How To Claim Compensation For A Bulging Disc

By Emily Dunne. Last Updated 20th April 2023. 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.

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Can I Claim Compensation For A Bulging Disc?

Before we look at how much a bulging disc worker’s compensation settlement in the UK could be, let us take a look at the criteria for making a claim.

Firstly, you’d need to prove that your employer had failed in their responsibilities to protect your health and safety at work. In other words, they breached their duty of care, which led to you suffering harm. They might have done so by:

  • Not providing manual handling training
  • Not risk assessing a job
  • Not providing tools for you to do the job safely
  • Expecting you to lift heavy loads alone
  • Not removing hazards from the workplace where it would be reasonable for them to do so
  • Not signposting workplace hazards that could not be removed

You would need to prove that your back injury was caused by your job, or by an accident at work that was not your fault. This would involve getting an independent assessment of your injuries, carried out as part of your claim.

If an independent medical assessment verifies your injuries and the report concluded that your injuries were likely caused by your employment or a workplace accident, this could go a long way to proving 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, such as:

  • If someone was under the age of eighteen when they were injured, the time limit is paused until their 18th birthday. During this time, a court-appointed litigation friend could make a claim on their behalf. From their 18th birthday, they will have 3 years to start a claim if one has not already been made.
  • If a person lacks the mental capacity to start a claim for themself, the time limit is suspended. Again, during this time, a litigation friend could make a claim on their behalf. However, if the person were to regain the mental capacity to make a claim for themself, they will have 3 years to start their claim if one has not already been made.

Contact our advisors to see 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.

What Is A Bulging Disc Injury?

Before we look at back injury compensation examples in the UK, we should explain what a bulging disc injury is and how it can happen.

According to the NHS, a bulging or slipped disc happens when the soft tissue cushion between the bones in your spine pushes out from between the vertebrae.

If it presses on the nerves in your spine it can cause pain, tingling, numbness and weakness.

Is A Bulging Disc A Permanent Injury?

While most bulging disc injuries resolve themselves over time, and painkillers are the only treatment some people require, other cases may lead to chronic pain.

In severe cases, surgery may be required where other treatments have failed. However, in some cases, such an injury could lead to degenerative disc disease, which could lead to long-term chronic pain.

Treatments for such an injury could include lifestyle changes, painkilling injections and physiotherapy.

Bulging disc workers compensation

Bulging disc workers compensation settlement guide

Can You Work With A Bulging Disc?

So, can you work with a bulging disc?

While some forms of injury may cause more pain and discomfort than others, we would advise you to seek medical advice regarding this matter, as your doctor could not only take a look at your injury and give you a definitive diagnosis, but they could also take into account what you do for work before giving you an answer to this question.

There are certain jobs that may be difficult if not impossible for you to do while your disc is herniated. These could include those that involve heavy lifting, handling, and reaching.

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.

InjuryFurther NotesCompensation Bracket
Back injurySevere (i)£91,090 to £160,980
Back injurySevere (ii)£74,160 to £88,430
Back injurySevere (iii)£38,780 to £69,730
Back injuryModerate (i)£27,760 to £38,780
Back injuryModerate (ii)£12,510 to £27,760
Back injuryMinorUp to £12,510
Neck injurySevere (i)In the region of £148,330
Neck injurySevere (ii)£65,740 to £130,930
Neck injurySevere (iii)£45,470 to £55,990
Neck injuryModerate (i)£24,990 to £38,490
Neck injuryModerate (ii)£13,740 to £24,990
Neck injuryModerate (iii)£7,890 to £13,740
Neck injuryMinorUp to £7,890

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.