push for a compensation settlement that covers all your care and financial needs, including the cost of home adaptations and mobility aids if necessary. We could deal with your claim on a No Win, No Fee basis - ask us for details.
Get in touch with our Serious Injury Solicitors for a free claims assessment, so we can discuss your situation and how we can help you.
The spine is made up of 24 small bones called vertebrae. Ligaments and muscles join each of the 24 bones to make what is called the spinal column.
A spinal cord injury usually means that a vertebrae has been fractured or dislocated and is pushing down on the nerves within the spinal cord. This then blocks information from the spinal cord to the brain and vice versa.
Messages from the brain and spinal cord will be blocked from the point of damage downwards; if vertebrae have been damaged at the very top of your spine, paralysis can be felt from that point in the spine downwards.
Incomplete spinal cord injury - In this instance, the cord has only partially been severed, which means the survivor will retain some function below the injury.
Complete spinal cord injury - This is where the spinal cord has been completely severed and so the survivor will have no function below the injury.
There are four types of spinal cord injury: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral.
Spinal injuries are occasionally caused by a physical trauma to your body, resulting in back or neck injury that can be life-changing.
Some of the most common causes of spinal injury are:
This depends on how severe the injury is and how well it is. SCI is a spinal cord injury that causes temporary or permanent alterations in the spinal cord's normal motor, sensory, or autonomic function. Spinal lead injuries can result in persistent and serious neurologic impairments as well as disability.
Cervical spinal cord injuries affect the area of the head and neck above the shoulders. This is the most serious type of spinal cord damage.
Impact with persistent compression is the most frequent kind of primary injury, which often happens as a result of burst fractures with bone fragments compressing the spinal cord or fracture-dislocation.
Cervical spinal stenosis, lumbar spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, facet arthritis, spinal arachnoiditis, herniated discs, and vertebral fractures are all common debilitating spine illnesses.
If you have had a spinal cord injury, we understand that this could be an extremely difficult time. Our personal injury solicitors can help you receive compensation for a number of factors:
In England and Wales, you have three years to make a spinal cord injury claim, starting from the date you suffered the accident.
If you’re claiming compensation on behalf of a child, a claim must be made before they turn 18. Our spinal cord injury solicitors can help you on your journey to making a claim.
We may be able to act for you on a No Win, No Fee basis, which means you don’t face any financial risk if you decide to make a claim. If we don’t secure compensation for you then you won’t have to pay us a thing.
How much compensation you will receive for a spinal cord injusry will depending on specific damages which are set by the JSB guidelines. There are two types of damages for different injury types.
General damages take into account how serious your injury is, the pain and suffering you’ve experienced and how your injury is affecting your life. Our lawyers use the Judicial College Guidelines as a guide to value your general damages. An example of general damages for spinal injuries is below:
General Damages for Injuries Involving Paralysis
Quadriplegia £212,500-£265,000
Paraplegia £144,000-£186,500
The other type is special damages which are generally a lot higher than the general damages.
Special damages are unique to you and your circumstances. We will advise on what we think the right figure is for you, taking into account:
Any financial costs you’ve already incurred as a result of your injury;
Anything you may need to pay for in the future e.g. loss of earnings, treatment and rehabilitation and home adaptations.
If you’re making a spinal injury claim, we can help you access:
A case manager can be brought in to coordinate all this care on your behalf and arrange the purchase of specialist equipment, which means you’ll get the care you need with the minimum hassle.
If your need is urgent and the other side has accepted responsibility for your spinal cord injury, we’ll try to secure interim payments at the earliest opportunity, so you get the rehabilitation that’s been recommended for you before your case fully settles.
Although there’s no known cure for a spinal cord injury, rehabilitation can make a huge difference to a person’s future quality of life, so it’s very important to us that you get the support you need, when you need it.
