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What Is Back Injury?
Have you experienced a back injury at work? If so, you may be able to receive compensation for your lost wages and medical expenses.
Back injuries are any injuries that affect the muscles, tissues, or bones between your neck and pelvis. These injuries can range from mild to severe, with most occurring in the lower back.
Often, back injuries lead to loss of mobility that prevent individuals from working while they recover. These injuries can also require expensive medical treatments to correct.
What Is the Average Workers’ Compensation Back Injury Settlement?
If you have experienced a back injury at your workplace, you may qualify for worker’s compensation. Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that can help cover medical expenses and lost wages resulting from your injury.
If you’re wondering, “what is the average settlement for workers’ compensation?” you should remember that the amount workers receive can vary drastically. While the national average workers’ compensation settlement for back injury claims is around $20,000, numerous factors can affect the exact amount you could receive.
The best way to get the most funds from a workers’ compensation case is to hire an experienced lawyer to negotiate your settlement with the insurance company.
What Are the Most Common Types of Back Injuries?
Any injury impacting the area between the neck and the pelvis can qualify as a back injury. However, some back injuries are more common than others. Here are the most common types of back injuries people experience due to work-related incidents:
- Disc problems
- Sprains and strains
- Degenerative joint disease
- Sciatica
- Muscle cramps
- Spinal stenosis
- Lower back injury
Several of these injuries, such as muscle cramps, can heal with time and proper rehabilitation therapy. However, other injuries, such as degenerative joint disease, may require surgery to correct.
Additionally, while some back injuries come on suddenly due to an incident at work, others are ongoing. For example, people who work in manual labor jobs often develop degenerative joint disease or spinal stenosis over time due to chronic strain on their backs.
Factors That Affect Lower Back Injury Settlement Amounts
Numerous factors can affect the amount you receive in a lower back injury settlement. Here are a few of the most prominent elements contributing to workers’ compensation settlement amounts for back injury claims:
- The nature and severity of injury: Severe back injuries typically require more expensive medical treatments and take longer to heal than mild ones.
- Disability: Back injuries that prevent you from working can lead to lost wages, increasing your settlement amount.
- Amount of lost income: The total lost wages resulting from your injury also contribute to the settlement amount you can receive.
- Effect on earning ability: If your back injury requires a long-term rehabilitation process, it may prevent you from returning to your job at all. If so, you may be able to receive additional compensation to account for future lost wages.
- The circumstances surrounding the injury: If the events leading to your injury are not clear, the insurance company may try to get by settling for a lower compensation amount.
How Does the Workers’ Compensation Settlement Process Work?
If you’ve experienced a back injury while at work, your first step should be to seek medical treatment. Once your condition is stable, you should report your injury to your employer. Your employer is responsible for submitting workers’ compensation claims to its insurer.
The claim your employer submits should include the following details, which may affect your settlement amount:
- Level of debilitation
- Proposed length of treatment
- Age of the claimant
- Occupation of the claimant
- Extent of the injury
- Whether the claimant had any pre-existing injuries
- Whether any difficulties arose in the treatment of the injuries
Once your employer submits this information, the insurance company can approve or deny the claim. If it approves the claim, it will also offer a compensation amount. You and a lawyer can accept this payment offer or negotiate a larger settlement.
If the insurance company denies your claim, you and your lawyer can request a reconsideration from the insurer or file a formal appeal through the Washington workers’ compensation board.
Contact the Brain Injury Law Today for Free Consultation!
At Brain Injury Law of Seattle, we go above and beyond to help our clients receive more than the average workers’ compensation settlement for back injury claims. If you’re seeking legal assistance with your workers’ comp claim, we can help. Contact our brain injury law firm today!
Our experienced law team has the skills and knowledge necessary to help you negotiate your workers’ compensation settlement for neck and back injury damages and receive adequate funds to move forward following your injury. Contact us today at 425-406-3979 to request a consultation with our law team.
