Slipped Disc At Work – Claim Injury Compensation For A Herniated Disc

By Ian Morris | Updated November 3rd, 2024

69 questions have been answered on this subject - ask us your question

If you’ve suffered a slipped disc (also known as a herniated or prolapsed disc) due to an accident at work, you may be entitled to claim compensation. Employers have a legal duty to provide a safe working environment, including proper training and equipment for manual handling tasks. If they fail in this duty and you suffer a slipped disc as a result, you can pursue a No Win No Fee claim for compensation. Compensation can cover medical expenses, lost income, and other damages related to your injury.

Key Takeaways:

Eligibility: You can claim if your employer failed to provide adequate training or equipment, leading to your slipped disc injury.
Common Causes: Lifting heavy objects without proper manual handling training or falling at work are common causes of slipped discs.
Compensation: Settlements for slipped disc injuries can range from £8,000 to £50,000 depending on the severity of the injury and its impact on your life.
No Win No Fee: You won’t pay legal fees unless your claim is successful.

The Serious Impact of a Slipped Disc at Work

A slipped disc is one of the most painful and debilitating injuries that can occur in the workplace. Whether caused by lifting heavy objects without proper training or suffering a fall, the consequences of a herniated disc can be life-changing. Workers often find themselves unable to move freely, in need of strong pain relief, and may even require spinal surgery. In severe cases, this injury can lead to long-term disability, loss of mobility, and an inability to work.

If you’ve suffered a slipped disc due to unsafe working conditions or lack of proper training, you’re not alone. Many workers face similar challenges after their employers fail to provide adequate safety measures. This guide will help you understand your rights and how you can claim compensation for your injury.

Can I Sue My Employer for a Slipped Disc?

Yes, if your slipped disc was caused by employer negligence, you have the right to seek compensation. Employers have a legal responsibility under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 to ensure that employees are trained in safe lifting techniques and provided with appropriate equipment. If they fail in this duty and it results in an injury like a slipped disc, they can be held liable.

Common Causes of Employer Negligence:

Lack of Manual Handling Training: Many workers suffer back injuries because they were not properly trained on how to lift heavy objects safely.
Inadequate Equipment: Employers must provide tools such as trolleys or hoists for lifting heavy items. Failure to do so increases the risk of injury.
Unsafe Working Environment: Hazards such as slippery floors or poorly maintained equipment can lead to falls that cause slipped discs.

If you were injured due to any of these factors, you may have grounds for a compensation claim. The key factors that determine whether you can make a claim include:

Breach of Duty: You must demonstrate that your employer failed in their duty by not providing a safe working environment or the necessary training, or supplying equipment that was inadequate or faulty.
Causation: You need to show that this breach directly caused your injury. For example, if you suffered a slipped disc because you weren’t provided with the correct lifting equipment, this would establish causation.
Damages: Finally, you must have suffered measurable damages as a result of the injury. This could include physical harm, financial losses (like lost wages), or emotional distress.

What Should I Do If I Have Suffered a Slipped Disc at Work?

If you’ve suffered a slipped disc at work, it’s important to take immediate action both for your health and for any potential compensation claim:

1. Seek Medical Attention

A slipped disc is a serious injury that often requires immediate medical treatment. Visit a doctor or hospital as soon as possible to get an accurate diagnosis and begin treatment. Medical records will also serve as crucial evidence in your claim.

2. Report the Incident

Make sure the accident is reported and recorded in your employer’s accident book. Include details about what caused the injury—whether it was lifting without proper training or another hazardous condition—and note if there was any lack of safety measures.

3. Gather Evidence

Collect evidence that supports your claim:

Photographs: Take pictures of the scene where the injury occurred.
Witness Statements: If colleagues witnessed the incident, ask them for written statements.
Medical Records: Keep all documentation from doctors detailing your injury and treatment plan.

4. Contact a Solicitor

Consult with our experienced personal injury solicitors who specialise in workplace accidents. They will assess your case and guide you through the claims process.

By following these steps promptly after your injury, you’ll strengthen your case and improve your chances of receiving fair compensation.

