Car Accidents
The median settlements and verdicts in lumbar (back) disc injury cases in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. The median lumbar disc injury case in Maryland is $74,750. The Washington, D.C. and Virginia median settlement verdicts were $199,000 and $150,000, respectively.
This is from one source, Metro Monthly Verdicts, which tracks jury verdicts and settlements. It is a good source. But our back injury settlements have varied from seven-figure settlements and verdicts to very small awards. It really depends on the scope of the injury.
So any look at “lumbar disc injuries” will group together herniated disc, bulging discs, protruding disc and other disc injuries in the back. So you certainly have to take these statistics with several grains of salt.
- Get sample herniated disc injury verdicts and settlements
So not every back injury case will be treated the same. Some cases are worth millions and others are worth very little. To distill it down, it largely depends on (1) the extent of the injury and, (2) whether pre-existing injuries contributed to your current problems.
When it comes to extent of the injury, the biggest variable is going to be whether the injury comes with diagnostic findings. If you have an x-ray, CT-Scan, MRI, or nerve conduction study (EMG), and you have an objective finding that shows an acute injury (as opposed to degenerative), that changes the landscape. These objective, measurable injuries are the ones that get the insurance company’s attention.
Of course, the injury itself is important. The most serious are the ones that you think would be the most serious, back injuries that lead to paralysis, bowel and bladder problems, significantly decreased mobility, or great pain. These are the best cases in terms of compensation value and in terms of the time it takes to get the case resolved. Many of these cases are settled either before a lawsuit is filed or shortly after the claim is brought.
Have preexisting injuries is not a claim killer, at least not Baltimore City or Prince George’s County. But it does make the mountain that needs to be climbed steeper. If you want to get full value and beyond in these cases, you need to be a believable and likable plaintiff and you need a strong treating doctors to stand behind you and support your claim.
One more point on pre-exiting conditions cases. Most of our personal injury cases settle before our lawyers ever file a lawsuit. But in these claims, you are also going to go to court far more often. If you are looking for a quick settlement in these cases, you are going to likely be leaving real money on the table. Some people prefer that quick money and that is fine. But the majority of our clients are willing to wait it out a little to let us do what we do — fight like crazy to fully maximize the value of your case.
Getting a Lawyer for Your Case
If you have suffered a disc injury in you back as the result of a car accident or truck accident, you need a lawyer that understands the medicine and mechanism of injury in disc and other spinal injury cases – particularly herniated disc cases.
Call our lawyers for a free no obligation consultation. You can speak to a lawyer today by calling 800-553-8082 or online by clicking here.
More Information on Back Injuries
- How much compensation can I expect to get from my herniated disc injury case? Get more information on the value of these cases and get some sample verdicts to compare to your case.
- Herniated disc information page (more on herniated disc injuries)
- What if you do not get surgery but steroid trigger point injections instead? How this impacts settlement payouts in disc injury cases.
- Pinched nerve injury claims
- How much is my claim worth? (looking at how personal injury cases are valued for settlement)
- Contact a Maryland injury attorney at 800-553-8082 or click here for a free consultation