A herniated disc is a serious spinal injury, not just general back pain. In personal injury settlements, the need for ongoing treatments like epidural steroid injections can increase the value of the claim. If you’ve suffered a herniated disc injury that requires multiple steroid injection treatments, your settlement could range from tens of thousands to well over $150,000, depending on various factors.
At Novian & Novian, we have over 35 years of experience in ensuring that every aspect of your pain, treatment, and future care is fully reflected in your compensation. If you’ve suffered a personal injury, our experienced catastrophic injury lawyers will guide you through every step of your claim. Contact us today to protect your rights.
In this post, you’ll get an overview of herniated disc injury settlements with steroid injections. It will also talk about the causes of herniated disc injury and will touch on the factors that influence settlement amounts.
What Is a Herniated Disc Injury?
A herniated disc injury happens when one of the discs in your spine is damaged and presses on nearby nerves. Your spine is made up of a stack of vertebrae that protect the spinal cord, which allows you to stand, bend, and move. Between each vertebra are spinal discs, which act as cushions or shock absorbers that connect the cervical spine down to the coccygeal spine.
Each disc has a soft center, known as the nucleus pulposus, and a tougher outer ring, known as the annulus fibrosus. When that outer ring tears, and the inner material pushes out, it is called a herniated disc. This back injury causes pain, numbness, or weakness. A herniated disc injury can happen for multiple reasons, including auto accidents, workplace injuries, and slip and fall accidents.
Symptoms of a herniated disc include damage to the spine, numbness, weakness, lower back or neck pain, and sharp pain that radiates down the arms or legs. The symptoms can range from mild to severe pain or disabling pain that makes it difficult to work.
The severity of a herniated disc injury greatly influences legal claims because it affects both the evidence required and the potential compensation. Mild injuries with fewer steroid injections usually bring lower compensation since medical costs and recovery time are limited. Severe injuries or catastrophic injuries support stronger claims with higher non-economic damages for long-term medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Role of Steroid Injections in Herniated Disc Treatment
Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are a common non-surgical treatment for herniated disc injury cases. They involve delivering medication directly into the epidural space around the spinal nerves. The injection of corticosteroid reduces inflammation around the irritated nerve root, and a local anesthetic can help with temporary pain relief. Together, they help decrease swelling, relieve nerve compression, and reduce pain signals caused by disc herniations.
These injections are typically a mix of corticosteroids and anesthetics. It relieves leg or back pain, improves mobility, and allows patients who have suffered a herniated disc injury to participate more effectively in physical therapy. They are often given as a series of up to three injections per year, spaced weeks apart, depending on response and medical guidelines. Though the relief may last from weeks to months, the epidural steroid injections do not repair the disc herniations. They are best viewed as a short to medium-term management tool rather than a long-term fix or permanent cure.
Do Steroid Injections Affect Herniated Disc Injury Settlements?
Epidural steroid injections can affect herniated disc injury settlements, although the impact depends on how they fit into your overall medical treatment and legal claim. Steroid injections are usually not the initial treatment administered for disc herniations. They are recommended when conservative measures have not provided enough relief. Their use signals that your disc injury is more serious, which can increase the settlement value. This is because it demonstrates greater pain, longer recovery time, or ongoing medical needs.
Epidural steroid injections can be expensive, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars each, with the average being $1,100. These costs are considered part of your medical damages, which directly increases the settlement amount. If steroid injections don’t provide lasting relief and your doctors say you may need more injections or even surgery, that can significantly raise the projected value of your settlement, because medical care going forward becomes part of the claim.
Average Settlement Range for Herniated Disc Injury With Steroid Injections
The amount you might expect in a settlement for herniated disc injury cases with steroid injections can vary widely, depending on many factors. But the basic amounts range from $25,000 to $500,000, even though it could be higher. The main factors that cause variations include surgery, number and cost of steroid injections, level of damage, jurisdiction, and so on. Below are two real-life cases with anonymized details.
Case A: Low range: $40,700
- Setting: Passenger is in a crash at an intersection/left-turn collision. The defendant ran a red light.