Slipped Disc Compensation Amounts

The amount of compensation awarded for slipped disc injuries varies depending on several factors, including the severity of the injury and its impact on your life. Compensation typically covers both general damages (for pain and suffering) and special damages (for financial losses such as medical expenses or lost wages).

Typical Compensation Ranges:

Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc Requiring Surgery: £19,000 – £28,000
Herniated Disc with Nerve Irritation Causing Restricted Mobility: £8,000 – £20,000
Severe Cases Involving Spinal Surgery or Lesions: Up to £50,000

In addition to these amounts, you may also be entitled to recover special damages for lost income during recovery, ongoing medical treatment costs, and rehabilitation expenses.

The Claims Process for Slipped Disc Injuries

Making a claim for a slipped disc injury caused by workplace negligence can seem daunting, but the process is straightforward when you have the right legal support. Here’s a brief overview of the steps involved:

Initial Consultation: Contact our personal injury solicitors to discuss your case. They will assess the circumstances of your injury and determine if you have a valid claim.
Evidence Gathering: Your solicitor will help you collect all necessary evidence, including medical records, witness statements, accident reports, and any photos of the scene or unsafe conditions.
Submitting the Claim: Once all evidence is gathered, your solicitor will submit the claim to your employer’s insurance company, outlining how their negligence caused your injury.
Negotiation: The insurance company may offer a settlement. Your solicitor will negotiate on your behalf to ensure you receive fair compensation that covers medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.
Compensation Awarded: If negotiations are successful, you’ll receive compensation. If not, your solicitor may take the case to court to secure a fair outcome.

No Win No Fee Slipped Disc Claims

A No Win No Fee agreement (Conditional Fee Agreement) allows you to pursue compensation for your slipped disc injury without worrying about upfront legal costs. This arrangement ensures that:

No Upfront Costs: You won’t need to pay any legal fees to start your claim.
No Financial Risk: If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t owe any legal fees.
Success Fee: If your claim is successful, a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation will cover the solicitor’s fees.

This makes it financially risk-free to seek justice for workplace injuries like slipped discs, ensuring that everyone has access to legal representation regardless of their financial situation.

How Direct2Compensation Can Help You Maximise Your Claim

At Direct2Compensation, we understand how difficult it is to deal with the aftermath of a serious back injury like a slipped disc. Our team has extensive experience handling workplace injury claims and will work tirelessly to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation possible.

Why Choose Direct2Compensation?

Expertise in Back Injury Claims: We specialise in claims related to back injuries like herniated discs and know how to build strong cases based on employer negligence.
No Win No Fee Service: You won’t have to worry about legal fees until we win your case.
Access to Medical Experts: We’ll arrange for specialist medical assessments that will help determine the full extent of your injuries and ensure that all necessary treatments are covered by your compensation.
Rehabilitation Support: Where relevant, we may also be able to access specialist rehabilitation therapies at no cost to you.

We make the claims process simple so that you can focus on recovery while we handle the legal aspects.

How Do I Start My Slipped Disc Claim?

Starting your claim is easy with Direct2Compensation. To find out more about your compensation rights or to start your slipped disc injury claim today, call us on 01225 430285 or if you prefer,. One of our team members will take some basic details about your case before passing it on to one of our specialist solicitors. From there, we’ll guide you through every step of the No Win No Fee claims process.

Frequently Asked Questions

69 questions have been answered on this subject - ask us your question

Comments & Questions

Read on for questions and advice about claiming, plus slipped disc injury claim examples...

Hello I have been working with my company for over 8/9 years but only recently have we had our manual handling training. This is due to people at work suffering more and more back problems. I started having problems with the bottom of my spine and legs pains due to the heavy work loads, lack of staff etc since lockdown and only recently I was driving one of the man up trucks at work when someone crashed into me very hard when reversing a forklift out of a wagon. This made the impact go through my body and all my items fell off and over the floor. I had an accident report filled out but it has made my back ten times worse and it’s even hard to drive my car now.
I am struggling to stand up straight and have pain when sitting or lying and I can’t get comfortable. I’m worried my work won’t pay me for the time off which I know they should do and now I’m waiting for an MRI scan on my spine. What should I do?

