

Back injury has a wide range of causes, but the more common include lifting objects incorrectly, road traffic accidents and falls. Surprisingly, there needn't be any single traumatic event to cause long-term back injury.
There may not be a sudden onset of pain - it might develop over a day or so. Effects can range from slight stiffness to severe disability. Back trauma can also lead to chronic conditions such as arthritis or degeneration of discs. The most severe back injury cases can involve disfunction of other organs such as incontinence or impotence.
At one extreme, a minor back injury such as a mild strain with full recovery can see compensation of up to £4,000. At the other extreme, severe back injury affecting other bodily functions claims can win £50,000 - £80,000.
In the first instance, check that your lawyer’s firm includes lawyers who are accredited members of the two principle legal bodies in this field; the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIC) and the Law Society’s personal injury panel. You should also ask if they have lawyers who belong to associations for the specific injury your claim is about – for example the Spinal Injuries Association or the Headway Panel.
You should also ask your lawyer about their record in personal injury claims. Can they give you any case histories of successful claims similar to yours?
With the exception of medical negligence, legal aid is generally no longer available for personal injury claims. This means you will have to agree payment with the lawyer yourself. Fortunately, lawyers are able to act on a Conditional Fee (“No Win, No Fee”) basis. This means your lawyer bears the cost of the claim until you have been awarded compensation. Depending on the type of agreement you have, your lawyer will then either claim his fees from your opponent, or take a percentage of your compensation as a “success fee”.
Before agreeing to work on a conditional fee basis, a competent personal injury lawyer will assess the merits of the claim. If you and your lawyer decide to proceed you may have to take out an insurance policy to cover both your and your opponent’s lawyers’ fees in the event that you lose your claim.
Our solicitors cover the following towns in Essex:
Baker Street, Ballards Gore, Barnston, Basildon, Battlesbridge, Berden, Birch, Blackheath, Bobbingworth, Bocking, Boreham, Bowers Gifford, Brightlingsea, Broad Green, Broadley Common, Bulmer, Bumble's Green, Butcher's Pasture, Canvey Island, Chrishall, Church Langley, Clatterford End, Coggeshall Hamlet, Colchester, Colne Engaine, Cornish Hall End, Coryton, Courtsend, Dedham, Dengie, East Horndon, Epping Green, Epping Upland, Faulkbourne, Feering, Fiddlers Hamlet, Finchingfield, Fingringhoe, Fox Street, Fryerning, Great Baddow, Great Bardfield, Great Canney, Great Chesterford, Great Clacton, Great Easton, Great Horkesley, Great Oxney Green, Great Saling, Great Stambridge, Great Tey, Great Waltham, Greenstead Green, Hartford End, Harwich, Hatfield Peverel, Hempstead, Henham, Henny Street, High Ongar, Hockley, Hounslow Green, Howe Street, Langdon Hills, Langenhoe, Layer Marney, Liston, Little Bentley, Little Dunmow, Little Laver, Little Oakley, Little Walden, Littley Green, Magdalen Laver, Margaretting, Marks Tey, Mill End Green, North End, North Stifford, Norton Mandeville, Nounsley, Pattiswick, Pickerells, Pool Street, Purfleet, Puttock End, Ramsey, Ramsey Island, Rayleigh, Red Oaks Hill, Rose Green, Sewards End, Shalford, Shalford Green, Sheering, Shenfield, Shortgrove, Shotgate, Shrub End, South Benfleet, South Green, South Hanningfield, South Ockendon, St Osyth, Starling's Green, Stebbing Green, Stisted, Stoneyhills, Stow Maries, Strethall, Thorpe-le-Soken, Throws, Tolleshunt Major, Twinstead, Upshire, Walton-on-Naze, Weir, West Thurrock, Westcliff-on-Sea, Westley Heights, Wethersfield, White Colne, Wickford, Wickham St Paul, Wimbish Green, Woodham Ferrers, Woodham Walter