Spinal cord injury attorneys · Serving all of California
California Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
A spinal cord injury changes a whole family's life. Our founding attorney trained spine surgeons in the operating room before he practiced law. We measure the full cost of a lifetime of care and pursue every source of recovery, so you and your family can focus on rehabilitation. Free case review.
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Key Takeaways
- Most spinal cord injuries come from fractured or dislocated vertebrae that bruise, compress or tear the cord. Few involve a complete cut.
- Injuries are classified as complete or incomplete, and graded on the American Spinal Injury Association scale.
- The largest part of a spinal cord injury claim is usually future care: medical treatment, attendant care, equipment and home changes for life.
- A spouse has a separate California claim for loss of consortium.
- Most California injury lawsuits must be filed within two years. Claims against a public entity usually have a six-month deadline.
- Steven D. Green trained surgeons on spinal fusion, laminectomy, disc replacement and minimally invasive spine surgery before law school.
What a spinal cord injury is
A spinal cord injury is damage to the bundle of nerves inside the spinal canal. It is usually caused by a sudden blow that fractures or dislocates vertebrae, so that bone fragments, disc material or ligaments bruise or tear the cord. Car crashes, falls and other violent trauma are common causes.
Most spinal cord injuries do not completely sever the cord. Fracture or compression damages the nerves instead. Depending on the damage, a person may recover almost fully or may be left with partial or complete paralysis. The higher the injury on the spine, the more of the body it can affect.
Spine trauma without cord damage is covered on our pages for back injuries and neck injuries. Many spinal cord injury cases start with the same fractures and disc injuries.
Complete and incomplete injuries
A complete spinal cord injury leaves no motor or sensory function below the level of injury. An incomplete injury leaves some sensation or movement. Doctors grade the injury on the American Spinal Injury Association scale, and that grade, along with the level of the injury, shapes treatment, prognosis and the value of a claim.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| A: Complete | No motor or sensory function preserved below the injury |
| B: Sensory incomplete | Sensation, but no motor function, preserved below the injury |
| C: Motor incomplete | Some motor function preserved, but more than half of key muscles cannot move against gravity |
| D: Motor incomplete | Motor function preserved, and at least half of key muscles can move against gravity |
| E: Normal | Motor and sensory function normal in a person who had earlier deficits |
This is a simplified summary for general information. It is not medical advice. Your treating doctors determine the grade, and it can change as swelling goes down and rehabilitation progresses. That is one reason we do not rush to value a spinal cord injury claim.
Treatment, surgery and complications
Treatment often starts with emergency stabilization and imaging, followed by surgery to relieve pressure on the cord and stabilize the spine. Long rehabilitation follows. Complications such as pneumonia, blood clots, pressure injuries and urinary tract infections can arise from the injury itself or from long hospital stays.
Imaging and surgery
CT scans show fractures. MRI shows the cord, discs and ligaments. Surgeons may perform a decompression, such as a laminectomy, and a spinal fusion with hardware to stabilize the injured levels. The operative report records what the surgeon found, and it becomes key evidence.
Complications
Some complications come from lost nerve and muscle function. Others come from long periods of immobility. They include pulmonary edema, neurogenic shock, pneumonia, respiratory and urinary tract infections, muscle atrophy and deep vein thrombosis. Attentive medical care can prevent or limit many of them, and each one adds to the record of what the injury has cost.
Recovery and outlook
Prognosis varies widely. Therapy can restore some lost function, but most spinal cord injuries leave lasting effects, whatever the quality of care. Many people build a good life after a spinal cord injury. It is often a long and expensive process.
Why future care drives a spinal cord injury claim
In a spinal cord injury case, future losses are usually larger than past ones. The claim must account for a lifetime of medical care, attendant care, equipment, home and vehicle changes, and lost earning capacity. Those needs must be documented by your doctors and measured before any settlement, because a signed release usually ends the claim.
What a full claim includes
- Past and future medical care. Surgery, hospital and rehabilitation stays, therapy, medication and follow-up care. For past bills, California limits recovery to amounts actually paid or incurred (Howell v. Hamilton Meats, 2011).
- Attendant and home care. Help with daily living, whether from a professional caregiver or a family member who gives up work.
- Equipment and modifications. Wheelchairs, mobility devices, a wheelchair-accessible vehicle and changes to the home.
