A spinal cord injury turns life upside down in an instant. One moment you’re walking, working, or taking care of your family — the next, everything changes. The physical toll is only part of it. These injuries often mean giving up your independence, losing income, and facing a future filled with medical needs and unanswered questions. At Siegal & Richardson, LLP, we understand how heavy that burden feels. We’ve stood with people who’ve lost the ability to move, care for themselves, or return to the life they once had. You deserve more than sympathy — you deserve someone who’s going to fight for what you need now and in the years ahead. In this piece, Siegal & Richardson, LLP explains important information about spinal cord injuries, including the legal options available to victims, the possible types of financial compensation that can be received, and how a Berkeley spinal cord injury lawyer can fight on your behalf to obtain compensation and justice.
Types Of Spinal Cord Injuries
Complete vs. Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries — A complete injury means there is no movement or feeling below the point of injury. An incomplete injury means you still have some ability to move or feel. The difference plays a major role in how much function you can recover and what your daily life might look like moving forward.
Tetraplegia (Quadriplegia) — This type involves the loss of function in both arms and legs. It also often affects your ability to control muscles used for breathing, bladder and bowel function, and overall coordination. People with tetraplegia usually need extensive assistance with personal care and mobility.
Paraplegia — Paraplegia means that only the lower half of your body is affected. You might lose movement and feeling in your legs but still have full use of your arms. Even though it involves less total body paralysis than tetraplegia, it still creates serious limits on mobility and independence.
Central Cord Syndrome — This injury usually affects the arms more than the legs. You may have trouble with hand function, balance, or coordination. Even though it’s classified as an incomplete injury, it can still have a major impact on your daily tasks and recovery process.
Anterior Cord Syndrome — With this type, movement and the ability to feel pain or temperature are usually lost below the injury. However, the ability to sense touch or body position might still remain. Recovery is often limited and varies from person to person.
Brown-Sequard Syndrome — This is a partial injury where one side of the spinal cord is more affected than the other. It can cause weakness or loss of movement on one side and loss of pain or temperature sensation on the other. While rare, it tends to allow better recovery than many other types.
Cauda Equina Syndrome — This injury affects the bundle of nerves at the bottom of the spinal column. It can cause numbness, weakness, and problems with bladder and bowel control. Even though it doesn’t involve the spinal cord itself, the results can be just as serious.
Conus Medullaris Syndrome — This type affects the very end of the spinal cord and can result in leg numbness, bladder dysfunction, and sexual difficulties. It often includes a mix of symptoms affecting both sensation and movement.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
Vehicle Accidents — Crashes involving cars, motorcycles, or trucks can forcefully jolt or crush the spine, often leading to severe damage. High-speed collisions, rollovers, or being hit as a pedestrian are some of the most common ways people suffer spinal cord trauma on the road.
Falls From Unsafe Heights — Slipping or falling down stairs, off ladders, or from rooftops can cause direct impact to the spine. These kinds of falls can lead to fractures, compression injuries, or complete severing of the spinal cord, especially in older adults or when landing on the back or neck.
Violent Assaults — Gunshots, stabbings, or blunt force trauma to the back or neck can sever or bruise the spinal cord. Injuries from assault often cause permanent paralysis, depending on where the spine is damaged.
Amusement Park or Ride Malfunctions — Spinal injuries can occur when amusement park rides are improperly maintained, poorly designed, or inadequately supervised. High-speed jolts, sudden stops, or unsafe harness systems may exert dangerous forces on the spine.
Negligent Supervision in Aquatic Facilities — Inadequate supervision or failure to post proper depth signage at public pools or aquatic centers can lead to spinal cord injuries. For example, if a person dives into an area that appears deep but is actually shallow—due to a lack of warning signs or staff guidance—they may strike their head and suffer a cervical spinal injury.
Defective Furniture or Equipment Collapse — When chairs, ladders, or elevated platforms collapse due to poor design, improper assembly, or lack of maintenance, the resulting falls or impacts can compress the spine.
Long-Term Effects of a Spinal Cord Injury
Loss of Movement and Sensation — After a spinal cord injury, you may lose the ability to move or feel parts of your body below the injury site. In a complete spinal cord injury, this can mean permanent paralysis.
Problems With Bladder and Bowel Control — Many spinal cord injury survivors deal with lifelong complications involving their bladder or bowels. This can mean needing catheters, dealing with infections, or using special care routines every day.
Breathing and Heart Function Issues — If your injury affects the upper spine, it may impact your lungs or heart. You might need help with breathing or develop conditions like low blood pressure or irregular heartbeat.
Chronic Pain and Spasms — You might experience nerve pain that doesn’t go away or muscle spasms that are hard to control. These symptoms can last for years and may not fully respond to treatment.
Loss of Sexual Function — Many spinal cord injuries also affect your sexual health and fertility. These changes can be difficult to cope with and may impact your self-esteem or relationships.
Mental Health Struggles — Depression, anxiety, and PTSD are common. These injuries affect every part of your life, and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed or isolated while adjusting.
Need for Ongoing Care — You may need help from caregivers, home modifications, or special medical equipment. These needs often last a lifetime and come with serious financial costs.
Who’s Legally Responsible for a Spinal Cord Injury in California
In California, several parties may be legally responsible for causing a spinal cord injury. If someone else’s carelessness or wrongdoing led to your injury, state law allows you to hold them accountable. The legal system can be complex, but there are clear rules that help determine liability and compensation.
