Spinal cord injuries can happen to anyone. When a spinal cord injury happens because of the negligence or wrongful acts of others, though, California law may allow the survivor to demand compensation from the negligent party.
Beston International Law Firm is a highly recognized and respected team of New York attorneys who are committed to handling the toughest injury cases, including catastrophic injuries like spinal cord injuries. We have successfully recovered more settlements and verdicts in the millions than any other firm in California. Past results can’t promise future wins, but they do show our dedication to recovering the full amount our clients deserve and need to recuperate from their injuries, so they can try to live their lives as independently as possible.
Call our New York spinal cord injury attorneys at 6463059656 for a free consultation to discuss your potential case as soon as possible.
A spinal cord injury (SCI) refers to damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function, sensation, or mobility. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. When it gets injured, it can lead to a variety of physical and neurological impairments.
Common types of spinal cord injuries include:
The long-term effects of a spinal cord injury (SCI) can vary significantly depending on the severity, level, and extent of the injury, as well as individual factors such as age, overall health, and access to medical care. We can work with medical experts to understand more about your injury and how it will likely impact the rest of your life.
It’s not uncommon for someone with a spinal cord injury to experience these long-term complications:
Also, a spinal cord injury can significantly impact your social life, relationships, and employment opportunities. Barriers to accessibility, transportation, and participation in activities may require adaptations and support to maintain social connections and pursue meaningful work or education.
What sort of accident caused you to suffer a spinal cord injury? No matter how you answer, you can be confident that our New York spinal cord attorneys can help you with your case. Thanks to our extensive practice histories, we are experienced with working on injury claims involving all sorts of accident types and life-changing injuries.
Common causes of spinal cord injuries include:
Paralysis occurs when the spinal cord is damaged to the point that nerve signals are interrupted, preventing “messages” from reaching different parts of the body. Patients with paralysis may experience numbness, immobility, or a complete loss of function and sensation in a loss of muscle function in the affected body parts. The extent of paralysis depends on where the injury occurs along the spine.
The five main types of paralysis caused by spinal cord damage are:
Medical professionals diagnose a spinal cord injury through a combination of clinical evaluations and diagnostic tests. Initially, they usually perform a physical examination to assess motor function, sensory response, and reflexes to determine the extent and location of the injury. They also gather detailed patient history and account of the accident that caused the spine damage. To confirm the diagnosis and evaluate the extent of damage, doctors rely on various imaging techniques and diagnostic tools.
Medical tools or procedures used by doctors to diagnose spinal cord injuries include:
In rare cases, spinal cord injury patients can recover completely from paralysis, usually thanks to early and advanced medical treatment. Unfortunately, however, a complete recovery is not the norm. Most patients may be able to regain some function through physical therapy but will not make a total recovery.
To treat a spinal cord injury and improve the chances of an eventual recovery, medical experts usually use these treatment methods:
Healthcare costs and living expenses for a patient with full paralysis can easily soar into the millions of dollars. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), a patient with high quadriplegia – meaning very little movement below the neck – could incur an average of $1,102,403 in costs during the first year after the injury. If that person is paralyzed at age 25, the expected lifetime costs for care could run into many millions of dollars.
Such estimates don’t take into account the loss of income a victim of paralysis suffers from losing a job and related benefits, nor any costs that family members must bear to provide adequate at-home care. Nor do they cover housing and vehicle modifications or the cost of moving to an accessible home. When you look at the expenses related to paralysis, seven-figure legal settlements may be needed to cover the patient’s needs for a lifetime of specialized care.
To prove negligence in a spinal cord injury case, you’ll need to establish that the defendant owed you a duty of care, breached that duty through their actions or inactions, and directly caused the injury as a result. Additionally, you must demonstrate that you suffered actual damages due to the injury. Of course, you don’t have to worry about this complicated process on your own or directly if you hire our attorneys to handle it for you.
Types of evidence that can be used by our legal team to prepare a spinal cord injury case might include:
In addition to knowing how to prove negligence in a spinal cord injury case, our attorneys also know how to prove who or what party was negligent, and therefore, who or what party should be liable for your harm and losses. Different parties can be liable for a spinal cord injury depending on the circumstances of the accident and their involvement. For instance, in a car accident, the motorist who caused the crash through reckless or negligent driving could be held accountable for the resulting injuries to other people. Or in a workplace accident, an employer might be liable if unsafe working conditions or lack of proper safety protocols led to the injury.
