Back & spine settlements
in Quebec.
Quebec is Canada's only civil-law jurisdiction and operates a SAAQ no-fault auto scheme that bars tort recovery for motor injury since 1978. For back & spine claims specifically, the Canada band on this page is adjusted for Quebec's no-fault statutory scheme and any applicable statutory cap.
Quebec operates within a no-fault statutory scheme that channels back & spine claims away from common-law tort recovery and into a first-party benefits framework. The scheme typically requires the claimant to exhaust statutory benefits (medical, wage loss, rehabilitation) before a residual tort claim becomes available, and even then only above an impairment or expense threshold. This materially compresses the lower end of the back & spine settlement band relative to traditional tort jurisdictions.
Quebec's caps (andrews cap (non-pecuniary)) apply to the non-economic component of back & spine damages and can compress upper-tier verdicts. The exact application depends on the cause of action and the head of damage; the caps section on this page sets out each ceiling and the conditions under which it bites.
Because Quebec is a no-fault auto insurance state, back & spine claims arising from motor-vehicle accidents are first routed through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. Tort recovery against the at-fault driver is gated by the state's serious-injury threshold, which materially limits the lower end of the back & spine settlement band. Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) administers no-fault auto. No tort recovery for motor injury since 1978 reform.
The Canada band is the starting point. Quebec's fault rule and any applicable cap then adjust the figure.