Your employer should have provided manual handling training when you first started working for them and then provided period refresher training sessions too. Our view is that you have valid grounds to pursue a claim against the employer for your back injury and the impact such injury symptoms will have on your earnings and personal life. Our specialist Solicitors can consider the damage caused to your back through lifting without training and also as a result of the incident where the forklift collided with you.

Hi, I work in childcare for only a year and have slipped a disc in my lower spine due to not being being given adult chairs to sit on, carrying children, lifting and moving equipment, bending and sitting awkwardly for 8-10 hours a day. The only training I have been given on lifting and manual handling was online. There have been many occasions where practitioners like myself don’t get support while carrying out our daily routines. And now I am in excruciating pain everyday depending on medications like tramadol just to get through the day and still having to work. Do you think I have a claim?

My initial view is that the circumstances you describe indicates that further investigation and consideration of your potential claim should be undertaken.

We would like to seek further information from you in order that our specialist Solicitors can consider the matter further and advise you accordingly.

To this end, please visit the start your claim page of our website here to provide your contact details and a summary of the matter. We’ll then call you to check things through and arrange for one of our specialist Solicitors to call you with a view to pursuing a No Win No Fee claim for compensation for the injuries, pain and any associated losses you have incurred.

From August 2018 to August 2019 I worked in a DIY (Homebase). My back was severely injured from standing for 6hr long shifts weekly and I am now being treated for slipped discs in my spine causing me a major struggle to walk. I was just curious if I had any claim regarding this?

The issue you’ll face in trying to make a claim in this scenario is causation. That is to establish that Homebase as a business caused your slipped discs through negligence and proving that being expected to stand for 6 hours at a time caused the injury.

I got injured during the work. Herniated 2 discs. It has been while from end of may 2021. It got worse and I can only walk 30 steps at once. I used all my holidays. Obviously I will be off sick but unpaid. What do you reckon? I have been working there for 4 years as a cyclist courier.

There are certainly questions to be asked of your employer with regards to the training that they have (or have not) provided and whether you have been given an unreasonable workload that may cause such an injury.

I have been moving tables on my own at work but it should be two people job!
Due to this I have slipped my disk and I have been off work for almost 3 months and now I need a back surgery!
The job has said that I need to resign from the post or they will let me go.
What are my options, because now I will be unable to work for 10 – 12 weeks?

You may well have a valid claim for compensation against your employers. Regardless of whether or not your employer has provided you with adequate manual handling training, it would seem that they have not provided a working environment that enables you to work safely given the nature of the lifting you were expected to do and the items you were moving. If you haven’t already done so, make sure that your employer has written notice from you that your injury was caused at work as a result of dangerous lifting without assistance (you can email the employer regarding this).

In terms of your job, your employer can easily terminate your position if you have worked for them for less than 2 years. However, if you have been there longer, they will have to follow due process and cannot simply force you to resign or terminate your position.

In any event, we feel you have a valid claim and our Solicitors would seek to recover compensation for your injuries, for the costs of any appropriate rehabilitation therapies and recover any loss of income or costs caused by your injury at work.

I work for a supermarket as a home delivery driver just after Christmas i was loading my van as normal as I turned to load the try into the back of my van I felt something go in my back didn’t think much of it as I had the next week of I have not been bach since. After about 4 maths l got a scan witch showed a disc bulge between L4 &L5. The prospect of me getting back to work in the near future is low and may never get back to my old job. Would it be possible to claim for this injury?

Employers that require staff members to lift and move items as part of their work must ensure that adequate manual handling training is provided. They must then also ensure that the working environment enables the staff member to work in accordance with that training – including sufficient room to lift and move safely, provision of trolleys to move heavy items and ensuring that no items exceed safe lifting limits.

In your circumstances, there may well be a route to succeeding with a claim for personal injury compensation and we would like to investigate this for you.

I started working with healthcare company on 1st May 2019 as a health care assistant (hca). Within 5months of working as a hca I damaged my lower back .
As a result of that on 11th January 2020 I was hospitalised and I had a back surgery.

I have never fully recovered with ongoing pain in my left knee and leg. I am not able to return to previous work since that time.

