Over the course of your life you'll pay how many thousands of dollars to various insurance companies, health, automobile, housing, etc...?

Get what you can, which probably won't end up being much since it sounds as though you won't have any permanent scarring or injury. Personally, I was doored in 2005. I had some bad road rash all down my left arm a large (2-3") V shaped laceration on my right shoulder (corner of the car door), a partially collapsed lung, and a really sore back. Which led to some back spasm associated with the accident intermittently recurring until about a year after the accident, and a pretty nasty scar on my shoulder. After lawyer's fees, medical, material etc... I settled for about $13,000. The other factor in all this is that there will almost always be something a little off. Your back injury may not ever quite heal up especially if you've already had surgery there. I know that over 2 years later my shoulder still feels weird and tight in certain positions. Hope this helps.