A Guide To Claiming For A Bulging Disc Injury At Work

By Emily Dunne. Last Updated 8th March 2024. Have you suffered pain in your neck or back and been diagnosed with a bulging disc? Did you know that if your job was the cause of your injury you could make a bulging disc claim?

This guide has been created to help those who are considering making a personal injury claim for compensation for a bulging disc suffered because of their employment.

In the guide that follows, we offer guidance on the criteria that need to be met for you to claim bulging disc workers’ compensation in the UK, as well as how much your case could achieve.

We also discuss how a personal injury solicitor from our panel could help you make such a  claim against your employer, and how Legal Helpline could help you move forward with a claim.

If you have any questions about this guide or would like to begin a claim right away, simply call our team on 0161 696 9685 today.

A man leaning over a desk holding his back in pain

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Can I Claim Compensation For A Bulging Disc?

While you are in the workplace performing your work-related duties, your employer must take reasonable actions to help prevent you from harm. This is their duty of care as outlined in the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Some steps your employer could implement to ensure they are maintaining their duty of care could include:

  • Providing all staff with appropriate training to complete their duties.
  • Performing regular risk assessments.
  • Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) that is suitable when required.
  • Performing regular maintenance checks.

To be able to claim for a workplace back injury, such as a bulging disc, you would need to prove:

  • A duty of care was owed to you by your employer.
  • They failed to adhere to their duty of care.
  • This caused you to suffer an injury.

Continue reading this guide for examples of potential bulging disc compensation payouts. You can also contact our advisors to check the eligibility of your case.

How Long Do I Have To Claim For An Injury At Work?

When making a personal injury claim, you need to ensure that you start your claim within the relevant time limits. The Limitation Act 1980 highlights how long you have to start an injury at work claim.

Generally, you will have three years to start a claim from the date you were injured. However, in certain instances, there may be exceptions to this time limit. This applies to those under the age of 18 and those lacking the mental capacity to handle their own claim.

Contact our advisors to see what these exceptions are or whether you still have enough time to start a claim for bulging disc compensation. They could also provide you with additional information regarding personal injury claims for accidents at work.

A man carrying a box and holding his back in pain due to a bulging disc

What Types Of Work Could Cause A Bulging Disc?

An accident at work could happen in any workplace. Falls from height in particular could cause a bulging disc injury. If you’ve suffered a fall from height or another type of accident at work that has led to such an injury, we could check your eligibility to make a claim for compensation. A valid claim would involve proving the accident would not have happened had your employer taken better care of your health and safety at work.

While accidents at work could cause bulging disc injuries, some people could attribute their bulging disc injury to the type of work they do on a normal day. If you haven’t been provided with manual handling training or tools and equipment necessary to do your job safely, and you suffer a bulging disc injury because of this, you may find you have solid grounds to pursue bulging disc workers compensation in the UK too.

What Is The Average Payout For A Bulging Disc?

If you’ve determined that you have a valid herniated disc personal injury claim and are wondering what the average payout for a herniated disc might be, this is not something we can provide. Every case is assessed according to the individual circumstances.

Both general damages and special damages could be included in your herniated disc personal injury claim. While the slipped disc pain and suffering are covered by the general damages aspect of your claim, any financial loss you incurred because of your injury is covered by special damages.

When calculating your payout for a herniated disc, the severity of your injury and its impact is taken into account. Compensation amounts from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) also serve as guides to legal professionals when valuing claims.

These amounts in the table below are from the recent edition of the JCG but only serve as a guide. These amounts may not match what you might receive as a payout for slipped disc pain.