I wonder if I can claim any compensation from the company?

If your employer failed to provide you with manual handling and movement of patient training, or failed to provide the correct equipment to lift and move patients safely (or failed to provide a working environment that enabled you to follow the training given – if it was provided), you can seek to make a claim against them for the injury to your back.

It would be helpful for us to have a conversation about your work and the injury so that we can further advise you as to whether or not our Solicitors could take this further for you.

I’ve received microdisceptomy surgery in December 2019 and have never fully recovered with ongoing pain I have never claimed from this surgery and was wondering if it’s possible to?

Are you looking at claiming for the cause of the initial injury that led to the need for such surgical intervention or because you have not recovered from the surgery?

If it’s the former and you sustained an injury to your back, you can make a claim so long as you do so within three years of the date of the injury.

If you need advice or further help, please call us on 01225430285.

I’m writing tentatively to inquire about how long after an injury at work can someone make a claim for damages?
I worked at my previous workplace for 11 years, the first few of these as bronze caster. Heavy lifting every day in a small workshop with no lifting tackle.

Health and safety was an afterthought and run by someone who didn’t really care too much if people got injured at work. I was injured more than once there.

I have a herniated disc in my lumbar, I have no sexual function anymore and I rely on a cocktail of pain killing medication as a result of my back injury. I also twisted my ankle at work whilst workIng there.

I left in 2016, but have been in terrible daily pain ever since the injuries. I’m under the care of Kidderminster Treatment Centre Physiotherapy department and my quality of life if awful. Can you help?

UK law requires any person wishing to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation to make their claim within 3 years of the date that they became aware of injury. As you left the employer in 2016, more than 3 years has passed and it is likely that you are now out of limitation and statute barred from being able to make a claim.

Hi,
I injured my back at work nearly 2 year ago. I had a slipped disc which was proved by an mri scan. After several months of physiotherapy and several different types of medication the pain never went away. After 6 months I had nerve root injections which failed to ease to pain. A few month later my only option was to have an operation to partially remove the disc which has eased the sciatica but has left my back more strained. The last time I received any manual handling training was March 2015, injury happened October 2018. Also I never received a risk assessment on the tables that caused my injury. My concern is my back will never be the same, every morning I am in pain. Im 48 years of age but I honestly cant see me making it to my retirement age of 67 when Im in this much pain. Any advice would be appreciated. Thankyou.

As you sustained your injury in October 2018, you have little over 12 months of your 3 year claim limitation period remaining available. Therefore, if you have not already started your claim, you really should get in contact with us urgently.

The employers failure to provide regular manual handling training and the lack of risk assessment are certainly matters of interest in terms of a potential claim and this is a matter our specialist Solicitors would like to further consider and pursue for you.

Our specialist Solicitors would ensure that your claim accounted for the long term consequences of your back injury and if medical evidence supports your concern that you may not be able to work until retirement age, any settlement you receive could include an element to cover your future loss of income.

I was having problems with my hand first all numb and tingling and weak to lift things. I went to doctor and he sent me for X-ray for hand and thumb, I took 5 weeks off work on Ssp sick pay then went back to work at haulage company. I told work I phoned doctor and doctor said go straight to a+e at hospital to get looked at straight away. I was there all day doing tests, brain scan, MRI Scan and other tests and at end of day was told I have a prolapse spine and will need surgery.

If the injuries and symptoms you have been suffering with are linked to your work, you have a right to make enquiries and pursue a claim for compensation. Employers have an obligation to minimise the risk of injuries in the workplace and must ensure that appropriate training, support and equipment is provided to employees. If your employer has failed in any of these obligations, it would be employer negligence and you could succeed with a claim for compensation.

Please call us on 01225430285 to further discuss your situation with our specialist staff. At this stage, we feel you are likely to have a valid claim.

I have been working as a bus driver at a company for 7.5 years and for the last 4 years I have had bad back pain. This has been getting worst over time because of the busses we drive have very little suspension which causes very uncomfortable drive with most seats not adjusting. This has been complained about over an over again. I now have been diagnosed with slipped disc and await surgery. Because of this work have now finished me on grounds of not able to do my job anymore, do I have a claim against them?

