Texas Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers

Representing the Paralyzed and Catastrophically Injured

A spinal cord injury changes the rest of a person's life in an instant. Paralysis, loss of sensation, and loss of independence bring medical costs, equipment needs, and care requirements that continue for decades, often reaching into the millions over a lifetime. The party responsible, and its insurer, will work to settle for a fraction of that.

Matthews & Associates represents spinal cord injury victims and families across Texas from our principal office in Houston. As a national trial firm focused on catastrophic injury, we have the resources to document what a lifetime of paralysis actually costs and the trial record to hold negligent parties to it.

What sets our representation apart:

• Board-certified trial leadership. Founder David P. Matthews is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, held by fewer than 3% of attorneys in the state.
• A focus on serious injury. We concentrate on catastrophic and life-altering cases, not high-volume minor claims.
• No fee unless we recover. We advance the cost of building the case, including the experts these claims require.

The value of a spinal cord injury claim is measured over a lifetime. Call (888) 923-7001 or contact us online for a FREE consultation before accepting an offer.

Levels and Types of Spinal Cord Injury

Where the spinal cord is damaged, and how completely, determines the extent of paralysis and the care a person will need.

• Complete injuries. The spinal cord is fully severed or damaged, eliminating movement and sensation below the level of injury.
• Incomplete injuries. Some signals still pass through the damaged area, leaving partial movement or sensation that varies widely from person to person.
• Paraplegia. Paralysis affecting the lower body and legs, typically from injuries to the mid or lower back.
• Tetraplegia (quadriplegia). Paralysis affecting all four limbs and the torso, resulting from injuries to the neck and upper spine. These injuries often involve the most extensive lifelong care.

The higher on the spine the injury occurs, the greater its effect on movement, breathing, and independence, and the higher the lifetime cost of care.

How Spinal Cord Injuries Happen

Most spinal cord injuries we handle result from sudden trauma caused by someone else's negligence. Common causes across Texas include:

• Car, truck, and motorcycle collisions, especially high-speed highway crashes
• Falls from height on construction sites and at industrial facilities
• Workplace and oilfield accidents
• Defective products, safety equipment, or machinery
• Acts of violence

When negligence causes the injury, the victim may be entitled to compensation reflecting the full, lifelong scope of the harm.

The Lifetime Cost of Paralysis

The financial impact of a spinal cord injury is measured in decades, not months. Beyond emergency care and initial rehabilitation, survivors often face a lifetime of expenses: attendant or nursing care, adaptive equipment, home and vehicle modifications, and repeated hospitalizations for complications. Many can no longer work, or can work only in a limited capacity, while their families take on caregiving and lost income of their own.

A settlement that covers only current medical bills leaves a paralyzed person and their family exposed to costs that will continue for the rest of their life. Building a claim that reflects that full future is the central task in a spinal cord injury case.

What Affects the Value of a Spinal Cord Injury Claim

Why do these cases vary so widely in value? Because the extent of the injury and its lifelong consequences differ from one person to the next. The factors that most influence value include:

• Level and completeness of the injury. Higher and complete injuries generally require more extensive care and carry greater value.
• Projected cost of future care. The lifetime need for medical treatment, attendant care, and equipment, documented by experts rather than estimated from past bills.
• Lost earning capacity. The income the injury will cost over a working lifetime, including diminished capacity for those who can still work in some form.
• Age and life expectancy. Younger victims face more years of care and lost earnings, which increases the projected cost.
• Degree of fault. How responsibility is divided among the parties, since Texas reduces recovery by the injured person's share of fault.

Compensation in a Spinal Cord Injury Case

Compensation in these cases must account for both immediate and lifelong losses. A full claim can include:

• Medical care: emergency treatment, surgery, and rehabilitation, plus lifelong treatment and management of complications
• Ongoing support: attendant or nursing care, adaptive equipment, and home and vehicle modifications
• Lost earnings: lost wages and diminished or eliminated earning capacity
• Non-economic harm: physical pain, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life

Establishing Fault

A spinal cord injury claim depends on connecting the injury to another party's negligence and identifying everyone who shares responsibility. More than one party is often at fault, such as a driver and the company that employed them, or a property owner and a contractor. Establishing this typically requires:

• Accident reconstruction and scene evidence
• Records showing how the incident occurred and who controlled the conditions
• Medical evidence linking the injury to the event
• Investigation of every party whose conduct contributed

Identifying all responsible parties early protects the value of the claim, particularly when a lifetime of costs is at stake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Spinal Cord Injury Claim Be Worth Millions?

It can. Because paralysis often requires care and support for the rest of a person's life, the projected lifetime cost alone can reach into the millions, before accounting for lost income and non-economic harm.

What Is the Difference Between a Complete and Incomplete Injury?

A complete injury eliminates movement and sensation below the point of damage, while an incomplete injury leaves some function that varies by person. The distinction affects prognosis, care needs, and the value of a claim.

How Long Do I Have to File in Texas?

Generally, two years from the date of injury (Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 16.003), though certain circumstances can change that deadline. Early action also helps preserve the evidence these cases depend on.

What if the Injured Person Cannot Manage the Case Themselves?

A family member or legal representative can pursue a claim on behalf of an injured person who is unable to do so. We regularly work with families in that situation and can explain the options.

Does Being Partly at Fault Bar Recovery?

Not unless you were more than 50% responsible. Under Texas's modified comparative negligence rule, you can still recover with your compensation reduced by your share of fault.

Call For a FREE Consultation: (888) 923-7001

A spinal cord injury will shape your medical needs, your finances, and your family's future for decades, and the compensation you accept must reflect all of it. Our attorneys build these claims for their full lifetime value and are prepared to try them when insurers fall short.

Call (888) 923-7001 or contact us online for a FREE and confidential consultation.