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The type and level of paralysis determines everything — care needs, independence, employment potential, and lifetime costs. We ensure the medical classification drives maximum compensation.
Not all spinal cord injuries are the same, and the legal valuation of a case depends heavily on two factors: where the spinal cord was damaged (the neurological level) and how completely it was damaged (complete vs. incomplete). These two variables determine everything from daily care needs to earning capacity to lifetime costs.
An experienced SCI attorney will work with the treating physiatrist to ensure the court understands exactly how the injury level translates to specific, documentable losses. The difference between a C5 and C7 injury, for example, can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in lifetime care costs.
The international standard for classifying spinal cord injury severity:
No motor or sensory function preserved below the injury level. All voluntary movement and sensation are absent.
Sensory function preserved below injury level (patient can feel touch/pain) but no motor function. No voluntary movement.
Some motor function preserved below injury level, but less than half of key muscles have useful strength (grade 3+).
More than half of key muscles below injury have useful strength (grade 3+). Patient may walk with assistance. Often still significantly impaired.
Motor and sensory function normal. May still have pain, spasticity, or other neurological abnormalities not captured by the scale.
Paraplegia — loss of function in the lower extremities from thoracic or lumbar injuries — leaves the upper body intact. While many paraplegics can drive modified vehicles, work desk jobs, and live semi-independently, the impact on their lives is still profound.
Quadriplegia (tetraplegia) — loss of function in all four limbs from cervical injuries — represents the most severe category of SCI. These cases produce the highest damages because the care needs are the most extensive.
Even within quadriplegia, the specific cervical level matters enormously. A C5 injury preserves shoulder and biceps function, allowing some independence with adaptive equipment. A C4 injury may require ventilator support. A C7 injury preserves wrist extension, enabling limited hand function. Each level changes the care plan, the equipment needs, and the lifetime cost by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Approximately 65% of all SCIs are classified as incomplete — meaning some motor or sensory function is preserved below the injury level. Insurance companies frequently attempt to minimize incomplete injuries, arguing that "some function preserved" means the victim is fine. This is far from the truth.
Many incomplete SCI patients experience debilitating chronic pain (sometimes worse than complete injuries, because preserved nerves carry pain signals), significant mobility limitations requiring wheelchair use, bowel and bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, and reduced independence requiring attendant care. Lifetime costs for incomplete injuries regularly exceed $1 million.
Greater weakness in arms than legs. Often from hyperextension injuries. May walk but can't use hands effectively — devastating for most occupations.
Damage to one side of the cord. Motor loss on injured side, sensory loss on opposite side. Complex functional limitations.
Damage to front of the cord. Motor function and pain sensation lost, but touch and position sense preserved. Often poor recovery prognosis.
Whether your SCI is incomplete, paraplegic, or quadriplegic, the lifetime costs are real and substantial. We build the medical and economic case to fight for every dollar.
No Fee Unless We Win