Unfortunately, the 3 year issue is likely to prevent you from being able to take any action in terms of a claim for personal injury compensation. You mention that you have had symptoms for around 4 years and if this is the case, then your claim limitation period would have started at that point. As you have not made a claim within 3 years, you will be statue barred and unable to take action.

Hello,
I had a accident at work which resulted in me having a bulging disc protrusion at L4 L5 which is permanently sat on my sciatic nerve along with a damaged elbow. I had an MRI scan which shows these injuries. My treatment is now ongoing as I’ve been in chronic pain for 10 months.
I’ve had lumbar spine epidural injection, I’m due a medial block injection to see if this improves my pain and I am currently on a high dosage of gabapentin (600mg 3 times per day) to help manage my pain. If the injections fail to improve my chronic pain then I’ve been instructed that I’ll have to have spinal surgery.

The accident happened due to my manager giving me one to one training at a clients work shop and instructed me to use the wrong size drums. I should have used a 115 litre drum but used a 205 litre drum. These 205 litre drum when full of dense solution weighs above 300kg, and we are asked to manually transport them to our vehicles. It was the overall weight of the drum that caused my injuries.

My Manager told me to follow his training and to not deviate at all from it. There was no risk assessment done on me to undertake the job safely.
I have done basic manual handling modules but I was told to work in the way that suited my Manager.

If you were being asked to move an item of 300kg alone, without assistance then your employer has been negligent towards your health and safety and has clearly exposed you to the risk of injury.

Given your description of the injury and the impact upon you, we would like to look further in to helping you make a claim for personal injury compensation. If you would like to pursue your claim further, please call us on 01225430285 or use the ‘start a claim’ page of our website. Our team can then help you and get your claim presented to our specialist Solicitors in order that it can be assessed properly. Our initial view is that you have a valid claim and one that you have every right to pursue.

I hurt my back lifting a heavy pot at work. I ended up needing surgery to remove a partial bulging disc. When I first went to seek medical help because it was my back they told me to go and see my GP, I did this and was not examined and sent home with painkillers. I went to A&E a week later as my foot was cold and i had lost feeling in it. They did an emergency scan which revealed the extent to my injury. I’ve been off work on the sick since the beginning of October and have just been given another sick note for another 6 weeks. I still have pain in my leg as the sciatic nerve was compressed and have loss of feeling in my foot. I asked the doctor at my last appointment who advised me I could have permanent damage to my foot but it can take 2 years for a nerve to heal. Do I have any grounds to claim against work or the NHS?

If your employer was negligent in this matter, you can make a claim against them for the serious injury and consequences that it has caused you. Negligence in such matters would be seen as a lack of manual handling training and guidance, a failure by the employer to warn you that the pot was unduly heavy, employer failure to provide the correct equipment or a working environment that made it impossible to work safely or reduce the risk of injury at work.

I started work with a company around February / March time. The line of work is a delivery driver for a cash and carry firm, so we deliver heavy goods to the restaurant/ bar/ shops hospitality industry etc. When i started the job there was a manger that employed me who has been with the company for many years.

At the beginning he kept on advising that myself and a colleague that started the job with me that we would receive training, this was never done due to the busy work load. Although we did have some fire safety training, we never received any manual handling training. There was one day when he gathered a few drivers together because head office had shown up and said that we need to talk about manual handling. It lasted less than 5 minutes, and asked us to sign a sheet, i cannot remember if i had signed the paper but it was not a proper manual handling training.

Towards the end of July was experiencing slight back pain problems and muscle cramps, they were putting the manager that employed me under investigation and i was now dealing with new managers, i told them i had back pain and that the work load was too much, they said i would need to carry on.
We had a procedure that we do not deliver to companies up any flights of stairs / go in any lifts etc. One day a company instructed i do so, i refused, when i went back to tell management they insisted it has to be done. I done it. I felt my back playing up from here as i had to push cages onto a carpet through the office floor loaded up with kilos of coco cola etc. When i told managers this shouldn’t be allowed and that my back is hurting they sent a supervisor with me to risk asses the building. We got told for this client we should absolutely be delivering to them upstairs.

