Riverside Spinal Cord Injuries Lawyers at The Accident Network Law Group

A spinal cord injury is measured in millimeters of damaged tissue but its consequences are measured in decades. Whether the injury leaves someone with full paralysis or a partial loss of function, the medical evidence, not just the accident report, is what ultimately decides what the claim is worth. Our Riverside spinal cord injury attorneys work closely with treating physicians from the earliest stages of a case to build that record correctly.

The Accident Network Law Group has represented injured clients across Costa Mesa, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Apple Valley, Bakersfield, and Victorville since 1999. Attorney Damoun A. Yazdi brings more than 12 years of personal injury experience and the courtroom background of a former law clerk at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to every spinal cord injury case our firm accepts, and we handle these claims entirely on contingency.

California generally allows two years from the date of injury to file suit under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1. Contact us for a free consultation. Se habla espanol.

How Spinal Cord Injuries Happen

Motor vehicle crashes, including car, truck, and motorcycle collisions, are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries. Falls from height, including construction site falls and slip and fall accidents, are the second most common cause and are increasingly frequent among older adults.

Violence, including gunshot wounds, sports and recreational incidents such as diving into shallow water, and, occasionally, surgical or medical negligence near the spine can each damage the spinal cord directly. Where the injury happened and who caused it determines whether the claim proceeds as a vehicle collision case, a premises liability claim, a workplace third-party claim, or a medical negligence matter.

Complete Versus Incomplete Injuries, and Why the Difference Matters

Physicians classify spinal cord injuries using the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale. A complete injury means no motor or sensory function remains in the lowest sacral segments of the spine; an incomplete injury means some function is preserved there, which can range from minimal sensation to significant retained movement.

The level of the injury on the spine, cervical, thoracic, or lumbar, determines which parts of the body are affected. A high cervical injury can affect breathing and require ventilator support, while a lower thoracic or lumbar injury may preserve arm and hand function entirely. This classification is not just medical detail; it directly shapes the life care plan and the damages a claim can support, which is why our firm works with the treating neurologist or physiatrist rather than relying on an insurer’s summary of the medical file.

The Lifetime Cost of a Spinal Cord Injury

The immediate costs of a spinal cord injury, emergency care, spinal stabilization surgery, and intensive rehabilitation, can reach several hundred thousand dollars within the first year alone.

Research from the federally funded National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates that the lifetime, direct cost of care for a person injured at a young age ranges from roughly $2 million for a lower-level incomplete injury to more than $6 million for the most severe, high cervical injuries, not including lost income or non-economic damages. These figures reflect medical care and daily living expenses only, which is why a properly built claim must separately document lost earning capacity and the human toll of the injury on top of projected medical costs.

Adaptive equipment, including wheelchairs, vehicle modifications, home modifications, and communication devices, along with in-home attendant care, typically represent the largest ongoing expense category for spinal cord injury survivors, often exceeding the cost of medical treatment itself over a lifetime.

Accessibility Rights After a Spinal Cord Injury

Beyond the personal injury claim itself, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires many employers to provide reasonable workplace accommodations and requires businesses open to the public to remove accessibility barriers where readily achievable. These federal protections do not replace a damages claim against the party who caused the injury, but they matter to how a life care plan accounts for a return to work or independent living, and we coordinate with vocational experts who understand both systems.

Compensation Available in a Spinal Cord Injury Case

Economic damages include past and future medical care, in-home and attendant care, adaptive equipment and home or vehicle modifications, lost income during recovery, and any reduction in future earning capacity.

Non-economic damages address pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disability. California places no statutory cap on compensatory damages in a spinal cord injury case; the medical and vocational evidence, not an arbitrary limit, determines what can be recovered.

Where a defendant’s conduct rises to malice, oppression, or fraud, California Civil Code Section 3294 permits punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages.

Protecting Your Claim After a Spinal Cord Injury

1. Get immediate emergency care and follow every recommendation from your treating neurologist or spine surgeon
2. Begin rehabilitation as early as your medical team allows; early, consistent therapy is part of both your recovery and your medical record
3. Ask your treatment team to document your classification and prognosis as it becomes clearer over time, not just the initial diagnosis
4. Preserve the vehicle, equipment, or property condition that caused the injury before it is repaired or discarded
5. Avoid recorded statements or early settlement offers before your neurological prognosis has stabilized
6. Contact our firm promptly; a lawsuit generally must be filed within two years under CCP Section 335.1, and a claim against a government entity must be presented within six months under Government Code Section 911.2

How Insurers Respond to Spinal Cord Injury Claims

Because spinal cord injury claims are among the highest-value personal injury cases, insurers recognize their exposure early and respond accordingly. Expect a fast initial contact, a request for a recorded statement, and, at times, an offer made before your neurological recovery has stabilized enough to know the real prognosis.

Insurers may send you to an independent medical examiner selected and paid by the company, whose report is written to argue for more retained function than your treating physicians have documented, or rely on surveillance to argue you are more capable than your medical record shows.

Attorney Yazdi’s history as a personal injury paralegal, paired with his courtroom training as a former Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office law clerk, informs how our firm builds these cases: we work directly with your treating physicians and life care planners so the claim reflects your actual, documented prognosis, and we litigate when an insurer will not offer a fair resolution.

Why Spinal Cord Injury Survivors Choose The Accident Network Law Group

Our attorneys have represented injured clients throughout Riverside County, Orange County, and San Bernardino County for more than 25 years, and we treat spinal cord injury cases as requiring dedicated medical coordination rather than a standard caseload approach.

• Attorney Yazdi personally reviews every spinal cord injury case our firm accepts
• We coordinate directly with treating neurologists, physiatrists, and life care planners
• Bilingual staff serve English and Spanish speaking families; se habla espanol
• Representation is available 24/7 and provided entirely on contingency, so you owe no fee unless we recover compensation

If you or a family member is living with a spinal cord injury caused by someone else’s negligence, contact The Accident Network Law Group today for a free consultation.