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★ Northern Ireland · back & spine

Back & spine settlements
in Northern Ireland.

By 9 min read

A young woman walking on the Falls Road in Belfast was struck when the rear door of a passing Ulsterbus opened, suffering an unstable burst fracture of T8 and a spinal cord injury; the judge awarded £240,000 for her physical injuries, £200,000 of it for her back, and £75,000 for psychiatric injury. A woman paralysed when a Caffè Nero sign and awning fell on her in Ballymena has received £1,668,002.52 in interim damages.

Facts that decide a back & spine claim in Northern Ireland

Green Book bandsFor moderately severe PTSD the guideline band cited was £60,000 to £150,000; Lynas received £75,000.Lynas v Ulsterbus [2025] NIKB 51
Interim damages sharedInterim damages can be split between several defendants before trial, with adjustment later if one pays too much.McLaughlin v Italian Coffee Holdings [2025] NIKB 62
Time limitAn injury action must be brought within three years from the date the cause of action accrued, or from your date of knowledge if later.Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, art 7(4)
★ band · UK federal frame
£51,230 to £212,670
Back, severe
JCG 18th ed.

The UK band is the starting point. Northern Ireland's fault rule and any applicable cap then adjust the figure.

★ NI · reported back & spine outcomes

What Northern Ireland courts have awarded.

Real Northern Ireland decisions and verdicts, each linked to the court record or official report.

  • Lynas v Ulsterbus Ltd
    High Court (KB), Northern Ireland · 2025
    £240,000 physical plus £75,000 psychiatric

    On 21 August 2018 the plaintiff, then 19, was walking along the Falls Road footpath in Belfast when a passing Ulsterbus’s rear door opened, struck her and threw her to the ground. Scans confirmed an unstable burst fracture of T8 with a spinal cord injury. Liability was admitted. The judge assessed £200,000 for the back, £20,000 each for chest and finger injuries, and £75,000 for psychiatric injury.

  • McLaughlin v Italian Coffee Holdings Ltd
    High Court (KB), Northern Ireland · 2025
    £1,668,002.52 interim damages

    On 5 April 2023 the plaintiff was sitting at an outside table at the Caffè Nero in the Fairhill Shopping Centre, Ballymena, when a branded metal sign and awning came away from the building and fell on her. She suffered thoracic fractures and a spinal cord injury with lower limb paralysis. Interim damages of £1,668,002.52 were split equally among four defendants; an appeal was dismissed.

★ NI · back & spine · in practice

What changes the number here.

What actually moves a back & spine settlement in Northern Ireland.

  1. 1

    Name every party connected to a falling fixture: tenant, landlord, maker and installer.

  2. 2

    Apply for interim damages to fund care and housing while the claim continues.

  3. 3

    Keep evidence of how the injury affected your studies or career plans.

★ NI · statute of limitations
3 years from date of injury or knowledge

Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

★ NI · fault rule
Common-law contributory reduction

Common-law contributory-negligence reduction under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Act 1948.

★ back & spine severity tiers · UK frame

How the band stratifies.

The Judicial College Guidelines (18th ed.) stratifies back & spine into the tiers below. Northern Ireland courts apply the same tier structure, adjusted for state-specific factors.

Severity tierBandBasis
Back, minorUp to £16,520JCG 18th ed.
Back, moderate£16,520 to £51,230JCG 18th ed.
Back, severe£51,230 to £212,670JCG 18th ed.
★ back & spine · same region & fault regime

Compare to like jurisdictions.

How Northern Ireland's fault rule and limitation period compare to jurisdictions in the same UK region and to those running the same fault rule for back & spine claims.

JurisdictionFault ruleLimitationBack & spine page
Northern Ireland · you are hereCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledge—
EnglandCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledgeENG · back & spine →
WalesCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledgeWAL · back & spine →
ScotlandCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledge (called "prescription" in Scots law)SCO · back & spine →
★ NI · back & spine · frequently asked

Common questions.

Each answer is independently coherent and references the relevant statute or authority document.

Sources

Checked 2026-09-30. Every figure on this page comes from one of these documents.

★ all of NI
Northern Ireland overview

Fault rule, statute, caps, and key facts for Northern Ireland as a whole.

★ federal frame
Back & spine in United Kingdom

Back & spine band structure and severity tiers at the UK level.

★ all 15 countries
Back & spine · everywhere

Cross-jurisdiction comparison of back & spine bands.

★ editorial note

Figures on this page are starting points: the UK band adjusted for Northern Ireland's statutory framework. They are not quotes for any specific case. For representation, consult a solicitor practising in Northern Ireland. See /methodology, /sources, and /disclaimer.