I am now told i have a prolapsed disk L5-S1 with an impinged nerve causing sciatica and it is coming up to 4 months.

Communication with work has been absolutely terrible and now they now have got rid of the manager that employed me and now they have got rid of the next manager that was pushing more work, the managers that are there now i have never met and communication is unacceptably poor. They now want to do a home visit after i have complained consistently the lack of communication.

Please can you advise what i do? And most importantly if it is worth making a claim. My current condition has me in and out of A and E on bad days, still taking my medication, limited and pretty much bounded to my home. Sleep deprived, absolutely stressed out, worried for my job security. I feel my independence has been completely taken away and fond chores around the house painful along with as much of a challenge as putting on my socks daily. Feel neglected as a staff member and i can do nothing until the neurology team get back to me. I also feel as though when they got rid of the first manager they should have gone through a proper manual handling instruction as well as listen when i said that the work load was way to much especially when i told them i was experiencing back problems.

Your employer has a duty of care towards you and every employee within their workplace in terms of protecting their health and safety whilst at work. The duty of car requires the employer to ensure that appropriate training, work equipment and risk assessments are provided for all staff and all areas of work. In your particular role, it is obvious that you will be dealing with a high volume of lifting and moving of items and as such, for the employer to have failed to have provided manual handling training, it would appear to be a clear breach of their obligations and can be seen as employer negligence in preventing back injuries.

Our Solicitors can assist you in making a claim for personal injury compensation against the insurance policy that your employers are obliged to have regarding employer liability and we would like to help you proceed in starting your claim. Please call us on 01225430285 for some initial help so that we can answer any questions you may have and explain how our claims process could help you.

My question is that as a resident moved suddenly as I was securing them for personal care he moved suddenly resulting in a disc slipping in my axial what claim does that come under??

If your employer has not provided you with adequate manual handling training, failed to provide you with the correct equipment to move the resident safely or had not correctly risk assessed the needs of the resident and the care plan for them, you could pursue a claim for personal injury compensation against the employer for negligence.

Coming up to a year ago I got injured at work. As each day passed my colleagues had to help me when usually they didn’t. I worked through the pain but after three days the pain become unbearable. The next day I went to my local GP. I was signed off by the doctor for a potential disc issue. My employer spoke to me about writing something in the accident book. I was in a lot of pain, taking many medications and severely sleep deprived. I could not give an answer as to where I though I had been injured but my manager said we would talk about this again at a later date. This did not happen. I didn’t think too much of it at the time because I thought I would only be off work for a few weeks. Instead it was six months of physio and absolutely agony. In hindsight there are many practices that aren’t correct or safe that I am certain caused my injury. Other colleagues have since been getting similar injuries.

Since then I have had an MRI and seen a neurologist. I have/had a very large disc herniation. I was advised I may need surgery but for the moment it is being monitored. Today I am still on medication and pain does come and go. I have since returned to work.

It has been logged on my medical notes that it was done at work and that it was something done over a period of time. Which is why I could not give a definitive answer to my manager as to when I had got injured. Since then I have been asked if a health and safety assessor went out on location with me, they haven’t…. I have had no manual handling training.

I need to write a letter explaining this to my manager but fear my employers will find a way to dismiss me. My experience with them during my time off and currently has not been so pleasant. Prior to my injury it was the opposite. The thing is I’m not planning on staying with this company. Should I write a letter now or just before I leave? I have financial commitments and I am sort of stuck for six months or so before I can go. Would it make things more difficult for me to make a potential claim the longer I leave it?

You may find an article I’ve previously published on our website about the importance of avoiding delay in making a claim to be of use to you. In essence, you have 3 years under UK law to make a claim for compensation. However, the reality is that the longer one leaves it and the less of the 3 years that remains open, the harder it is to succeed with a claim for compensation.

In your case, it would be interesting to know what happened to you and how you were injured? What work do you do and what training had the employer provided etc – these questions and the answers to them will enable us to advise you as to whether or not you can pursue a claim against your employer.

