A serious spinal injury changes a family’s life, and the specialist care that follows happens far from Grantham. Bird & Co’s spinal injury solicitors in Grantham act for people across the town and nearby villages living with spinal cord injury, paralysis or a serious spinal fracture caused by someone else’s negligence. Grantham is our head office, and our personal injury team is led by James Ilic. We act on a no win no fee basis, hold Lexcel accreditation and are rated 4.9/5 on Trustpilot. Your first consultation is free, at 15 Castlegate, by phone or video, or at home or in hospital.
In brief: spinal injury claims in Grantham
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it covers | Spinal cord injury, paraplegia, tetraplegia, cauda equina injury, serious spinal fractures and disc injuries |
| Who can claim | The injured person; a litigation friend for a child or an adult lacking capacity; the family of someone who has died |
| Time limit | 3 years from the injury or date of knowledge; children until their 21st birthday; suspended while capacity is lacking |
| Where treated | Grantham has a 24-hour Urgent Treatment Centre, not an A&E. Serious spinal trauma goes to Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC), Nottingham; spinal cord injury is then referred to Sheffield’s Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre |
| Fee model | No win no fee (conditional fee agreement) |
| How we serve Grantham | Free consultation at our head office, 15 Castlegate, by phone or video, or at home or in hospital |
What counts as a spinal injury claim?
A spinal injury claim is a claim for compensation when damage to the spine or spinal cord was caused by someone else’s negligence, such as a careless driver or an employer who did not keep you safe. The gravest cases involve the spinal cord, the column of nerves inside the spine that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body.
| Injury | What it means |
|---|---|
| Complete spinal cord injury | Movement and sensation are lost entirely below the injury |
| Incomplete spinal cord injury | Some movement or sensation survives below the injury |
| Tetraplegia (quadriplegia) | Paralysis affecting the arms and legs, usually after a neck injury |
| Paraplegia | Paralysis of the legs and lower body, from an injury lower down the spine |
| Cauda equina injury | Damage to the nerve roots at the base of the spine, affecting the legs, bladder, bowel and sexual function |
| Spinal fractures and disc injuries | Broken vertebrae or damaged discs, whether or not the cord is harmed |
Our national catastrophic injury lawyers page covers spinal cord injury in depth. Minor neck and back injuries, including whiplash, are handled by our personal injury solicitors in Grantham.
Back to topWhere are spinal injuries from Grantham treated?
Outside Lincolnshire, in most serious cases. Grantham and District Hospital has had a 24-hour Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) since 31 October 2023, rather than an A&E, and it treats injuries that are not critical or life threatening. A serious spinal injury takes a longer route:
- Emergency care in Nottingham. A traumatic spinal cord injury should normally go by ambulance or helicopter straight to the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC). Anyone taken first to Lincoln County Hospital or Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, the local trust’s 24-hour A&Es, is stabilised there and transferred to QMC.
- Specialist rehabilitation in Sheffield. Every hospital with an emergency department in England is linked to one NHS spinal cord injury centre. For patients admitted to hospitals in Lincolnshire and the East Midlands (except Northamptonshire), it is the Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, whether the first hospital was in Nottingham, Lincoln or Boston.
- Lifelong follow-up. Sheffield provides a lifelong service, so a Grantham resident with a spinal cord injury keeps returning for reviews and specialist care.
A spinal fracture without cord damage falls outside the Sheffield service and is treated by the hospital’s trauma and spinal teams.
For a Grantham family, that means a bedside in Nottingham, then Sheffield, then return visits for life. Those journeys and the care relatives give belong in the claim, and are why we come to you. Call 01476 591711 to arrange a visit.
Back to topSpinal injury claims in and around Grantham
We handle spinal injury claims arising from:
- Road collisions. Grantham is served by the A1, the A52 to Nottingham and the A607 between Lincoln and Leicester. High-speed collisions can fracture the spine and damage the cord.
- Falls at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recorded falls from height as the most common cause of fatal injury to workers in Great Britain in 2025/26. Construction makes up 6.2% of employee jobs in South Kesteven, against 4.9% across England and Wales (ONS, 2024). See our accidents at work solicitors
- Farm accidents. Falls from trailers and roofs, overturning vehicles and livestock can all injure the spine, and agriculture has the highest fatal injury rate of any main industry in Great Britain (HSE, 2025/26).
- Falls on unsafe premises. A fall on poorly maintained stairs or flooring may support an occupiers’ liability claim.
