How To Claim Compensation For A Back Injury After A Car Accident

Last Updated 31st October 2025. Back injuries caused by road traffic accidents vary in severity, from a quick recovery to lifelong disabilities. The resulting pain and discomfort can prevent you from living your life as you normally would. You may need to take time off work and limit your movement during the recovery process. However, you could claim compensation for a back accident after a car accident if another road user was responsible for the incident. 

You are welcome to speak with a UK Law advisor today if you have any questions. They will give you straightforward advice and assess whether you can proceed with a personal injury solicitor from our panel. There is no requirement to proceed after enquiring, so don’t worry about making a decision at this stage.

Commonly Asked Questions

• How common are road traffic accidents? There were 128,272 casualties on the road between 2023 and 2024.  
• Can I claim if I was a passenger? Yes, you can claim against the driver of the vehicle you were in or the driver of another vehicle, depending on who was responsible. 
• What are common examples of back injuries? Pulled muscles, slipped discs and fractured vertebrae. 
• Can I add the cost of physiotherapy to my claim? Yes, rehabilitation costs are covered by special damages. 
• Can I claim if I was partially responsible for the accident? Yes, you can make a split liability claim whereby the compensation owed is affected by the proportion of your responsibility.

Services And Information

1. Claiming Compensation For A Back Injury After A Car Accident – Who Can Claim?
2. Types Of Back Injuries Caused By Car Accidents
3. How Is Compensation For A Back Injury After A Car Accident Calculated?
4. What Evidence Could Support My Claim?
5. Time Limits To Claim For A Back Injury After A Car Accident
6. Claiming Compensation For A Back Injury After A Car Accident On A No Win No Fee Basis
7. Useful Pages

Claiming Compensation For A Back Injury After A Car Accident – Who Can Claim?

If you have experienced an injury, such as back pain from a car accident, you could be questioning whether you could receive compensation.

All back injury claims must meet the personal injury eligibility criteria, which is:

1. You were in a situation where a party owed a duty of care to you.
2. They breached this duty.
3. You suffered an injury as a result of this breach.

Road users, including car drivers, owe each other a duty of care to avoid causing one another harm by using the roads responsibly. They are also required to adhere to the regulations found within the Highway Code and Road Traffic Act 1988 the as part of their duty of care. If another driver were to breach their duty of care, and this caused you to suffer a back injury in a car accident, you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim.

For more advice on your eligibility to claim compensation for a back injury, you can contact our advisors for free today. You can also speak to them about other aspects of claiming, such as potential back injury compensation amounts.

Types Of Back Injuries Caused By Car Accidents

Road users who get caught up in a car accident could potentially suffer all sorts of injuries, including different kinds of damage to their back.

Examples of back injuries that may occur due to a car accident include:

• Soft tissue damage, such as damage to the ligaments or tendons.
• Discs in the spine may be fractured or herniated.
• Nerves in the back may be damaged. Symptoms may include pain, increased sensitivity to the area, muscle weakness or numbness.
• A whiplash injury, which is a neck injury caused by a rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, could damage muscles or parts of the spine which leads to tenderness or pain in the upper back.
• A very severe car crash could potentially cause spinal cord injuries that lead to incomplete or complete paralysis.
• More minor back injuries that a car accident may cause could include strains, sprains and bruises.

If you’ve suffered a back injury after a car accident and another party caused the incident by breaching your duty of care, then you can contact our advisors about potentially claiming compensation. Contact us for free either online or on the phone.

How Is Compensation For A Back Injury After A Car Accident Calculated?

If you successfully claim for an injury such as lower back pain after a car accident, your settlement could include up to 2 heads. The first head, general damages, is awarded to everyone who successfully claims for back pain from a car accident. This heading covers your psychological and physical injuries and the loss of amenity that these injuries cause.

Solicitors and legal professionals who value this head of claim have the option to read the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document provides guideline compensation amounts for different injuries. Below, you can find a table with some of the amounts found in the JCG. Please only refer to it as a guide. Also note that the 1st entry in this table is not based on the JCG.

Additionally, the final 2 entries come from the tariff established by the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021, which are fixed amounts.

