How Is Compensation Calculated For Back Injury At Work Claims?

Last Updated 5th November 2025. Sustaining a back injury can be a very debilitating injury, as the spine is responsible for daily movement. Consequently, if we suffer a back injury, it can have a significant impact on our lives, including emotional fallout from not being able to engage fully with life. The emotional fallout can be even more intense if you hurt your back, but it wasn’t your fault. As a result, if you have sustained a back injury in the workplace and you believe your employer is responsible, we actively encourage you to look into back injury at work claims. Don’t worry, we can show you how to claim.

Here at Legal Expert, our dedicated team of advisors are available 24/7 to assist you with any accident at work queries you may have. Moreover, they can also assess your eligibility over the phone and discuss estimated compensation amounts with you if this is something you are interested in. Notably, if you decide to work with our solicitors, they will offer their legal services on No Win No Fee terms so that you can claim without paying any upfront solicitors’ fees. Our solicitors are acutely aware of how distressing a back injury can be and how much it can negatively impact your life. If you’re seeking compassionate and experienced legal representation, please contact us today.

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What You Need To Know

What type of workplace accidents can cause a back injury? These types of accidents can range from manual lifting accidents to slips, trips and falls.
What type of back injuries can you suffer? Back injuries can include herniated discs, sprains and strains as well as paralysis.
How is back injury compensation calculated? Compensation is calculated based on the severity of the back injury and the extent of any resulting financial losses.
What is the legal time limit? The legal time limit is 3 years from the date you suffered the back injury to start a claim.
Do I need evidence to make a back injury at work claim? Yes, evidence is a vital part of the claims process as it validates your version of events.

What Is The Average Payout For A Back Injury At Work In The UK?

When making a personal injury claim after suffering an accident at work, you may be interested to know how much compensation for a back injury at work you could claim. Often, people search for the average payout for a back injury at work. However, as every claim is unique, knowing the average amount would not aid you in your calculations.

If your personal injury claim is successful, you will be awarded general damages for the pain and suffering inflicted by your injuries. You could also be awarded special damages. These are intended to put you into the position you would’ve been in financially had the incident not occurred. These can include things like loss of earnings and travel expenses.

To work out the general damages head of claim, those responsible for placing a value on your suffering may look to your medical records, the report from an independent medical assessment and the guidelines by the Judicial College (JCG). These guidelines contain suggestive amount brackets for different types of injuries and their severities.

In the table below, you will find illustrations from the JCG. However, please note that these are only guidelines, and no amount can ever be guaranteed. Also, the top entry is not from the JCG.

Injury	Severity	Guideline Amount
Multiple Very Serious Injuries + Financial Losses	Very Serious with costs such as lost wages, mobility aids and home support	Up to £500,000+
Back Injuries	Severe (a)(i) - Spinal Cord Damage	£111,150 to £196,450
	Severe (a)(ii) - Nerve Root Damage	£90,510 to £107,910
	Severe (a)(iii) - Disc Lesions or Fractures	£47,320 to £85,100
	Moderate (b)(i) - Residual Disability	£33,880 to £47,320
	Moderate (b)(ii) - Disturbance of Ligaments	£15,260 to £33,880
	Minor (c)(i) - Full Recovery within 2-5 Years	£9,630 to £15,260
	Minor (c)(ii) - Full Recovery with 1-2 Years	£5,310 to £9,630
	Minor (c)(iii) - Full Recovery within 3 Months to a Year	£2,990 to £5,310
	Minor (c)(iv) - Full Recovery Made within 3 Months	Up to £2,990

What Are Special Damages?

Another thing to consider when asking about the average payout for a back injury at work in the UK is the financial impact of the injury. In many back injury at work claims, the claimant experiences significant out-of-pocket expenses because of their injuries. A payment under the special damages head of claim can account for these outgoings. Examples of compensation for a back injury at work under the special damages head of claim include:

Recouping lost earnings if your injuries mean you cannot work or take on jobs.
Being paid back for medication or treatment you had to spend your own money on.
Getting recompensated for the cost of necessary home adjustments or support equipment.

If you’d like to discuss how much compensation for a back injury at work you could claim, call our free helpline today.

Who Can Make Back Injury At Work Claims?

Employers owe their employees a duty of care to ensure reasonable safety by taking practicable steps. This is outlined in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Some of these steps could include:

Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) in hazardous environments.
Train the employees on handling equipment and on safety processes.
Conduct risk assessments in the workplace.

Irrespective of whether the employee is full-time, part-time or contractual, they have a right to make an accident at work claim against their employer.

The conditions for eligible back injury at work claims are:

Your employer owed you a duty of care.
They breached this duty.
You suffered an injury as a consequence of this breach.

Feel free to contact our advisors for a free consultation and to discuss the average payout for a back injury at work.

How Long Do I Have To Claim Compensation For A Back Injury At Work?

