

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.
You should consult a solicitor who specialises in personal injury litigation straight away. You can fill in the form on this site to send us details of your claim. It really is that simple.
Your solicitor will first discuss your claim with you in some detail. He will then make a preliminary assessment of the chances of litigation succeeding. If you both decide to proceed, he will then conduct a more detailed investigation. He may take statements from you and others who are involved, obtain medical records and assessments, and seek expert medical opinions on the case. He will also collect evidence to show how the alleged negligence contributed to your injury.
Your solicitor will then assess the claim again and advise you on the strength of your case and how best to proceed. Depending on the cause of the injury, there may be several avenues for litigation. Most commonly, those responsible for the accident will be sued in civil court. The case will be heard by a judge who will decide liability and, if you win, make an award of compensation.
If your litigation is to succeed, you must be able to prove “on the balance of probabilities” that your injury is due to negligence by another party. Note that this is a lesser degree of proof than a criminal case, and does not necessarily mean that you have to be entirely fault-free; you need only demonstrate that the other party is more than 50% responsible for your injury. If you can do this, a personal injury solicitor may well advise you proceed with litigation.
Amounts are determined on a case by case basis. In England and Wales, Judges have issued broad guideline figures for different types and degree of injury, laid down in the Judicial Studies Board Guidelines. This has been built up over the history of personal injury litigation. Information is given on this site under individual types of injury.
Our solicitors cover the following towns in Essex:
Abberton, Abridge, Asheldham, Bacon End, Baker Street, Ballards Gore, Bamber's Green, Baythorn End, Beacon End, Beazley End, Birch Green, Black Notley, Blackheath, Bobbingworth, Bocking, Borley, Bradfield, Bradwell, Brightlingsea, Brook Street, Broomfield, Bulmer Tye, Canvey Island, Chigwell, Childerditch, Chipping Ongar, Church End, Church Langley, Churchend, Churchgate Street, Clacton-on-Sea, Clavering, Copford Green, Coryton, Coxtie Green, Crays Hill, Cressing, Danbury, Debden, Debden Green, Duck End, Duddenhoe End, East Mersea, East Tilbury, Elmstead Market, Epping, Faulkbourne, Felsted, Fiddlers Hamlet, Fuller Street, Grange Hill, Great Baddow, Great Braxted, Great Bromley, Great Leighs, Great Parndon, Great Wakering, Hadleigh, Hartford End, Hastingwood, High Beach, High Easter, Horkesley Heath, Horndon on the Hill, Horsley Cross, Hounslow Green, Howe Street, Howlett End, Hutton, Ingrave, Keeres Green, Kirby le Soken, Langley, Layer Breton, Layer de la Haye, Leaden Roding, Leigh-on-Sea, Liston, Little Baddow, Little Bentley, Little Bromley, Little Hallingbury, Little Tey, Little Thurrock, Little Wakering, Little Yeldham, Loughton, Magdalen Laver, Mill Green, Monsale, Moulsham, Mountnessing, North Weald Bassett, Orsett, Paglesham Churchend, Paglesham Eastend, Parkeston, Passingford Bridge, Pebmarsh, Pickerells, Pilgrims Hatch, Pool Street, Prittlewell, Purfleet, Quendon, Radwinter, Ramsey Island, Rawreth, Rayne, Rettendon Place, Ridgewell, Rivenhall End, Rochford, Rowhedge, Runwell, Salcott, Sewards End, Shalford Green, Shelley, Shenfield, Shortgrove, Shotgate, Shrub End, Silver End, South Green, St Lawrence, Stanford Le Hope, Stanford-le-Hope, Stebbing, Stondon Massey, Strethall, Thundersley, Tillingham, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Tolleshunt Major, Tye Green, Ugley, Ulting, Upper Green, Wakes Colne, West Thurrock, West Tilbury, Westley Heights, White Colne, Wickham St Paul, Widford, Wimbish, Wix, Wrabness, Writtle