Spinal cord injury claims usually involve the following damages, among others:
our New York spinal cord injury lawyers have handled many catastrophic injury claims, so we are familiar with medical and rehabilitation specialists in the area. In spinal cord injury cases like yours, we can consult with lifecare planners and economists to project the total needs and costs of accident-related care and services when considering future expenses.
Part of our process is to get to know each client personally, including their specific needs after such a devastating injury. Each person’s different limitations and impairments will affect them in different ways. For example, a professional athlete who suffers from quadriplegia will have different losses than an accountant who suffers from paraplegia.
In California, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim, including those for spinal cord injuries, is generally two years from the date of the injury. You likely have a two-year period to seek compensation. If the injury was not immediately discoverable, though, the statute of limitations may be extended based on when the date the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered. However, certain exceptions and specific circumstances, such as cases involving liable governmental entities, may shorten the statute of limitations, so it is important to always act quickly.
You should probably hire a spinal cord injury attorney as soon as possible if your injury was caused by another party’s negligence or wrongful actions. An attorney from our firm can help navigate complex legal processes, attempt to negotiate with insurance companies, and pursue the compensation you deserve on your behalf, even if that means going to court for trial.
You may want to ask yourself these questions if you aren’t sure if you should hire a lawyer:
Answering ‘yes’ to any of the above questions probably means you should already be working with a spinal cord injury attorney. Also, your first consultation with our firm is free, so you can always learn more about the legal help we can provide without reaching for your wallet first!
After a spinal cord injury changes your life forever, you’ll need to be sure that the law firm you choose for help is up to the challenge. At Beston International Law Firm, we are confident in our ability to represent clients with devastating and costly injuries, and we’d be honored to get the chance to prove to you why. Combining decades of experience with vast resources and a reputation for success, our New York spinal cord injury team is ready to handle your case from start to finish.
If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury, call our law firm at 6463059656 or contact us online as soon as possible to discuss your potential claim.
Named in Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms,” Beston International Law Firm ranks as Tier 1 Personal Injury Litigation- Plaintiffs in New York.
Many firm members have been honored by the Consumer Attorneys of California, including Browne Greene, Christine Spagnoli, and Bruce Broillet, recipients of the Marvin E. Lewis Award. In addition, attorneys Bruce Broillet, Scott Carr, Molly McKibben, and Tobin Lanzetta has been honored with the Consumer Attorney of the Year Award.
All of our attorneys are proud to be active members of the New York County Bar Association or LACBA.
Our attorneys were featured in TopVerdict for having one of the Top 10 Wrongful Death Verdicts in California in 2019, with $15 million won for the plaintiff in Keck v. Bel-Air Bay Club.
Partners Geoff Wells and Ivan Puchalt were both named among the 2025 Consumer Attorney Visionaries by LA Times Studios.
Several partners are active members in the Consumer Attorneys Association of New York, with attorneys Browne Greene, Bruce Broillet, and Christine Spagnoli named “Trial Lawyer of the Year.”
Firm partners Christine D. Spagnoli and Molly McKibben have both been honored by the Women Lawyers Association of New York and are active members.
After winning $2.6 million for the plaintiff’s side in a head-on collision case, our victory was named in the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California in 2019 by TopVerdict.
Several of our partners are members in the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national invite-only association consisting of the most experienced trial lawyers.
Our team includes several Fellows and Associates with the invite-only International Society of Barristers in recognition of their trial advocacy.
Beston International Law Firm, was featured by TopVerdict in the Top 100 Settlements across all practice areas in California for 2019.
Bruce A. Broillet and Christine D. Spagnoli are Fellows with the invite-only International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a group of elite trial lawyers from over 30 countries.
Recipients of this recognition are held up to the same standards as for The Best Lawyers in America, but only legal professionals in the first ten years of their careers qualify. Four attorneys at GBW have been recognized with this award in 2021.
Founding partners Browne Greene and Bruce A. Broillet are both members of the exclusive invite-only Inner Circle of Advocates, as two of the top 100 plaintiff trial lawyers in America.
Our firm has more attorneys on the Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars lists than any other law firm in Southern California, with 15 members selected.