Generally speaking, a back injury at work claim will need to be made within 3 years of the accident occurring as per the Limitation Act 1980. However, there can be exceptions to this rule in certain circumstances, including:

Children: minors cannot claim for themselves, so if the injured person is under 18, the time limit will be counted from their 18th birthday.
Those lacking mental capacity: an injured person who does not have sufficient mental capacity, either due to the accident or from a prior condition, also cannot claim for themselves and will have the 3 year limit frozen altogether. The time limit can be resumed in cases where that capacity is recovered.

In these situations where the time limit is frozen, a litigation friend can be appointed by the court to act on behalf of the injured person and begin the claim sooner.

To find out about the time limits or to check if you’re eligible to claim a back injury at work payout, talk to our advisors using the contact information provided below.

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Could Back Injury At Work Claims Be Made With A Pre-Existing Condition?

In some cases, you might have suffered an injury at work that caused the exacerbation or acceleration of a pre-existing back condition. You could still claim if you can prove your employer failed to uphold their duty of care and you suffered harm as a result.

For example, your employer may have been aware of you having a pre-existing back condition but failed to consider the risk posed before instructing you to carry out manual handling tasks. As a result, you may have had to lift items that were too heavy based on your individual circumstances leading to the exacerbation of your back condition.

Call our team for further guidance on back injury at work claims, including when you could be eligible to seek compensation and how long you have to claim.

What Can Cause A Back Injury At Work?

There are various ways you could suffer a back injury. However, as we have already mentioned, your injuries must be caused by a breach in your employer’s duty of care in order to claim for a back injury at work. Some examples of how this could occur may include:

Inadequate training: If you have to pick up objects as part of your work duties, you should be given appropriate manual handling training. If your employer fails to provide this training, you could suffer an injured back at work.
Lack of risk assessments: Employers are expected to undertake risk assessments to help identify and mitigate risks and hazards in the workplace. For example, they may do a risk assessment before you are asked to lift a heavy load. If they fail to do this, you could suffer a back injury as a result.
A slip and fall accident: Spillages should be cleared up within an adequate timeframe, or they should be appropriately signposted. If they aren’t, this could result in a slip and fall that injures your back.

Contact an advisor to discuss if you are eligible to seek compensation for a back injury at work.

What Evidence Should I Collect After a Back Injury At Work

The evidence you collect after a back injury at work should include things such as medical documents and CCTV footage, so you can not only prove what injuries were sustained but also that your employer was liable for the accident.

Below, we have summarised the evidence that can be used when seeking compensation for a back injury at work, as well as some key steps to take immediately following an accident:

Any injury to the back is potentially serious, so it is always recommended that you seek professional medical help. As we said above, your medical records can also be used as part of your evidence.
Report the incident to your supervisor or manager. Having a formal written record is crucial not only for proving what injuries occurred but also for informing future safety protocols. You can make the report in the workplace accident book yourself, or if you’re unable, someone else can do this for you. The designated responsible person should review all reports to ensure that all information is accurate.
Documents regarding training sessions or maintenance work can also be used to show if these tasks were not completed correctly or neglected entirely.
If available, request a copy of any CCTV footage of the accident.
Photograph your injuries, the scene of the accident and what caused it. Someone else can take the photographs for you if you are unable to do so yourself.
Your colleagues, members of the public or anyone else who saw what happened could provide a witness statement. Ensure that you pass on the correct contact details, with the person’s permission, to the solicitor so that a statement can be taken during the claim.

At Legal Expert, we can provide free legal advice on back injury at work claims to anyone who gets in touch with us. We can also assess your potential claim for free to find out if you could be eligible to seek compensation. Talk to our advisors today using the details provided below.

Claim For Back Injuries From Work With A No Win No Fee Solicitor

If you are ready to start your back injury at work claim, one of the No Win No Fee solicitors on our team might be able to help.

But why claim with a solicitor? Well, when a legal professional helps with your claim, they can give you advice and guidance on:

Proving your claim and what evidence to present.
Communicating with the other party.
Negotiating a back injury at work payout.
Certain steps in the claims process, like the Pre Action Protocol.

Plus, our solicitors can help you claim for a back injury at work on a No Win No Fee basis by working under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under this kind of arrangement, you usually:

Don’t have to pay upfront for your solicitor’s work.
Don’t need to pay ongoing costs for their services.
Don’t need to pay for their work if the claim fails.

If your claim succeeds, then your solicitor will take a success fee. This is a small portion of your compensation that is legally-capped.

Contact Us

Our advisors are here to help, and can answer any questions you might have about claiming for a back injury. To start your free consultation and find out if you could work with one of our expert solicitors, get in touch by:

Calling 0800 073 8804
You can also contact us online.
Or you can use our 24/7 online live chat

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More Helpful Resources On Accident At Work Claims

More of our guides:

Below, you can find some more useful resources on making a claim.

Thank you for reading our guide on back injury at work claims and how compensation is calculated. If you have any other questions, please contact an advisor on the number above.