We offer a free claims assessment and legal advice, so one of our Serious Injury Solicitors can discuss your spinal injury, how it happened, how it’s affected your life, and if we can help you claim compensation
If we take on your case, a Solicitor will be assigned to your case and begin investigating what happened
We’ll gather evidence such as photographs, witness statements, and CCTV footage, and arrange for you to see at least one independent medical expert, so a medical report detailing your condition can be prepared
From this evidence, we will work out how much compensation you need, and what medical treatment and rehabilitation needs you have
If you have financial pressures and need medical treatment straight away, we can ask for an early interim payment of compensation at this stage, as long as the other side has accepted partial or full liability
We will support you through every stage of making a claim.
Our Major Trauma Unit is here for anyone who has suffered serious, life changing injuries.
A specialist, experienced lawyer will help and support you every step of the way from the beginning of your claim, right through to the end.
Because we have a wide range of expertise in the firm, we can help you to deal with any legal issues that arise because of your injury such as making sure you have a personal injury trust in place, any employment law issues or making or reviewing a Will.
At Simpson Millar we want to help you. We are proud of our track record and the comments from our clients which is at the end of the day why we do the work we do.
Our team are well versed in helping people who have a spinal injury from an accident- we know what we are doing and can support you all the way
We’ll always talk to you in clear, straightforward language, and we won’t use complex legal jargon
Our team has been recognised with awards from the work we have done with our personal injury clients.
You’ll have a specific Solicitor to contact who will keep you updated regularly, leaving you to focus on your recovery.
We have a great track record helping clients with spinal injuries getting them the support, compensation and guidance they need.
Our client Cpl. Tom Green had a serious accident which resulted in a spinal injury whilst taking part in a charity bike ride. He talks about his experiences as well as the team from Simpson Millar and how we were able to help.
Simpson Millar5 starsQuick efficient and gets the job done
Excellent responses and service, very detailed and open for advice, got paid out from a injury at work due to negligence, if your thinking about any sort of legal advice don’t think just go ahead. Hig...
Spare User
Simpson Millar5 starsAkbar did a very good job on my…
Akbar did a very good job on my behalf.He answered to all my concerns in a timely response.I always felt at ease in my dealings with him and was updated every step of the way.well done Akbar.
Wayne Appleton
Simpson Millar5 starsHaving dealt with Simpson Millar over…
Having dealt with Simpson Millar over the last 4.5 years with my case, I can assure everyone that they were always friendly and professional. The solicitor dealing with my case, Shazia Ahmed, was kno...
Lis Osborn
Simpson Millar5 starsThe best solicitors I can recommend
The best solicitors I can recommend. They sorted out my claims with my employer in a swift and easy manner. Initially when someone introduced me to them, I didn't want to start because I had never hea...
Emmanuel Kofi Gabnaa
Simpson Millar5 starsGreat service and help from Shazia…
Great service and help from Shazia Ahmed who assisted me for a claim for damages which was successful! Would highly recommend to friends, family and anyone else who seeks help and advice!
Kris Jones
Simpson Millar5 starsShazia Ahmed was a great representative…
Shazia Ahmed was a great representative and dealt with my case with no issues. She kept me informed on what was happening, even when we were just waiting. I was never left guessing what was going on....
Bex Ward
Simpson Millar5 starsShaza Ahmed she is very helpful and…
Simpson Millar has provided an amazing service and shazia Ahmed always happy to answer my very basic question and very quick to respond to email and call and she made the process so smooth and easy an...
Sudi Olad
The insurance company of the person responsible for your spinal injury will be asked to provide the funds to bring in a case manager.
Helping you claim compensation for a spinal cord injury isn’t our only priority. We also want to help you rebuild your life and to live as independently as possible after being injured.
Many people who suffer a serious injury may not be in a position to claim compensation themselves. In these cases, the law allows for someone else to act on the injured person’s behalf as what’s called a “Litigation Friend”.
Fill in the form below to get in touch with one of our dedicated team members, or call our team today on: 0808 239 3227