A spinal cord injury can turn an ordinary day into a permanent turning point. A crash on the Indiana Toll Road, a fall at an unsafe property, or a workplace accident near downtown South Bend can leave someone facing paralysis, chronic pain, or a level of care that lasts the rest of their life.
At Wagner Reese LLP, we represent South Bend residents whose lives changed because of someone else’s negligence. Our personal injury attorneys handle catastrophic injury claims throughout Indiana, and we know how disruptive a spinal cord injury can be to a family’s finances and daily life.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries carry some of the highest lifetime costs of any personal injury, and Indiana law allows injured people to pursue compensation for those costs when another party’s negligence caused the harm. A spinal cord injury claim typically covers past and future medical expenses, along with lost wages and lost earning capacity if the injury prevents someone from returning to work.
Indiana law also permits recovery for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and the cost of long-term care such as physical therapy, assistive devices, or home modifications. According to the National SCI Statistical Center, average first-year expenses for a person with paraplegia can exceed $700,000, and costs climb significantly higher for more severe tetraplegia injuries. These figures highlight why a thorough approach to valuing a claim matters from the very first conversation.
How We Build a Spinal Cord Injury Claim
Every spinal cord injury case starts with a careful investigation into what happened and who bears responsibility. We gather police reports, medical records, and physical evidence quickly, before it disappears or becomes harder to access, and we bring in accident reconstruction specialists and medical experts whenever a case calls for it.
Identifying the Cause of the Injury
Spinal cord injuries in South Bend often result from serious motor vehicle collisions, falls on hazardous property, or workplace incidents. Vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of spinal cord injuries nationwide, and we regularly see these claims arise from significant car accidents and other high-impact collisions on Indiana roads. Pinpointing every liable party, whether a driver, property owner, or employer, directly shapes how much compensation a client can pursue.
Calculating the Full Cost of the Injury
A spinal cord injury almost never comes with a single, predictable price tag. We work with treating physicians and life care planners to project the true cost of a client’s care over their lifetime, factoring in surgeries, rehabilitation, mobility equipment, and any necessary home modifications. This approach protects clients from accepting a settlement that looks fair today but proves inadequate years down the road.
Understanding the Severity of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries generally fall into two broad categories, and understanding the difference matters when valuing a claim. A complete injury means all feeling and movement below the injury site has been lost, while an incomplete injury means some function remains, even though it can still involve significant impairment.
Where the injury occurs along the spine also affects how it impacts a person’s life. Injuries near the top of the spine, known as high tetraplegia, tend to affect the arms, hands, and torso in addition to the legs, and often demand the most extensive lifetime care. Injuries lower on the spine, such as paraplegia, typically affect the legs and lower body while allowing more independence with the arms and hands.
Because every case involves its own combination of injury level, completeness, and long-term prognosis, no two spinal cord injury claims look alike. We work closely with treating physicians to understand exactly how an injury affects a client’s daily life, and we use that information to pursue compensation that reflects the true scope of the harm.
Why South Bend Families Choose Wagner Reese LLP
Our firm has represented injury victims throughout Indiana since Stephen Wagner and Jason Reese founded Wagner Reese LLP, and our attorneys bring a combined 150 years of experience to catastrophic injury cases. We take on complex, high-stakes litigation rather than pursuing quick settlements, and our attorneys have earned recognition from Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America for that work.
We also handle spinal cord injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so clients never pay out of pocket to have their case reviewed or pursued. Our team treats every client as a person facing a life-altering event, not a case number, and we bring that same care to every South Bend client we represent, including those pursuing claims connected to a serious spinal cord injury anywhere in the state.
Contact Wagner Reese LLP Today
Catastrophic injury claims involve more moving parts than a typical personal injury case, including complex medical evidence, multiple liable parties, and larger insurance disputes. Having an attorney who understands how to build these cases from the ground up can make a real difference in the outcome, and our team has spent decades handling exactly this kind of litigation.
If you or your family member sustained a spinal cord injury because of someone else’s carelessness, we want to hear what happened. Reach out through our contact form to schedule a consultation and learn what options may be available for your case.
