Spinal cord injury

A spinal cord injury is damage to the bundle of nerves that carries signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Depending on where the cord is injured and how badly, it can cause permanent loss of movement, sensation, and control of body functions below that level. These are among the most serious injuries in accident law, and the claim is built around a lifetime of care.

It is general information, not legal advice, and it is not medical advice.

Level and completeness

The level is the point on the cord where the damage occurred. Higher injuries affect more of the body:

• Tetraplegia (also called quadriplegia): injury in the neck, affecting the arms, trunk, legs, and often breathing.
• Paraplegia: injury in the mid or lower back, affecting the trunk and legs, with the arms spared.

Completeness describes how much signal still crosses the injury. A complete injury leaves no function below the level; an incomplete injury leaves some. Doctors grade this on a standard scale, and the grade can change during the first months.

The care arc

• Acute care. Stabilizing the spine, often surgery, intensive care, and prevention of early complications.
• Inpatient rehabilitation. Weeks to months relearning daily activities, building strength, and training in the use of equipment.
• Lifelong management. Ongoing care for the secondary effects — pressure injuries, bladder and bowel management, spasticity, autonomic problems, chronic pain, and a raised risk of other conditions over time.

What the person needs going forward

A spinal cord injury reaches into every part of life: a properly fitted wheelchair and back-up, replaced on a cycle; a home that is accessible or renovated to be; a modified vehicle or accessible transportation; personal care assistance, sometimes around the clock; recurring medical supplies; and regular specialist follow-up. Lost earning capacity is usually part of the picture as well.

Life-care planning

Because the claim has to account for decades of need, a life-care plan is prepared: a line-by-line projection of future care, equipment, services, and modifications, built with the treating physicians and supported by medical literature. Economic analysis then addresses the cost of that care and any lost earning capacity. This documentation, not the description of the accident, is where most of the work goes.

Sources: CACI No. 3903A (past and future medical expenses) and CACI No. 3903D (lost earning capacity); CACI No. 3906 (given alongside it — jurors must not use race, ethnicity, or gender as a basis for reducing lost earnings or lost earning capacity); CACI No. 3928 (unusually susceptible plaintiff). CACI citations are to the Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (2026 edition).

Which accidents cause spinal cord injury

High-energy impacts and falls: car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, and falls from height and other premises hazards.

Common questions

What is the difference between a complete and an incomplete injury?

In a complete injury there is no motor or sensory function below the level of the damage. In an incomplete injury some signal still crosses the injured area, so some movement or sensation remains. The level and completeness shape function and care needs.

What is a life-care plan?

A detailed projection, prepared by a qualified professional with the treating doctors, of every item of future care a person will need for life — medical, equipment, personal assistance, home and vehicle modification, and supplies. It is the backbone of a spinal cord injury claim.

How soon should a lawyer be involved?

Early. Evidence at the scene and the vehicles or property needs to be preserved, the at-fault parties and all available insurance identified, and the claim deadlines — including the six-month government-claim deadline if a public entity is involved — protected.

Does a pre-existing spine condition matter?

It matters for what the records must show, not for whether a claim exists. If the accident caused the cord injury, that is the injury, and an unusually vulnerable person is still owed for the full harm.