A spinal cord injury reorganizes a life in an afternoon — mobility, work, home, independence. The legal case has one job: fund that reorganization completely, for as long as it lasts. That means resisting the early settlement priced on the hospital bill and building the claim on what the decades actually cost.
Built Like the Catastrophic Case It Is
- Level and completeness drive the math. Paraplegia and tetraplegia, complete and incomplete injuries carry different care trajectories — MedlinePlus covers the clinical landscape — and the life-care plan prices each honestly.
- The costs insurers omit. Attendant care, home and vehicle modification, equipment replacement cycles, secondary complications (CDC documents them), and lost earning capacity across a career.
- Full framework engaged. These cases run through our catastrophic injury practice — life-care planners, economists, every coverage layer mapped, settlement structured to protect benefits.
- Sources: vehicle crashes (car, truck, motorcycle), falls, work incidents, and medical negligence — our post on crash-caused spinal injuries covers the most common path.
Frequently Asked Questions
The insurer’s first offer would cover about two years of care. What then?
Exactly the question the offer is designed to avoid. Spinal cord care costs run for life, and the settlement is the one chance to fund it — which is why no serious SCI case settles before a professional life-care plan prices the decades.
Incomplete injury — I’ve regained some function. Does that shrink the case?
It changes the projection, not the seriousness — incomplete injuries still carry lifelong care, complication risks, and work impact. The plan prices your actual trajectory, including honest uncertainty.
Can the settlement affect my benefits eligibility?
Unstructured, it can — which is why SCI settlements get planned (trusts, structures) to preserve eligibility while funding needs. That planning is part of our representation, not an afterthought.
How long do I have to file?
Generally two years under Pennsylvania law — with a six-month written-notice requirement for claims against government entities and special rules for minors and late-discovered injuries.
What does hiring you cost?
No attorney’s fee unless we recover for you; the contingency percentage and case-cost handling are in the written fee agreement you review before signing. Consultations are free.
Ready to talk about your case? Call (215) 464-4600 or contact us online for a free, confidential consultation — contingency fee, no attorney’s fee unless we recover, costs explained in the written fee agreement.