- Injury/treatment: Herniated disc plus cervical strain. Required steroid injections, intensive physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory medication.
- Outcome: Reported jury verdict of around $40,714 in a sample Minnesota case.
Case B: High range: $300,000 verdict (example of where insurer’s pretrial offer was far lower)
- Setting: The victim is involved in an auto crash. The insurer offered a low pretrial amount.
- Injury/treatment: Herniated disc injury treated with steroid injections and other modalities. Counsel rejected the low offer and took the case to trial.
- Outcome: $300,000 verdict after trial. The firm reported this as a turnaround from a $25,000 offer.
While online articles and case summaries can give a sense of possible settlement ranges, no two herniated disc cases are the same. Therefore, it is best to avoid making assumptions about your case due to online averages.
Factors Affecting Herniated Disc Injury Settlements
Several factors affect the value of a herniated disc injury settlement. Each one can push a case toward the lower or higher end of the spectrum. They include medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, future medical needs, liability and evidence, and pre-existing conditions.
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses are the foundation of most settlement amounts. They include doctor visits, physical therapy, surgery, and so on. The average cost of a single shot typically ranges from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the type of injection, outpatient vs. hospital setting, geographic location, use of imaging guidance, and the number of steroid injections. Basically, if a patient requires 3 shots in a year, that is already a possible $9,000 bill. With this knowledge, it becomes evident that the total costs and related medical care for the various disc injury cases would vary. A mild case would cost around $10,000, a moderate case may cost around $40,000, and a severe case could exceed $150,000.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering refer to the physical discomfort and emotional distress a person endures after an injury. It goes beyond medical bills and lost wages, capturing the day-to-day struggles of prolonged recovery, ongoing pain, reduced quality of life, and the mental health challenges that often follow a serious accident or medical condition. The impact on daily activities you can no longer do comfortably may include anxiety, depression, frustration, or sleep disturbances that often accompany chronic pain and restricted mobility.
Lost Wages
Lost wages represent the income a person misses out on because of an injury, whether it’s when recovery requires time away from work or simply resting during the healing process. These missed earnings become a key part of the damages, which a personal injury lawyer can use in a claim.
Future Medical Needs
This accounts for the ongoing care a person may require after an injury. This can include continuous treatments, physical therapy, or even the possibility of surgery if the condition does not improve. These anticipated costs ensure that a settlement reflects not only current expenses but also the medical challenges that may arise in the future.
Liability & Evidence
Liability and evidence are the foundation of any injury claim. To recover compensation, there must be clear proof that the other party was at fault for the accident. This is established through evidence such as police reports, medical records, injection cases, witness statements, photographs, or testimonies, all of which help connect the injury directly to the negligent actions that caused it.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Pre-existing conditions can play a significant role in determining the value of an injury claim. If a person had prior spine issues or lower back injury before the accident, insurance companies and defense attorneys may argue that the current pain or limitations are partly due to those earlier problems. However, the law generally allows compensation when an accident worsens a pre-existing condition, even if the victim was more vulnerable to injury. The key is showing medical evidence that clearly separates past issues from the new harm caused by the accident.
How Having Steroid Injections Can Strengthen Your Claim
If you have steroid injections as part of your treatment plan, it can significantly strengthen your injury claim. These procedures are usually backed by medical documentation and imaging tests, such as MRIs or CT scans, which provide objective proof of the injury and its severity. They also show that you’ve taken reasonable steps by trying conservative treatment before moving toward more invasive options like surgery.
This demonstrates to insurance companies and courts that you are following medical advice and actively pursuing recovery. At the same time, the need for repeated epidural steroid injections highlights the ongoing nature of your pain and the likelihood of future medical expenses. Together, these factors add credibility to your case and help justify higher compensation during settlement negotiations.
How to Maximize a Herniated Disc Settlement
To maximize a herniated disc settlement, you would need a combination of timely medical care, detailed documentation, and strategic legal guidance. The first step is seeking immediate medical evaluation after the injury and continuing with all recommended follow-up care. This not only protects your health but also creates a clear medical record that links your condition directly to the accident.