InjurySeverityCompensation BracketNotes
Multiple Serious Injuries plus Special DamagesSeriousUp to £250,000+Compensation for multiple injuries that are serious and special damages such as medical costs, lost wages and care expenses.
Back injurySevere (i)£91,090 to £160,980Severe nerve root or spinal cord damage leading to a severe disability and pain.
Back injurySevere (ii)£74,160 to £88,430Nerve root damage that causes a loss of sensation with impaired bladder and mobility.
Back injurySevere (iii)£38,780 to £69,730Cases of disc fractures or lesions that lead to continuing severe pain, even despite receiving treatment.
Back injuryModerate (i)£27,760 to £38,780Injuries could include a prolapsed intervertebral disc that needs surgery or damage to this disc with nerve root irritation.
Back injuryModerate (ii)£12,510 to £27,760Injuries could include prolapsed discs that need a laminectomy ir result in repeated prolapses.
Back injuryMinor (i)£7,890 to £12,510Injuries such as a disc prolapse that fully recovers within 2 to 5 years without needing surgery.
Neck injurySevere (ii)£65,740 to £130,930Serious damage or fractures to the discs in the cervical spine.

Our advisors can connect you with specialist solicitors with years of experience in personal injury claims. If you provide more specific details of your slipped disc pain and injury, this information could help them provide better guidance on the worth of your claim.

What Else Can Bulging Disc Compensation Payouts Include?

Knowing the average compensation for a herniated disc may not be useful to you as there are many different factors that can affect your claim. For example, not all bulging disc compensation will include special damages. Special damages seek to recover costs incurred due to your back injury. You might be expected to prove your costs, such as with payslips or receipts.

Special damages that could be included as part of your special damages herniated disc at work compensation may include:

  • Medical expenses
  • Care costs
  • Travel costs
  • Loss of earnings

Call our advisors for further information about what could be included in your bulging disc compensation claim.

What Steps Should I Take If I Had A Bulging Disc Injury At Work?

Whether or not you intend to claim herniated disc workers compensation in the UK or not, there are certain steps it could be wise for you to take if you believe you’ve suffered such an injury:

  1. Seek medical attention – seeing a doctor whether you intend to make a claim or not could give you the best chance of making an optimal recovery
  2. Take photos of the scene of your injury (if you’ve had a workplace accident, photographs of the scene could be useful in proving your claim).
  3. Take witness details. If anyone has witnessed an accident in which you were injured, it might be a good idea to take down their details so they could provide a statement if it is required.
  4. Seek legal advice. Even if you are not considering claiming bulging disc workers compensation initially, you could get advice on your eligibility. If you’d like free advice based on your own unique case, we’d be happy to provide you with this over the phone.

About No Win No Fee Agreements

Claiming compensation from an employer could be rather daunting, but a personal injury lawyer could make the process less stressful by taking on the legwork of proving your claim and negotiating a compensation settlement for you.

You could instruct a solicitor that doesn’t ask for any legal fees upfront or until your claim was completed. This is what is known as a No Win No Fee claim.

You’d first need to sign a No Win No Fee agreement. This is a contract between you and the lawyer which sets out how much you’d pay them if they achieved a compensation payout for you.

The success fee is capped and represents a small proportion of your payout. It is only payable if compensation is achieved. If your lawyer doesn’t get you compensation, you don’t have to pay them for the costs they’ve incurred while they were fighting your claim, nor would you pay them the success fee.

If you’d like to learn more about making a No Win No Fee claim, or you’d like to be connected with a personal injury solicitor from our panel who could take your case on under these terms, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Start Your Claim For Bulging Disc Compensation

One of the solicitors on our panel could help you make a claim after suffering a herniated disc at work. The compensation claims process could be easiest to navigate with legal help.

Before discussing the average compensation for a herniated disc, an advisor will assess the eligibility of your potential accident at work claim. Our consultations are completely free of charge, and you won’t be obligated to continue using our services afterwards.

After verifying your back injury claim, you may be connected with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel. For a consultation, all you need to do is:

Learn More About Accident At Work Claims

Below, you can find some more guides that you may find useful on accident at work claims.

Thank you for reading our guide to bulging disc workers’ compensation settlements in the UK.