Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
Spinal cord injuries are among the most catastrophic injuries a person can experience. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, someone else may be responsible for your financial, physical, and emotional damages.
At Shulman & Hill, we’ve helped countless spinal cord injury victims and their families recover the compensation they need to rebuild their lives. Our New York City personal injury lawyers can guide you through your options and advocate for your best interests.
Why Choose Shulman & Hill After a Spinal Cord Injury?
We have represented injured New Yorkers for over a decade, recovering more than $1 Billion+ for our valued clients.
No case is too significant, complex, or challenging for our experienced attorneys. This mindset can make all the difference when you face a life-altering spinal cord injury. These injuries can affect every aspect of your life, and we’re prepared to build a strong case demonstrating the full extent of your losses. When you turn to us, we’ll handle every legal detail while you focus on moving forward.
We’ve achieved numerous professional recognitions for our personal injury advocacy. Founding attorney Alex Shulman has been included among the New York Super Lawyers since 2017, an honor reserved for the state’s top five percent of attorneys. Our firm also has received the Attorney and Practice Magazine’s Top 10 Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Award.
We have office locations in every NYC borough and on Long Island. As New Yorkers representing New Yorkers, our team values the trust our diverse community members have placed in us to support them during one of the most trying times in their lives. Our multilingual staff can assist you in the language you’re most comfortable with, whether that’s English, Spanish, or Russian.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer?
Our firm offers quality representation no matter your financial situation. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning our fee is a percentage of your final award. You pay us nothing unless we win, and there are no out-of-pocket costs for our legal services.
By far the greatest group of paralegals and attorneys—they really get the job done, always someone available to speak to / they even have an app update with the times—just a GREAT experience
– Reynold H.
Excellent law firm had my back the entire way, made sure I got my settlement and then some highly recommended!!!
– Burn S.
Great service, would definitely recommend coming here for any settlements.
– Jordan M.
Common Spinal Cord Injury Damages
If someone else’s wrongdoing caused your spinal cord injury, you may recover compensation for any resulting losses. These include both economic and non-economic damages, such as:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages for the work you missed while recovering
- Diminished earning capacity from the injury’s long-term effects on your ability to work
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life activities
You also may be eligible for punitive damages if the defendant intended to harm you or showed extreme recklessness. Punitive damages aim to punish the defendant rather than compensate you for specific damages.
Workers’ Compensation
Your compensation options may be different if your spinal cord injury resulted from a workplace incident. New York’s workers’ compensation system allows injured employees to receive benefits no matter who’s at fault. Workers’ comp benefits typically include medical expenses and lost wages.
If you’re covered under workers’ compensation, you generally can’t file a personal injury claim against your employer. However, you may have the right to sue a third party that contributed to your injuries, such as a contractor or property owner. Our NYC spinal cord injury lawyers handle both types of claims and can help you explore these options.
Factors Impacting Compensation Amounts
Various factors can influence how much money you can recover for your damages, particularly injury severity. More severe spinal cord injuries typically yield higher compensation due to the significant impact on the victim’s life.
Victims may be unable to return to their previous occupation, require long-term medical care, and experience chronic pain. All of these factors can potentially increase settlement amounts.
New York’s comparative negligence law also can affect your compensation. You may still recover compensation if you’re partially at fault for your spinal cord injury. However, your compensation will be reduced by your share of the fault.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
Our attorneys have represented people injured at all levels of the spine, from the cervical or neck region to the lumbar or lower back region. These include both complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries.
Complete spinal cord injuries involve the loss of all feeling and motor control below the injury site, also known as paralysis. These injuries affect every aspect of a victim’s life and typically have limited recovery potential.
With incomplete spinal cord injuries, some feeling and motor control remain below the injury site. Victims are more likely to recover some function and lead independent lives with these types of injuries.
Various accidents can cause both types of spinal cord injuries, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, falls from heights, acts of violence, and sports-related accidents.
Filing Deadlines for Spinal Cord Injury Claims
A three-year statute of limitations applies to most New York personal injury cases. That means you have three years from your injury date to file a claim. If you miss the deadline, you may lose your right to seek compensation.
Exceptions apply in certain circumstances. For example, if the New York City or New York State governments are liable for your injury, the filing deadline is one year and 90 days. In addition, a Notice of Claim typically must be filed within 30 days of the accident.
If you lost a loved one to a spinal cord injury, you must file a claim within the wrongful death statute of limitations. The filing deadline is two years from the date of death.