- You can claim against the attacker, or apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
How much compensation could you claim for a spinal injury?
No honest figure can be given before the medical evidence is complete. After a spinal cord injury, future needs usually make up most of the claim.
| Category | What it covers |
|---|---|
| General damages | Pain, suffering and loss of amenity: paralysis, lost bladder, bowel or sexual function, long-term pain and loss of independence |
| Special damages (past) | Earnings already lost, care from relatives, treatment bills, and trips to Nottingham and Sheffield |
| Special damages (future) | Lifelong care and case management, therapy, wheelchairs and equipment, adapted housing and vehicles, future earnings and pension |
General damages are assessed using the Judicial College Guidelines, the framework courts rely on. Our catastrophic injury lawyers page explains how future losses are paid for and protected: interim payments, early rehabilitation under the Rehabilitation Code 2015, periodical payments orders and, where a brain injury affects mental capacity, the Court of Protection.
Back to topTime limits for a spinal injury claim
Under the Limitation Act 1980 you normally have 3 years from the injury, or from your date of knowledge: the date you first knew the injury was significant and linked to someone else’s fault.
| Claimant | Time limit |
|---|---|
| Adult with mental capacity | 3 years from injury or date of knowledge |
| Adult lacking mental capacity (s.28 Limitation Act 1980) | Suspended while capacity is lacking |
| Child (under 18) | Until their 21st birthday |
| Family of a person who has died | 3 years from the death or date of knowledge |
| Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) | 2 years from the incident |
Act early, because evidence fades. Unsure how the limit applies? Call our Grantham office on 01476 591711.
Back to topNo win no fee spinal injury claims
We act on a no win no fee basis, under a conditional fee agreement (CFA), so there is nothing to pay upfront. If the claim succeeds, a success fee, capped by law and set out in writing before you sign, is deducted from your compensation. If it does not, you do not pay our legal fees.
Call our Grantham office on 01476 591711 for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Back to topWhy choose Bird & Co’s spinal injury lawyers in Grantham?
- Grantham is our head office: our personal injury department has been on Castlegate since 2004, and we also visit you at home, at QMC or in Sheffield
- Catastrophic injury experience: our personal injury team, led by James Ilic, handles settlements ranging from thousands to millions of pounds
- Direct contact with the person handling your claim, and regular updates
- Rehabilitation first: we ask the insurer early to fund therapy, equipment and adaptations
- Lexcel accredited and SRA regulated, rated 4.9/5 on Trustpilot from over 1,000 reviews
To speak to a spinal injury lawyer in Grantham, call 01476 591711.
Areas we serve around Grantham
We act for clients across Grantham and nearby communities, including Great Gonerby, Manthorpe, Belton, Londonthorpe, Harrowby, Barrowby, Sedgebrook, Harlaxton, Stroxton, Little Ponton, Great Ponton, Colsterworth and Corby Glen.
Back to topFrequently asked questions
Why is a Grantham patient sent to Sheffield after a spinal cord injury?
Because Lincolnshire has none of England’s eight NHS spinal cord injury centres. Sheffield’s Princess Royal centre is the linked centre for hospitals in Lincolnshire and the East Midlands (except Northamptonshire), so a Grantham patient with cord damage is referred there after emergency care, for rehabilitation and lifelong follow-up.
Do I need a local solicitor for a spinal injury claim in Grantham?
Any firm can act, but a local one has practical advantages. A Grantham solicitor can meet you at home or on the ward, knows the route from QMC to Sheffield, and stays easy to reach through a claim that may run for years.
Can I claim for a broken back or disc injury without paralysis?
Yes. A fractured vertebra or damaged disc caused by an accident can mean surgery, lasting pain and time off work, and those losses can be claimed. If an accident made an existing back problem worse, you can claim for the worsening.
How long does a spinal injury claim take?
Serious spinal injury claims often take three years or more, because the long-term outlook must be clear before the claim is valued. Interim payments can meet the cost of care, equipment and adaptations meanwhile. Each stage is set out on our catastrophic injury lawyers page.
Contact our spinal injury solicitors in Grantham
If you or someone close to you has a spinal injury, talk to us. Your first consultation is free, and we can come to you at home or in hospital.
- Grantham: 01476 591711
- Lincoln: 01522 803050
- Newark: 01636 650880
You can also email enquiries@birdandco.co.uk or use our online enquiry form, and our personal injury team will call you back.