I was involved in a car accident in the Netherlands that was not my fault, I was a passenger in a vehicle travelling to work my driver was at fault, I have been told I have two bulging discs at C4 and C5 caused by the accident, I need an operation to correct this I am 63 years old and do not want an operation, I have been told that I will not work again with this problem I have been taking medication since the accident for the pain (Morphine and Tramadol) and have had numerous physiotherapy sessions, I want to know what sort of compensation I could expect.

It is very hard to assign a value to your claim as without knowing your medical history and the details of the medical options available to you we would simply be guessing.

What we can say is that should you succeed with a claim (given that you were a passenger, there is no reason why you should not), you would be able to claim compensation for the injury, with the appropriate value assigned on the basis of detailed medical evidence with an experts report as to the prognosis and long term implications to you and also recover any loss of income caused since the accident and in future.

Of course, if you are seen to be refusing medical treatment that could increase your recovery, the defendant insurers are likely to have an issue with some elements of the long term implications of the injury and long term loss of income.

I started my job in March 2017 I started not long after that with back pain and went to the doctor several times I have now had an mri scan which shows I have a bulging disc in my lower back which is what is causing my pain but as far as I can rember it was months after I started working for the company that I had a Manual handling course I now do not work for them as my back hurts too much I was working on the highways I finished work 7 weeks ago and have suffered for nearly 2 years solid as I could not afford to have time off work and I also now have suspected carpel tunnel syndrome in both hands is this something I have a case with, thanks.

Given the apparent failure to provide immediate manual handling training to you, your former employer could be guilty of employer negligence and you could have a valid claim against the employer. Likewise with the carpal tunnel syndrome too.

Both ‘injuries’ could form valid claims, but we can’t advise specifically until we have spoken with you. Please use the ‘start a claim’ page of our website to make a detailed enquiry with us so that one of our specialist staff can call you to discuss your situation directly with you.

I have a bulging disc, I also have worn discs from l4 to s1. I am a printer, I’ve been required to lift heavy weights from 35kgs to 100 kgs also from awkward positions. I truly can’t remember how many times it’s been documented. I am also off work suffering from depression caused by my company. I am currently under a surgeon at the Nuffield. I’ve received a guiding injection and am now waiting on further appointments to see what the actions are available going forward. If possible, surgery will be required at this stage to reduce leg pain caused by my troublesome spine. I have also been advised maybe I need a career change. At the age of almost 45 this it’s come has a nasty shock having been in the trade since the age of 17.

There is every chance that your employers have been negligent in this matter by asking you to lift items of such weight without assistance or support. The fact that this issue has been documented many times would add strength to any claim you may make. We are happy to help you further and look forward to hearing what our specialist back injury Solicitors have to say on this.

Hi Ian,
I recently had an accident at work whilst lifting a barrel of beer. I have been asked many times personally to go and collect these barrels from the ground floor with a small trolley to roll it on. You then have to take it off of the wheels and place it on the floor behind the bar. I haven’t had much trouble lifting these before but one day they asked me to do it I felt like a sharp twinge in my back. I felt like I twisted funny and pulled something. I took myself to A&E and they said it was just a muscle strain as there was a lot of inflammation. I could barely sleep, bend, walk, sit back without it hurting at all! I was in agony. I decided to turn to a chiropractor after a while and when some of the swelling had gone down. After an examination she believed that I had slipped my disc in my back. Disc bulges run in my family and found out from a MRI a few years ago that I was in the early stages of this. There was no training on manual lifting, and wasn’t made aware of an accident book to write any form of report. So I’m not too sure if management have filed one? My colleague had also informed me that they had done training on lifting and bending a while after my accident. Seems to me that they were trying to cover themselves for any future incidents. I have been in constant pain for over 3/4 months now, stuck on medication and struggle to work. I would want to try and make a claim against my work place as now the rest of my life is affected by this and struggle with everyday tasks.
Please let me know what you think and advise if there is anything I can do to make my case stronger.

Did your employer provide you with manual handling training BEFORE you sustained your back injury? If not, then you should pursue a claim for compensation – use the ‘start your clam’ function on our website to get further help with this. Also, if your employer has not provided you with the right equipment to move the barrels safely or given adequate assistance you should make a claim.