Spinal Injury Claims

A spinal injury might involve the bones of the spine or damage to the spinal cord, which disrupts signals between the brain and the rest of the body. The most serious injuries occur when the spinal cord is damaged. Within a medical setting, injuries can occur through tearing, severing, stretching, increased pressure, or loss of blood flow. The result is partial or complete paralysis in some cases.

Medical negligence happens when the care you receive falls below the professional standard of a competent medical practitioner. Many actions and inactions may fall within this definition. The main ways in which medical negligence can lead to a spinal injury include:

• Failing the diagnose an injury
• Failing to perform the proper scans and tests, for example, an MRI to investigate a suspected disc prolapse
• Ambulance crew ‘manhandling’, where suspected spine injuries are not properly immobilised 
• Surgical and treatment errors
• Failing to inform the patient of all the risks associated with treatment

These events are not mutually exclusive and spinal injuries can often be caused or worsened by a series of medical events. Proving what caused the injury is often the most complex part of a medical negligence spinal injuries claim. It requires experience, skill and knowledge from a specialised team that has your best interests at heart

The time limit for bringing a medical negligence claim is three years. The time limit begins on: 

• The date you were injured; or
• The date when you realised that your injury potentially was caused by medical negligence.

There are some important exceptions to the three-year rule. Where a child has been injured, the three-year limit does not start until the child’s 18th birthday. In other words, you have until the child is 21 years old to make a claim. 

There are also special rules for people who have a mental disability. In this instance, the three-year period does not start until the disability ends. In most cases, this means there is no time limit at all.

The amount of compensation you could receive will depend on the seriousness of your spinal injury and the impact it has on your life. No two awards are exactly the same.

We work hard to negotiate the maximum compensation and have a reputation for securing multi-million-pound compensation awards for our most seriously injured clients. You can put the compensation you receive towards the costs of:

• Lost earnings
• Ongoing treatment and therapy costs
• Assistance with everyday tasks
• Specialist equipment
• Changes to your home
• Travel expenses to therapy sessions
• Financial support for your family

With a serious spinal injury, you may have lost earnings or you may have to pay for rehabilitation, home adaptations or specialist equipment.  This can place an unreasonable burden on your family, beyond the challenges caused by the injury itself. 

For serious spinal injury cases, we can usually arrange for interim payments to be made in advance of the final decision. This can help you get the right help going forward, including the rehabilitation you need.

Interim payments are only available when the NHS or private medical provider has admitted they are to blame for your spinal injury. We can help prove liability and secure interim payments early in the case. Please contact us to establish your legal position today.