Type of injury	Severity	Guideline Award
Multiple Serious Injuries Plus Special Damages	Serious	Up to £500,000+
Back	Severe (a)(i)	£111,150 to £196,450
	Severe (a)(ii)	£90,510 to £107,910
	Severe (a)(iii)	£47,320 to £85,100
	Moderate (b)(i)	£33,880 to £47,320
	Moderate (b)(ii)	£15,260 to £33,880
	Minor (c)(i)	£9,630 to £15,260
Whiplash	With a psychological injury	£4,345
Whiplash	Alone	£4,215

If you suffered an injury such as lower back pain after a car accident, your compensation could also include special damages. This head of claim covers the financial impacts of your injuries, and could help cover the expense of:

• Prescriptions.
• Over-the-counter medications.
• Lost earnings.
• Childcare.
• Travel.
• Domestic help.

For more information on claiming compensation for a back injury, contact our team of advisors today.

What Evidence Could Support My Claim?

To receive compensation for a back injury after a car accident, you must establish third party liability. This is one of the most important stages of the claims process as it determines the success of your claim. 

To establish third party liability, you must be able to prove that a road user breached the duty of care owed to you by using the roads in a negligent manner, resulting in your back injury. 

To do so, you must obtain as much evidence as you can that illustrates how the third party was responsible for your injuries. Some examples of evidence that may support your claim include:

• Medical reports that state your injuries and diagnosis 
• Copies of medical scans and prescriptions 
• Dashcam or CCTV footage of your accident 
• A copy of the police report, if they were called to the scene 
• Copies of third party insurance details, if they were obtained 
• Witness contact details 

We thoroughly understand that you may be in a lot of pain and distress with your back injury following your car accident. We also recognise that this may limit your ability to obtain evidence to support your claim. However, we have a very helpful team of advisors who are here to support you. We also have an experienced panel of solicitors who can work with you to obtain evidence and build your claim.

Get in touch with our advisors today if you have any questions about proving third party liability or need help obtaining evidence. This will also give you the opportunity to ask any questions regarding your lower back pain car accident settlement.

Time Limits To Claim For A Back Injury After A Car Accident

The Limitation Act 1980 states that the time limit to claim compensation for a back injury after a car accident is 3 years. These 3 years commence from the date of the accident.

However, there are some exceptions to this time limit. The time limit is paused for claimants who:

• Lack their full mental capacity.
• Are younger than 18.

While the time limit is paused, a litigation friend could be appointed to start a back injury car accident compensation claim on the claimant’s behalf. But, if a litigation friend has not started a claim by the time the claimant either:

• Regains their full mental capacity.
• Turns 18.

Then the 3-year time limit will commence from this point (either from the date of their 18th birthday or mental recovery).

To ensure you can file a claim to receive a lower back pain car accident settlement on time, please contact us today.

Claiming Compensation For A Back Injury After A Car Accident On A No Win No Fee Basis

You may want to seek legal representation to help you in your claim, but be worried about the upfront or ongoing legal fees that are often associated with doing so. If so, a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) could help.

This is a No Win No Fee contract between you and your solicitor that states what conditions need to be met before your solicitor requests payment. It essentially means you won’t pay solicitor fees provided your solicitor is unsuccessful with your claim.

If they are successful, a small fee will be deducted from your compensation package. However, this will be capped by law, and the value of the success fee will be set out before your claim starts.

If you’re considering this type of agreement, you can speak to one of our advisors for further details. They can assess your claim and, if they feel it has validity, can appoint a road traffic accident solicitor from our panel to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.

Our advisors are available 24/7, so even if you just have questions you need answering, you can get in touch using the following details:

• Call us on 020 3870 4868
• Request a call-back by filling out our form
• Speak to an advisor 24/7 via live chat below

Useful Pages

• For any medical advice, see the NHS website for guidance on various conditions, including a back injury.
• The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has some useful information on road safety.
• Think! provides further guidance to road users on how to stay safe on the roads.
• If you were involved in a motorcycle accident without insurance, see what steps you could take in our guide.
• Are you a pedestrian who was hit by a car? If so, our guide could help.
• Did you suffer whiplash in a road traffic accident? If so, see our guide for further information on the compensation you could claim.

Thank you for taking the time to read our guide about claiming compensation for a back injury after a car accident

Also Read: How Long Does A Car Accident Injury Claim Take?.

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