- Lost earnings and earning capacity. Income lost so far and the work you can no longer do.
- Pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. The physical and emotional cost of the injury, which California juries decide with no fixed formula (CACI No. 3905A).
- Loss of consortium. A spouse's own claim for the loss of companionship and shared life (Rodriguez v. Bethlehem Steel Corp., 1974).
Life care plans
In serious cases, a life care plan lists every expected need and its cost over a lifetime, based on the treating doctors' input. An economist may then convert those costs into present value. Our medical background helps us test whether a plan is complete and defend it against the insurer's own experts.
Finding every source of recovery
A spinal cord injury can quickly exceed a single insurance policy. We look for every responsible party and every policy: the at-fault driver, employers and vehicle owners, commercial and rideshare coverage, property owners, product makers, and your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Fault is shared under California's pure comparative fault rule.
California's minimum auto liability limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident on policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025 Veh. Code 16056. That is far below the cost of a serious spinal cord injury. Your own underinsured motorist coverage may apply once the at-fault driver's limits are paid Ins. Code 11580.2(p).
If you were hurt at work, workers' compensation is usually the only remedy against your employer Lab. Code 3602(a). A comp claim does not affect your right to sue a third party, such as a negligent driver or the maker of defective equipment Lab. Code 3852. Read more about California workers' comp and workplace injuries.
California deadlines for spinal cord injury claims
Most California personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury CCP 335.1. A claim against a city, county, state agency or transit district is usually due within six months Gov. Code 911.2(a). If an injury causes death, the family's wrongful death claim generally has two years from the date of death.
After a public entity rejects a claim in writing, you generally have six months to sue Gov. Code 945.6(a). For a child, the two-year deadline usually doesn't start until age 18. A claim against a government agency is still due within six months CCP 352(b). Evidence such as vehicle data and video can disappear in days, so call early. Check your dates with our California Claim Clock. Families who have lost someone can read about California wrongful death claims.
Spinal cord injury cases across California
We handle spinal cord injury cases in all 58 California counties from our office at 4275 Executive Square in San Diego. Clients and families work with us by phone and video, and we travel when a case calls for it. The first call is free, day or night.
Spinal cord injuries often follow car accidents, truck crashes, motorcycle crashes, falls on unsafe property and, sometimes, medical errors. Find your area in our California county list.
Reviewed by Steven D. Green, Esq. · Updated October 12, 2026
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Questions
California spinal cord injury questions, answered
How much is a spinal cord injury case worth in California?
There is no reliable average, and any figure quoted online is a guess. Value depends on the level and completeness of the injury, the cost of lifetime medical and attendant care, lost earning capacity, pain and loss of enjoyment of life, fault, and the insurance and assets available. A life care plan and an economist are often needed to measure future losses.
What is the difference between a complete and an incomplete spinal cord injury?
A complete injury means no motor or sensory function is preserved below the level of injury. An incomplete injury means some sensation or movement remains. Doctors grade injuries on the American Spinal Injury Association scale, which runs from complete injury to normal function. Your treating doctors determine the classification, and it can change during recovery.
What is a life care plan?
A life care plan is a detailed report that lists the medical care, equipment, therapy, medication, attendant care and home or vehicle changes a person is expected to need for the rest of their life, with the cost of each. It is usually prepared by a qualified planner using the treating doctors' input, and an economist may convert it to present value.
Can my spouse recover for my spinal cord injury?
Yes. The California Supreme Court held that each spouse has a claim for loss of consortium when the other spouse is negligently injured by a third party. The case involved a husband paralyzed by a spinal cord injury (Rodriguez v. Bethlehem Steel Corp., 1974). The claim covers the loss of companionship, affection and the shared life of the marriage.
Can I sue if my spinal cord injury happened at work?
Workers' compensation is usually the only remedy against your employer, with limited exceptions (Labor Code section 3602). But a workers' comp claim does not affect your right to sue someone other than your employer, such as a negligent driver, a property owner or the maker of defective equipment (Labor Code section 3852). Many serious work injuries involve both claims.
How long do I have to file a spinal cord injury claim in California?
Most California personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). If a city, county, state agency or other public entity is involved, a written claim is usually due within six months (Government Code section 911.2). For a child, the two-year deadline usually doesn't start until age 18, but a claim against a government agency is still due within six months.
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