Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal Cord Injuries Destroy Lives in Seconds. The Legal Fight to Recover Takes Years — and the Right Attorney.
A spinal cord injury is one of the most devastating things that can happen to a human being. In an instant — a car crash, a fall, a diving accident — a person goes from fully functional to facing permanent paralysis, chronic pain, and a lifetime of medical dependence. The physical devastation is obvious. What's less visible is the financial catastrophe: the average lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury ranges from $1.1 million for an incomplete injury to over $5 million for high-level quadriplegia. Insurance companies know these numbers. That's exactly why they fight so hard to minimize every spinal cord case.
At Koussan Law, I represent spinal cord injury victims across Michigan. These cases demand the highest level of legal resources — life care planners, vocational economists, physiatrists, and neurosurgeons who can project lifetime needs and testify to the permanence of the disability. I invest those resources because the difference between a case that settles for policy limits and one that recovers what the client actually needs is often measured in millions of dollars.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries and Their Impact
Complete injuries result in total loss of motor function and sensation below the level of injury. A complete injury at the cervical level (C1-C7) causes quadriplegia — paralysis of all four limbs. A complete injury at the thoracic or lumbar level causes paraplegia — paralysis of the lower body. Incomplete injuries preserve some function below the injury level, but the degree of impairment varies widely and may include chronic pain, muscle weakness, spasticity, and bowel/bladder dysfunction.
Beyond paralysis, spinal cord injury complications include autonomic dysreflexia, chronic neuropathic pain, pressure sores from immobility, urinary tract infections, respiratory complications, depression and psychological adjustment disorders, and sexual dysfunction. Each of these complications generates ongoing medical costs and diminishes quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury?
Costs depend on the level and completeness of injury. For high-level quadriplegia (C1-C4), first-year medical costs exceed $1.1 million with annual costs of approximately $200,000 thereafter. Paraplegia has lower but still substantial costs. Over a lifetime, total costs range from $1.1 million to over $5 million. I retain life care planners and economists who project these costs specifically for each client's injury level, age, and pre-injury circumstances.
Q: Does Michigan cap damages in spinal cord injury cases?
No. Michigan caps non-economic damages only in medical malpractice cases under MCL § 600.1483. For spinal cord injuries arising from auto accidents, falls, defective products, or other negligence — there is no cap on economic or non-economic damages. The full cost of lifetime care, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering is recoverable.
Q: How do PIP benefits work for spinal cord injuries in Michigan?
Under MCL § 500.3107, PIP benefits cover allowable expenses for care, recovery, and rehabilitation. For spinal cord injury patients, this includes hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, attendant care, adaptive equipment, and home modifications. The critical issue is your PIP coverage tier — if you elected the $50,000 or $250,000 tier under the 2019 reform, you may exhaust your PIP coverage quickly. I analyze every available source of coverage to fill any gaps.
Q: What is the statute of limitations for a spinal cord injury claim?
Three years from the date of injury under MCL § 600.5805. PIP benefits have a one-year deadline per expense under MCL § 500.3145. Government entity claims require 120-day notice under MCL § 691.1404. Despite the severity of spinal cord injuries, these deadlines don't extend — contact an attorney immediately, even while still hospitalized.
