Attorney Michael Rehm — (800) 978-0754

A spinal cord injury is a permanent, life-altering event. The level of the injury — cervical, thoracic, or lumbar — determines what function is lost and what remains. Whether the injury is complete or incomplete determines the extent of that loss. Neither determination changes the fact that a person who sustains a serious spinal cord injury in a crash caused by someone else's negligence faces a fundamentally different life than they would have lived — and a damages case that must account for every aspect of that difference, across decades.

Attorney Michael Rehm handles spinal cord injury cases throughout Oakland and Alameda County arising from traffic crashes, commercial vehicle accidents, pedestrian incidents, and other negligent conduct.

Injury Classification and Medical Evidence

Spinal cord injuries are classified by the level of the injury — the lowest vertebral segment with normal motor and sensory function — and by completeness. A complete injury means total loss of motor and sensory function below the level of injury. An incomplete injury means some function is preserved below the level. The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) grades A through E is the standard clinical classification system.

Cervical injuries (C1–C8) affect the arms, hands, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs. High cervical injuries (C1–C4) may require ventilator support. Thoracic injuries (T1–T12) typically result in paraplegia with full arm function. Lumbar and sacral injuries affect leg movement and control of bowel and bladder.

Medical evidence in a spinal cord case involves emergency MRI and CT imaging, neurosurgical records, rehabilitation records, and ongoing neurological evaluations. A physiatrist — a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation — typically manages long-term care and can provide expert testimony on functional prognosis and future medical needs. A life care planner develops the comprehensive future care plan that forms the foundation for future damages.

Legal Framework and Damages

The legal framework is the same as any personal injury claim: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Civil Code § 1714. The damages in a serious spinal cord case are among the largest in personal injury law because the future care costs are enormous and extend across a full lifetime.

Economic damages include all past medical expenses (limited to amounts paid or owed, Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions, Inc. (2011) 52 Cal.4th 541), future medical and personal care costs, lost past earnings, and lost future earning capacity. Civil Code § 3333. Future care costs for a person with a high cervical injury requiring 24-hour attendant care can run into millions of dollars over a lifetime. Those costs must be established through a life care plan and reduced to present value by a forensic economist.

Noneconomic damages include pain and suffering, physical impairment and disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and — for surviving spouses — loss of consortium. CACI 3905A. Noneconomic damages are not capped in personal injury cases in California outside the medical malpractice context.

California's pure comparative fault rule applies. Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804. The statute of limitations is two years from the date of injury. Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. Tolling for incapacity may apply under Code of Civil Procedure § 352.

Government Entity Claims

When a spinal cord injury results from a government vehicle crash or a road defect on a public street, the six-month government claims deadline under Government Code § 911.2 applies. A claimant who is incapacitated by the injury may be entitled to file a late claim application under Government Code § 911.4. That application must be filed within a reasonable time after the disability ceases, and within one year of the injury date. The late claim application may be denied — contact Attorney Michael Rehm promptly to assess the specific deadline in your case.

Highland Hospital and Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

Wilma Chan Highland Hospital, 1411 East 31st Street, Oakland, is Alameda County's Level I Trauma Center and the first destination for crash victims with serious spinal injuries. Acute spinal cord injury treatment begins at Highland; long-term rehabilitation is typically provided at specialized rehabilitation centers. The full medical record from initial emergency care through ongoing rehabilitation forms the evidentiary foundation of the damages case.

Related Pages

• Oakland Personal Injury Attorney
• Oakland Catastrophic Injury Attorney
• Oakland Brain Injury Attorney
• Oakland Car Accident Attorney
• Oakland Wrongful Death Attorney

Attorney Michael Rehm handles spinal cord injury cases throughout Oakland and Alameda County on a contingency fee basis. No fee without a recovery. Call (800) 978-0754 to arrange a free consultation.

The information on this page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts. The law can change — statutes are amended, cases are decided, and regulations are revised; nothing on this page should be relied upon as a statement of current law without verification. Deadlines and legal bars discussed on this page are general guides — whether a particular deadline applies, has run, or is subject to tolling, and whether a particular doctrine bars or limits recovery in your case, requires individual analysis. Contact Attorney Michael Rehm to discuss the specific facts of your situation.