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WAL
★ Wales · back & spine

Back & spine settlements
in Wales.

By 9 min read

A scout leader descending a wet fireman’s pole on an assault course at Clyne Farm Centre near Swansea landed hard and suffered an unstable burst fracture of L1 needing screws; he won £167,514, including £25,000 agreed for pain and suffering. Crane drivers at a South Wales steelworks who developed back pain from cab posture won a second chance in the Court of Appeal.

Facts that decide a back & spine claim in Wales

Activity centresAn adventure centre running an assault course was liable when a participant fell from a wet fireman’s pole.Wilson v Haden [2013] EWHC 229 (QB)
Work equipment controlsEmployers must ensure no control for work equipment exposes the operator to a risk to health and safety, except where necessary.Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, reg 17(2), in Willock v Corus
Time limitThree years from the injury, or from your date of knowledge if later; Wales follows the same Limitation Act as England.Limitation Act 1980, s 11(4)
★ band · UK federal frame
£51,230 to £212,670
Back, severe
JCG 18th ed.

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

★ WAL · reported back & spine outcomes

What Wales courts have awarded.

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

  • Wilson v Haden (t/a Clyne Farm Centre)
    High Court (QB) · 2013
    £167,514 plus interest

    On 4 August 2009 Robert Wilson, a scout leader on a week’s camp at Clyne Farm Centre near Swansea, came down the fireman’s pole at the end of the Burma Bridge on the Challenge Valley assault course. His legs went out and he landed in a sitting position, suffering an unstable burst fracture of L1 fixed with pedicle screws from T12 to L1. Pain and suffering was agreed at £25,000; judgment was £167,514.

  • Willock v Corus UK Ltd
    Court of Appeal · 2013
    Appeal allowed; remitted

    Crane drivers at a Corus steel plant in South Wales claimed back pain from overhead cranes. The trial judge rejected every cause but one: the position drivers had to adopt in some cabs to see down to the load. He still found no breach of the work equipment rules. The Court of Appeal found an error on causation and sent the cases back to decide whether the claimants had proved their case.

★ WAL · back & spine · in practice

What changes the number here.

What actually moves a back & spine settlement in Wales.

  1. 1

    Ask an activity centre what safety briefing and supervision it gave; that decided Wilson.

  2. 2

    For posture related back pain at work, record the exact working position and hours.

  3. 3

    Get a spinal surgeon’s report early after any vertebral fracture.

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

Limitation Act 1980, s.11

★ WAL · fault rule
Common-law contributory reduction

Same as England, contributory-negligence reduction without bar.

★ WAL · caps

What caps recovery.

Statutory caps that may bear on a back & spine settlement in Wales.

★ back & spine severity tiers · UK frame

How the band stratifies.

The Judicial College Guidelines (18th ed.) stratifies back & spine into the tiers below. Wales 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 Wales'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
Wales · 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 →
ScotlandCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledge (called "prescription" in Scots law)SCO · back & spine →
Northern IrelandCommon-law contributory reduction3 years from date of injury or knowledgeNI · back & spine →
★ WAL · 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 WAL
Wales overview

Fault rule, statute, caps, and key facts for Wales 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 Wales's statutory framework. They are not quotes for any specific case. For representation, consult a solicitor practising in Wales. See /methodology, /sources, and /disclaimer.