A spinal cord injury changes everything. The deadline to act is already running.
Paralysis, nerve damage, and chronic pain carry costs most families never see coming. We handle spinal cord injury claims in Florida, and the first conversation costs nothing.
in the U.S. each year
up from 29 in the 1970s
we recover for you.
What a spinal cord injury actually is
Damage to the spinal cord interrupts the signals between the brain and the body below the level of the injury. Where the cord is damaged decides what function is lost.
Complete injury
No motor or sensory function below the level of injury. Function rarely returns without intervention early in treatment.
Incomplete injury
Some signal still crosses the damaged area. Recovery varies widely and depends heavily on early, correct medical care.
Level of injury
Cervical (neck) injuries affect arms, trunk, and legs. Thoracic and lumbar injuries affect the trunk and legs.
Source: National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Facts and Figures at a Glance.
The lifetime cost of care, for education, not a case value
These are published national averages, shown so a family can understand what care can cost over a life. They are not a promise or an estimate about any individual case.
| Severity | Estimated lifetime cost |
|---|---|
| High tetraplegia (C1 to C4) | Highest published category |
| Low tetraplegia (C5 to C8) | Second highest category |
| Paraplegia, injured at 25 | Approximately $3.1 million |
| Indirect costs, all severities | Averaged $97,787 per year |
Figures reflect published NSCISC national estimates in 2025 dollars. Individual circumstances vary.
Florida’s deadline to file is set by statute
Florida law sets a time limit to file most personal injury claims. Miss it and the claim is generally barred. A claim against a government body carries a separate notice deadline measured in months, not years.
Do not assume you have time. Confirm your deadline before anything else. See Florida Statutes Section 95.11.
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What drives a spinal cord injury claim
No lawyer can promise a number. What drives a claim is well established, and knowing the drivers helps a family understand a case.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Level and completeness | A complete cervical injury carries lifelong attendant care. That care is often the largest line item in a claim. |
| Lost earning capacity | Age at injury, occupation, and documented income history set the size of a future-earnings claim. |
| Available insurance | A claim cannot collect more than the coverage that exists, unless a second responsible party is identified. |
| Home and vehicle modification | Ramps, lifts, widened doorways, and an accessible vehicle can be documented by a life-care planner. |
| Comparative fault | Florida reduces recovery by the injured person’s share of fault, under the state’s comparative fault rule. |
Spinal cord injury library
Short, sourced notes. Each one still has a way back to a free case review. Reading time is not the goal.
Florida’s filing deadline
Two-year negligence clock, plus the shorter notice when a city or agency is involved.
What a life-care plan includes
The document that lists a lifetime of care. Not a quote for what a case will pay.
Specialists in spinal cord injury care
Spine surgeon, physiatrist, life-care planner. Types of work, not a doctor list.