If you have sustained a thoracic spine injury due to the actions or negligence of another party, you may be entitled to make a personal injury claim for compensation. Even if you do not feel injured after the accident, you should seek medical help from a medical professional; the symptoms of a thoracic spine injury may not be immediately obvious, but can be very serious and may affect your ability to perform certain functions later in life.

To better understand the signs and symptoms of a thoracic spine injury, read the following guide from the specialist personal injury solicitors at JMW, including information on how you can make a personal injury claim to secure compensation.

How Do I Know If I Have Suffered a Thoracic Spine Injury?

The thoracic section of the spine consists of 12 bony sections called vertebrae and is located behind the rib cage and runs from the bottom of the neck to the middle back. Injuries sustained to this part of the spine can cause serious injury.

Regardless of whether you feel in pain or not, you should seek a medical diagnosis following an accident that may have caused you injury. A medical professional will be able to inform you of the type of injury you have and what may have been the cause of it.

The potential symptoms of a thoracic spine injury can be:

• Weakness and loss of sensation in the legs
• Loss of sensation in the lower back, genital or rectal regions
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Loss of sexual function

If you are suffering from any of these following an accident, you should speak to a medical professional as soon as possible.

Am I Eligible to Make a Personal Injury Claim?

Your circumstances must fulfil two criteria to be eligible to make a personal injury compensation claim. These criteria are:

• That the accident you suffered was caused by the actions  of another party
• That the accident caused you to suffer physical injury, mental trauma or loss of earnings

You will be required to gather evidence to prove these points - the expert personal injury team at JMW will be able to help you do this.

Why Should I Make a Personal Injury Claim?

A personal injury claim seeks to put you back to a place as close as possible to where you were prior to your accident. Financial compensation to cover the cost of medical help and rehabilitation can be expensive and may require you to get treatment that isn’t covered by the NHS. If you are unable to work, or your earnings have been affected by your injury, a claim for compensation can cover lost and future earnings. You may also have to find support following the accident - for example, care to help you with everyday tasks, therapy for your mental health, aids or equipment to help you, or adaptations to your home to meet any change in mobility.

Securing compensation through making a personal injury claim will enable you to receive the money, treatment and support that will enable you to rebuild your life.

What is the Personal Injury Claims Process?

You should not attempt to make a personal injury claim without the help of a professional solicitor; contacting the team at JMW should be your first step.  One of our experienced legal team will discuss the details surrounding the cause of your injury, assess your options and talk about the next steps. Based on the information you provide, we will give you an indication of the likely success of your claim.

Gathering Evidence

We will need to gather evidence to support your claim. We will discuss the evidence that you may already have and what we may be able to collect. This can include medical reports, witness statements, and photos and videos from the accident scene. This is an essential part of the process, and we will take the lead in acquiring any documentation that may help support your claim.

Communicating with the Other Party

When we have sufficient evidence to suggest your accident was caused by the actions of a third party, we will approach the other party and inform them that a claim is being made against them. We will explain why and use the supporting evidence to back up our argument.

Settlement or Mediation

If the evidence is overwhelming, the other party may accept responsibility and we will enter into discussions about your compensation package. There will usually be a process of negotiation to settle on an amount that suitably compensates you for the impact of your injury. We are experts in assessing your current and future needs and will ensure the compensation you receive is fair. If either side cannot agree on an amount, then a court hearing may be required.

Dispute Resolution

If a compensation amount cannot be agreed upon, or the other party does not accept responsibility, the claim may progress to court. In what can be an often stressful situation, we will support you every step of the way, ensuring you are represented by the best experts in their field and all relevant evidence is presented to support your case.

Securing Compensation

After successful court proceedings, a compensation amount will be agreed upon. The value of the compensation awarded to you will depend on the severity of your injuries and the support you require going forward.