Negligent Drivers — When a driver causes a crash that results in a spinal cord injury, they can be held liable under California Civil Code § 1714. This law says that everyone is responsible for injuries caused by their lack of ordinary care. That includes distracted, drunk, or reckless drivers. If you were a pedestrian, cyclist, or in another car, this applies to you.
Unsafe Properties — Property owners must keep their spaces reasonably safe. If you slipped, fell, or were otherwise hurt on dangerous property, the owner may be responsible under California Civil Code § 1714 and premises liability rules. Businesses, landlords, and even the government can be held accountable if they fail to fix hazards they knew or should have known about.
Employers and Job-Related Injuries — If your injury happened on the job, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance usually covers your basic medical and disability costs. But if someone else — like a contractor or equipment manufacturer — played a role, you may also have a personal injury claim against them. This is known as a third-party claim and can provide much broader compensation than workers’ comp alone.
Defective Products — If faulty machinery, equipment, or vehicle parts contributed to your injury, the manufacturer or seller might be liable under California’s product liability laws. You don’t need to prove negligence — only that the product was defective and caused harm.
Public Entities — If a government agency’s negligence led to your injury (like poorly maintained sidewalks, roads, or public buildings), you may have a claim under California Government Code § 835. These claims have shorter deadlines, so it’s important to act fast.
Statute of Limitations — In most personal injury cases, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. If a government agency is involved, you often only have six months to file a notice of claim.
Comparative Fault — California follows a “pure comparative fault” rule, which means even if you were partly to blame, you can still recover damages. Your compensation just gets reduced by your percentage of fault.
Why You Want a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Berkeley
Spinal cord injuries are catastrophic, complex, and life-altering. An experienced spinal cord injury lawyer in Berkeley focuses on more than proving someone else was at fault. Your lawyer must show the full physical, emotional, and financial impact of your injury over your entire lifetime. That includes hiring medical experts, life care planners, and vocational analysts to document things like loss of function, need for home modifications, mobility aids, future surgeries, and 24/7 caregiving. Unlike basic injury cases, these claims demand deep knowledge of how spinal trauma affects the central nervous system, how recovery varies by injury level, and how to translate these into strong legal arguments for maximum compensation.
Your lawyer will also handle negotiations with health insurers and the liable party’s insurance company, all of whom will try to limit their responsibility. A spinal cord injury claim often includes damages for spinal surgery costs, intensive rehab, assistive technology, and loss of bodily autonomy — not just hospital bills or lost wages. In wrongful death situations caused by spinal injury complications, your attorney may also pursue damages for loss of financial support, companionship, and care. You shouldn’t have to figure out how to pay for lifelong care or fight an insurance company while managing paralysis or nerve damage. A spinal cord injury lawyer can take over the legal fight so you can focus on rebuilding your life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spinal Cord Injuries
What should I do after I hurt my spinal cord in an accident?
Get emergency medical care immediately. After that, contact a spinal cord injury lawyer who understands how to handle these life-altering cases. Acting fast helps protect your rights, medical access, and potential financial recovery.
How much is a spinal cord injury case usually worth?
Spinal cord injury cases often involve very high compensation because of permanent loss of function, paralysis, and future care needs. Value depends on your injury level, treatment costs, lost earnings, and life care projections.
Is there a deadline for spinal cord injury lawsuits in California?
Yes. You usually have two years under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 to sue, but claims against government entities often require action within six months. Don’t wait — deadlines can cost you your case.
Can I trust the insurance company to be fair in a spinal injury case?
No. Insurers want to pay as little as possible. Spinal cord injuries are expensive, so they often deny or reduce valid claims. A lawyer helps ensure they fully value your long-term losses and care needs.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
You can still recover damages under California’s pure comparative fault law. Your final award is reduced by your percentage of fault — even if you’re 99% at fault, you may still recover something.
Can I sue if my spinal cord injury happened at work?
Yes, in some cases. While workers’ compensation covers job injuries, you may also sue third parties, like equipment manufacturers or subcontractors, whose negligence contributed to your spinal cord trauma or made it worse.
Will I need to go to court to win my spinal injury case?
Possibly. Many spinal injury claims settle before trial, but due to their high value and complexity, your lawyer should always prepare a strong case in court if negotiations or mediation don’t lead to fair compensation.
What damages are specific to spinal cord injuries?
You can claim compensation for lifelong care, wheelchair-accessible housing, medical devices, personal attendants, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of bodily control, independence, and quality of life from permanent spinal cord damage.
How do lawyers prove the full impact of a spinal cord injury?
They work with neurologists, life care planners, rehabilitation doctors, and economists to calculate long-term costs, physical limitations, future treatments, and lost quality of life — all critical for securing full compensation for your injury.
How much does a spinal cord injury lawyer cost upfront?
Most spinal cord injury lawyers work through a contingency fee arrangement, which means they get paid if they win compensation for you in court or settlement.
Berkeley Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, you deserve to speak with attorneys who understand just how serious and permanent this kind of trauma can be. The experienced personal injury lawyers at Siegal & Richardson, LLP represent individuals and families facing the life-changing effects of spinal cord injuries caused by negligence, unsafe conditions, or preventable accidents. We know how to hold the right people accountable, and we don’t back down when the stakes are high. To discuss your case and understand your rights, contact Siegal & Richardson, LLP by calling (510) 271-6720 or contacting us online for a free consultation.