A spinal cord injury changes more than your health. It changes how you work, how you move through your own home, and how you plan for the rest of your life. If you or someone you love suffered a spinal injury in an accident, you need a spinal cord injury attorney who understands both the medicine and the law behind these cases.
The Herman Firm represents spinal cord injury victims throughout Walnut Creek and the wider San Francisco Bay Area. As your spine injury attorney, we build the medical and financial case insurance companies cannot dismiss, so you can focus on recovery while we handle everything else.
How Doctors and Insurers Classify a Spinal Cord Injury
Insurance companies treat every level of injury differently, and the classification your medical records use can quietly shape your entire claim.
Some feeling or movement remains below the site of injury. Insurers sometimes use this to argue the damage is minor, even when a client is dealing with chronic pain, weakness, or loss of function that changes daily life.
Loss of movement and sensation in the lower body, typically affecting the legs and often the trunk. A paraplegia lawyer needs to account for mobility equipment, home modifications, and lifelong medical care when valuing a claim like this.
Loss of movement and sensation affecting all four limbs and often the torso. These catastrophic cases require a quadriplegia lawyer experienced in life care planning, attendant care costs, and expert medical testimony to value correctly.
Determining the true severity of a spinal cord injury, and proving it to an insurance company, is one of the central challenges in any spine injury claim. Medical records, imaging, and statements from family and coworkers all become critical evidence.
Common Causes of Spinal Injuries We Handle
High speed and rear end collisions are the leading cause of the spinal cord injury cases we see in Walnut Creek and the Bay Area.
Collisions involving commercial trucks often produce more severe spine injuries because of the force involved in the impact.
Falls are a leading cause of back injury and spinal trauma, especially for older adults and on poorly maintained property.
Falls from height, falling objects, and heavy equipment accidents can all cause serious spine and back trauma on the job.
Pedestrians and cyclists struck by vehicles face a high risk of spine injury with little protection on impact.
Diving accidents and other high impact recreational activities are a common cause of catastrophic spinal cord injury.
If your spine injury happened in a crash, our Walnut Creek car accident lawyer team can also help you understand your full claim. Injuries from larger vehicles often involve our Walnut Creek truck accident lawyer practice, and falls are frequently handled alongside our Walnut Creek slip and fall attorneys.
Spine Injury Results for Our Clients
Spine injury in a truck crash. The defense claimed a minor impact because no emergency services were called.
Outpatient microdiscectomy for a lumbar spine injury. The defense claimed minor impact with no visible vehicle damage.
Spine injury.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different. See more on our case results page.
Types of Spinal and Back Injuries We Handle
We represent clients across the full range of spine-related injuries, including:
- Herniated and bulging disc injuries
- Compression and vertebral fractures
- Nerve damage and radiculopathy
- Incomplete spinal cord injuries
- Paraplegia from lower spine damage
- Quadriplegia from cervical spine damage
Whether you are dealing with a herniated disc after a single traumatic event or a catastrophic spinal cord injury that will need care for the rest of your life, we build the claim around your actual, long-term needs rather than a quick settlement offer.
What to Do After a Spinal Cord Injury Accident
See a doctor immediately, even if your symptoms seem mild. Spinal cord injury symptoms can worsen or take hours to fully appear.
Keep a daily log of pain, numbness, weakness, and anything that feels different in your back, arms, or legs. This record becomes powerful evidence later.
File a police report for car, truck, or pedestrian accidents, or a formal incident report for workplace and property accidents.
Attend every follow up appointment and therapy session your doctor recommends. Gaps in treatment give insurers an excuse to argue your injury was not serious.
Insurance adjusters call quickly and often ask leading questions. Read our guide on handling insurance adjusters before you speak with one.
Spinal cord injury claims are won or lost on medical evidence and timing. Acting quickly protects your case and your right to full compensation.
Serving Walnut Creek and the Bay Area
We are based in Walnut Creek, and we know the local courts, the local hospitals, and the insurance adjusters who cover this area. Serious spine injuries in Contra Costa County are usually taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, the county trauma center, and spinal cord injury rehabilitation often continues at specialized centers like Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Lawsuits filed in the county are heard at Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez.
We represent spine and spinal cord injury victims throughout Contra Costa County and the wider San Francisco Bay Area, and Michael Herman can meet you at our office, at home, or at the hospital.
- Walnut Creek
- Concord
- Danville
- Lafayette
- Orinda
- Alamo
- Contra Costa County
- Oakland and Berkeley
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Sacramento
- Statewide California
- Surrounding East Bay communities
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no single average, because settlement value depends heavily on severity. An incomplete injury with meaningful recovery settles very differently than paraplegia or quadriplegia with permanent effects. What drives the number up is clear medical documentation, expert testimony on long term impact, and proof of how the injury has changed your ability to work and live independently.
Your claim’s worth comes down to three things: the severity of the injury, the cost of past and future medical care, and the impact on your income and daily life. A spinal cord injury lawyer builds your claim’s value by documenting all three clearly, rather than accepting the insurance company’s first offer based only on your initial hospital visit.
Symptoms can appear immediately or develop over the following hours and days. Common signs include numbness, tingling, weakness in the arms or legs, loss of bladder or bowel control, and difficulty with balance or coordination. Because early symptoms are sometimes mild, it is important to see a doctor and keep a record of any changes that appear after a crash, even if you feel mostly fine at first.
Long term care for paraplegia or quadriplegia can include ongoing physical therapy, attendant care, home modifications, mobility equipment, and specialized medical management for the rest of a person’s life. A well built claim accounts for these costs years in advance, using medical experts and life care planners so a settlement does not fall short down the road.
Proving a spinal cord injury claim relies on consistent medical records, imaging, and often testimony from specialists who can connect your symptoms to the accident. We also gather statements from family, friends, and coworkers who can describe the changes they have seen, since day to day impact is often more convincing to an insurer than test results alone.
Talk to a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Today
If you or a family member suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident, do not wait to get answers. The Herman Firm offers a free, no obligation consultation, and you pay nothing unless we win your case.
What types of spinal cord injuries qualify for a personal injury claim?
Both complete injuries (total loss of function below the injury site) and incomplete injuries (partial loss of function), including paraplegia and quadriplegia, may qualify for a claim if caused by someone else’s negligence — such as a car accident, fall, or workplace incident.
How much is a spinal cord injury settlement worth?
Every case is different. Value typically depends on the severity of the injury, current and future medical costs (including long-term care), lost income and earning capacity, and pain and suffering. An attorney can review the specifics of your case to estimate a fair range.
What is the statute of limitations for spinal cord injury claims in California?
California generally gives you two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. If a city, county, or other public agency is involved, you usually must file a government claim within six months. Because the specifics vary by case, it’s best to consult an attorney as soon as possible to avoid missing your filing deadline.
Who is liable if a car accident causes a spinal cord injury?
Liability depends on the facts of the accident — it could be another driver, a commercial vehicle company, a property owner, or another party. An investigation is often needed to determine fault and identify every liable party.
Can I still file a claim if I’m able to work after a spinal cord injury?
Yes. Even without a total loss of income, you may still be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and other losses caused by the injury.