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spinal cord injuries
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Spinal Cord Injuries
Understand your rights after a spinal cord injury and how Block Law can help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
A spinal cord injury is one of the most life altering injuries a person can sustain. The physical, emotional, and financial consequences can be overwhelming and permanent. Paralysis, loss of sensation, and reduced mobility can strip away a person’s independence and fundamentally change the lives of everyone around them.
We start by working with medical experts to fully understand the scope of your injury. From there, we build a comprehensive case that accounts for every aspect of your current and future needs to make sure you and your family are protected.
What To Do After A Spinal Cord Injury
- Seek emergency medical attention immediately, even if symptoms seem mild at first.
- Follow all medical advice and attend every follow up appointment
- Keep a detailed journal of your symptoms, limitations, and how the injury affects your daily life.
- Report the incident to the relevant authority, employer, or property owner and request a written incident report.
- Do not give recorded statements to any insurance company before consulting an attorney. Call Block Law to evaluate your claim and next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Spinal cord injuries often result in permanent disability, which makes these cases significantly more complex than typical injury claims. The damages are larger, the medical evidence is more involved, and accurately projecting lifetime care costs requires expert analysis.
Victims may recover current and future medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, home modifications, assistive equipment, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. Because spinal cord injuries are often permanent, future damages make up a significant portion of the total recovery and must be carefully calculated.
Yes. If a family member has left work or reduced their hours to provide care, that loss can be factored into your damages. The cost of professional in-home care, whether current or anticipated, is also recoverable.
In most cases, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit. Given the complexity and the stakes involved in spinal cord cases, early consultation with an attorney is essential.
Still have questions about your accident?
Speak directly with a team member today — we’ll review your case for free!
Still have questions about your accident?
Speak directly with a team member - we’ll review your case for free.
Why Spinal Cord Injury Cases Require Experienced Legal Representation
A spinal cord injury claim is unlike any other personal injury case. The damages extend far beyond immediate medical bills — they include lifetime medical care, home modifications, adaptive equipment, lost earning capacity, and the profound impact on a person’s relationships, independence, and quality of life. These are not costs that can be accurately projected without qualified medical experts, rehabilitation specialists, and life care planners who understand the full trajectory of a spinal cord injury.
Insurance companies know this and will move quickly to offer settlements before the true scope of your long term needs is understood. A settlement that seems significant in the weeks after an injury can fall devastatingly short of covering a lifetime of care. Acting early, building a thorough medical record, and working with attorneys who understand the unique demands of spinal cord injury cases is critical to making sure you and your family are protected for the long term.
Common Spinal Cord Injuries
- Cervical injuries affecting the neck
- Lumbar injuries affecting the lower back
- Thoracic injuries affecting the chest
- Disc compression
- Herniated and bulging discs
- Vertebral fractures
Common Causes Of Spinal Cord Injuries
Understanding what caused your accident is the foundation of your legal claim.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries in California. The violent force of a collision can compress, fracture, or sever the spinal cord, resulting in partial or complete paralysis depending on the location and severity of the injury.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Falls from height, falls on hard surfaces, and falls caused by unsafe property conditions are a significant cause of spinal cord injuries. Property owners who fail to maintain safe conditions can be held liable when a fall results in serious spinal damage.
Workplace Accidents
Construction workers, industrial workers, and other employees in physically demanding jobs face a heightened risk of spinal cord injuries from falls, heavy equipment accidents, and being struck by objects. Employers are legally required to maintain safe working conditions and provide proper protective equipment.
Pedestrian Accidents
When a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, the force of the impact can cause severe spinal cord damage even at relatively low speeds. The absence of any protective barrier between the pedestrian and the vehicle means the full force of the collision is absorbed directly by the body, making spinal injuries among the most common and serious outcomes of pedestrian accidents in California.
Bicycle Accidents
Cyclists struck by vehicles or road hazards have virtually no protection from the force of a collision, making spinal cord injuries one of the most common and serious outcomes of bicycle accidents in California. Drivers who fail to share the road safely, open car doors without checking for cyclists, or make turns without yielding can cause catastrophic spinal injuries that permanently alter a victim’s life
Spinal Cord Injury Laws in California
California law provides important protections for spinal cord injury victims, but successfully recovering full compensation requires experience with the unique medical, financial, and legal challenges these cases present.
compensation
Accounting for future needs
The full cost of a spinal cord injury California law allows spinal cord injury victims to recover compensation for lifetime medical care, home and vehicle modifications, adaptive equipment, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Accurately calculating these lifetime costs requires qualified experts and Block Law works with the right specialists to make sure every dollar is accounted for.
caregiver rights
Long-term care
When a spinal cord injury requires ongoing care from a family member or professional caregiver, those costs are recoverable as part of your claim. California law recognizes both the financial cost of professional care and the value of care provided by family members who give up income and opportunities to support an injured loved one.
Filing Deadline
Two-year statute of limitations
In California, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Exceptions apply for minors, injuries involving government entities, and cases where the injury was not immediately discovered. Missing these deadlines typically means losing your right to compensation entirely, regardless of how strong your case is. Do not wait to consult an attorney.
insurance
Undervalued offers
Insurance companies routinely offer early settlements in spinal cord injury cases that fail to account for the true lifetime cost of the injury. Accepting an early offer before the full extent of your long term needs is understood can leave you and your family without the resources you need for decades to come. Block Law works with medical experts and life care planners to make sure every future cost is projected and included in your claim.
Block Law serves clients throughout Southern California, including Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino. If you suffered a spinal cord injury anywhere in the region, our team is ready to review your case at no cost and advise you on your rights under California law.
Quick Facts
- Free consultations
- No fee unless we win
- We handle insurer communications
- Bilingual team available
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Why Choose Block Law?
- Personalized attention from start to finish
- Free consultations. No fee unless we win.
- Available in English and Spanish
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