Keeping thorough records, including test results, receipts, and doctors’ notes, provides strong evidence of both the financial and physical impact of your injury. Consistency is critical, so avoiding gaps in treatment helps prevent insurance companies from arguing that your condition has improved or is unrelated.
Working with a personal injury attorney who has experience handling spinal injury claims ensures that your case is properly valued and supported with the right evidence. Finally, patience plays an important role in your settlement value. Settling too early may leave you uncompensated for the long-term effects of disc herniations, especially if it has to be treated with steroid injections. This could include chronic pain, physical therapy, ongoing treatments, or even potential surgery. By addressing both immediate and future needs, you place yourself in the strongest position to achieve a fair settlement amount.
Need Guidance on Your Settlement Options?
Steroid injections can play a critical role in demonstrating the seriousness of a herniated disc injury. They provide clear medical documentation of ongoing pain, show that you have pursued conservative treatment before considering surgery, and help establish the long-term impact of your condition. However, the value of a settlement is never based on one factor alone.
Strong outcomes depend on the combination of medical evidence, legal strategy, and financial documentation. Medical records, imaging tests, and treatment history prove the injury; legal arguments establish liability and damages; and financial evidence highlights both current expenses and future costs. Bringing these elements together is what allows you to secure a settlement that truly reflects the full scope of your losses.
For expert assistance with your injury case, contact Novian & Novian. We have the best personal injury lawyers in California with over 30 years of experience, and they will help you get the compensation you deserve. Schedule a free consultation with us today to get started.
FAQ
To help you better understand herniated disc injury settlements involving steroid injections, we have answered some of the most common questions people ask.
How Much Can You Get from a Herniated Disc Injury Settlement with Steroid Injections in 2025?
The value of such a settlement in 2025 with epidural injections depends on several factors, including the severity of the injury, the number of injections required, and the impact of the injury on your quality of life. A rough expectation might land somewhere between $80,000 and $300,000 or more, depending on many factors. However, the more epidural injections you have to take, the higher the settlement.
How Long Does It Take to Reach a Settlement for a Herniated Disc Injury with Steroid Injections?
The time it takes to settle for a disc injury with epidural injections can vary widely, but typically ranges from 3 to 6 months for simple cases, 6 to 18 months for most cases, and 18 months to over two years for complex cases.
What Is the Success Rate of Steroid Injections for Herniated Discs?
For severe herniated discs with nerve root compression, epidural injections often produce meaningful short-to-mid-term relief for roughly 50–85% of patients, with better odds when symptoms are recent and injections are placed precisely. Long-term permanent relief is less certain and drops over time.
How Many Steroid Injections Can You Get for a Herniated Disc?
Most doctors limit injections to about 3 to 4 per year in the same spinal region. These injections are usually spaced at least 2 weeks to 3 months apart, depending on your response and symptoms. It is important to note that too much steroid can weaken bones, increase infection risk, raise blood sugar, and cause hormonal side effects.
Do Steroid Injections Increase My Settlement Value?
Yes, transforaminal epidural injections can increase your settlement value in many cases. However, it depends on multiple factors such as the seriousness of the injury, settlement negotiation leverage by your injury lawyer, and so on.
Can I Still Get a Settlement if the Injections Didn’t Work?
Yes, you can still get a settlement even if steroid injections didn’t work. In fact, with the right personal injury attorney, the fact that they didn’t help can sometimes make your case stronger.
What Is the Process for Filing a Claim for a Herniated Disc Injury Settlement Involving Steroid Injections?
Filing a claim for a herniated disc injury that involves steroid injections follows the standard personal injury process, which is get medical care and diagnosis, notify the at-fault party, hire a personal injury attorney, document your medical treatment, calculate damages, file a demand letter, negotiate a settlement, and file a lawsuit if necessary.
Why Are Steroid Injections Used for Herniated Discs?
Steroid injections help reduce swelling and pain around the injured disc, often improving mobility and comfort. They can also serve as proof of ongoing medical treatment when pursuing an injury claim.
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