Back & spine claim values
in Hong Kong.

• No statutory cap on PSLA
  All personal injury
  Court of Appeal bands

  Hong Kong courts apply published quanta bands without statutory cap.

1. 1
   Pre-action letter

   Letter of claim with supporting medical reports.

2. 2
   ECO claim (workplace)

   Workplace injuries handled under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance through the Labour Department.

3. 3
   Common-law claim

   Filed in the District Court (≤HK$3,000,000) or Court of First Instance (above).

4. 4
   Listing for trial

   Cases listed in the Personal Injuries List for accelerated case management.

5. 5
   Trial

   Bench trial; appellate review through the Court of Appeal and Court of Final Appeal.

A 29 year old labourer who slipped on a wet surface while unloading a crane truck at a Tsim Sha Tsui construction site in 2016, straining his lower back, was awarded HK$240,000 for pain and suffering and damages of HK$4,368,743 after 10% contributory negligence and HK$800,000 of employees’ compensation. A restaurant dishwasher with severe pre-existing lumbar degeneration lost her claim entirely.

• Raut Puspa v S. P. Engineering (Hong Kong) Ltd and Another
  Court of First Instance · 2024
  HK$4,368,743

  On 23 August 2016, at a construction site on Austin Road West, the plaintiff, a general labourer, stepped on a wet and slippery surface while unloading materials from a crane truck. A doctor recorded a back sprain with tenderness at L4/5. He sued his employer and the main contractor. The court assessed PSLA at HK$240,000 and future loss of earnings at HK$3,477,844, then took off 10% and the compensation already paid.

• Yip Sze Lung v Fairwood Fast Food Ltd
  District Court · 2024
  Claim dismissed

  The plaintiff, a dishwasher at a fast food restaurant in San Po Kong, said that on 26 July 2019 she sprained her back and fell. The employer disputed the accident. She conceded severe pre-existing degeneration throughout her lumbar spine and cut her claim from over HK$1.58 million to about HK$830,000. The court dismissed the claim, and said it would have awarded HK$242,950, including HK$150,000 for PSLA.

• How much is a back & spine claim worth in Hong Kong?

  The band table on this page shows back & spine values in Hong Kong by severity. The most severe matching band is HK$200,000 to HK$700,000, a MyClaimWorth estimate. The exact figure within the band depends on severity, prognosis, recovery time, the medical paper trail, and any percentage of fault attributed to the claimant under Hong Kong's comparative-fault rule.
• What is the statute of limitations for back & spine claims in Hong Kong?

  3 years from date of injury or knowledge. Source: Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347). Discoverability rule applies.
• Does fault allocation reduce a back & spine settlement in Hong Kong?

  Law Amendment and Reform (Consolidation) Ordinance (Cap. 23). No bar threshold. Reductions are calculated as a percentage of the total damages award before any cap is applied.
• Are there caps on back & spine damages in Hong Kong?

  Yes — Hong Kong applies the following caps that bear on back & spine claims: No statutory cap on PSLA. See the caps section on this page for the figures and the conditions under which each applies.
• How long does a Hong Kong back & spine case take to resolve?

  Soft-tissue presentations commonly resolve within 6 to 12 months from medical stability. Complex cases with surgery or contested liability routinely take 18 to 36 months. Cases that proceed to trial commonly take 2 to 5 years. The procedural pathway on this page sets out the typical milestones in Hong Kong.
• Is settlement preferable to trial for a back & spine claim in Hong Kong?

  For most Hong Kong back & spine claimants, yes. The vast majority of personal-injury cases settle before trial. Settlement provides certainty, removes appeal risk, and resolves faster. Trial is appropriate where liability is genuinely contested or where the defendant's insurer is unrealistic about quantum given the published authority.