Washington Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys

A spinal cord injury changes body, work, and family life in a single moment. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) indicates that roughly 18,000 new spinal cord injuries occur each year in the United States, with hundreds of thousands of people living with long-term effects. Paralysis, chronic pain, bladder and bowel issues, and breathing problems can follow you into every part of daily life, and the cost of care runs high for years.

For a Washington family, a spinal cord injury can bring:

• Surgeries, long hospital stays, and complex rehab
• Wheelchairs, specialized seating, and other mobility equipment with replacement costs over time
• Home and work changes to deal with weakness, spasticity, and fatigue

The Washington spinal cord injury attorneys at Freeman Law Firm, Inc. look beyond first hospital bills and fight for compensation that reflects long-term medical, income, and daily living needs. If you or a family member lives with a spinal cord injury after an accident and you think you may have a case, call (253) 383-4500 for a free consultation. Let Freeman fight for you.

Spinal Cord Injury Cause and How it Affects Your Case

The cause of a spinal cord injury points directly to who may be responsible, which insurance policies apply, and what kind of defenses you can expect in a Washington case. A crash on a highway, a fall from height at a job site, a blow to the neck in a violent attack, or a surgical error at a hospital each demand a different plan.

Our spinal cord injury lawyers at Freeman Law Firm, Inc. build strategy in a few strategic areas:

1. Liability and Defendants – Cause of injury guides which people or companies we name in the case, whether that means a driver, a trucking company, a property owner, a contractor, a product manufacturer, or a health care provider.
2. Evidence Priorities – Different causes push different proof to the front, from crash reconstruction data and commercial logbooks to fall hazard photos, OSHA records, or detailed medical charts and imaging.
3. Expert Involvement – Case planning changes which experts add the most value, for example accident reconstruction professionals for vehicle or fall cases, or independent neurosurgeons and rehabilitation specialists for hospital-related spinal cord injuries.
4. Damages Presentation – How the injury happened also affects how we explain your losses, including future care needs, mobility equipment, lost earning power, and limits on daily life that trace back to the original event.

When strategy follows the true cause of your spinal cord injury, our attorneys can build a case that links what happened to the care you need now, the income you stand to lose, and the daily limits you face in Washington.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries and Functional Impact

Spinal cord injuries fall into broad medical categories that influence how your body works and what kind of help you need day to day. A clear picture of your injury’s level and type helps our lawyers and experts describe your limitations clearly as we make a case for compensation.

Complete vs. Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

A complete spinal cord injury involves loss of motor function and sensation below the level of injury, with no meaningful signal getting through the damaged area. An incomplete injury allows some movement or feeling below the injured segment, which can leave you with partial function mixed with weakness, numbness, or clumsy movement.

How our lawyers build your case in each scenario will differ. For example, complete injury cases will usually require more attendant care, more equipment, and stronger claims for lifetime wage loss and incomplete injuries will typically call for careful documentation of inconsistent function, fatigue, and pain.

In an incomplete spinal cord injury case, because movement and sensation remain, insurance companies and defense lawyers may argue that you function “well enough,” so careful documentation of inconsistent strength, fatigue, and pain gives your lawyer concrete proof that supports medical opinions, explains wage loss, and shows how the injury limits work and daily life in spite of the fact that some movement remains.

Level of Injury

Injury in the cervical spine can affect arms, hands, trunk, and legs, while injury in the thoracic or lumbar spine may affect trunk and legs but spare arm function. A higher level of injury can affect breathing, bowel and bladder control, and temperature regulation.

Our spinal cord injury lawyers at Freeman Law Firm, Inc. use the level and severity of injury as a roadmap when speaking with your treating doctors, rehabilitation specialists, and vocational experts so the full impact on work and daily life stays clear in negotiations and, when needed, in court.

Liability in a Spinal Cord Injury Case

Liability can rest with one person or several companies, and the examples here show frequent defendants rather than every possibility.

Drivers and Transportation Companies

Negligent drivers can face liability when a crash causes spinal damage, and commercial carriers may share responsibility when unsafe trucking, bus, or delivery practices put you in harm’s way. Employers that send drivers on the road in unsafe conditions or without proper rest can also come under scrutiny.

Employers, Contractors, and Site Owners

Construction firms, industrial employers, and contractors can be responsible when fall hazards, unsafe scaffolding, unprotected edges, or improper equipment use lead to spinal cord injuries at work. Site owners may also face claims when they ignore known hazards or pressure crews to move forward without basic fall and impact protection.

Property Owners and Managers

Stores, apartment complexes, and other property owners can face claims when unsafe stairs, broken handrails, slick floors, or poor maintenance lead to falls that damage the spinal cord. Managers who know about dangerous conditions and fail to fix them can increase exposure for themselves and their companies.

Product Manufacturers and Distributors

Manufacturers and sellers of safety gear, vehicles, industrial machines, or consumer products may be liable when design defects, structural failures, or inadequate warnings cause or worsen a spinal cord injury, even when you used the product in a reasonable way.

Health Care Providers and Facilities

Hospitals, clinics, and individual providers can face responsibility when delayed diagnosis, surgical errors, or poor spinal stabilization contribute to cord damage or make an injury worse, subject to Washington’s medical negligence rules and pre-suit requirements.

Our attorneys review contracts, safety policies, medical records, and insurance documents to identify every realistic source of compensation available for your case.

What If I’m Partially at Fault for the Accident?

Insurance companies sometimes argue that an injured person shares blame for a spinal cord injury, for example by walking in a certain area, not wearing a belt, or using equipment in a disputed way.

Washington follows a pure comparative fault rule, which allows you to still recover compensation even if you share a percentage of fault, but any recovery drops by the percentage assigned to you.

Our attorneys at Freeman Law Firm, Inc. push back against unfair fault arguments by focusing on physical evidence, witness accounts, safety rules, and expert analysis.

Damages in a Spinal Cord Injury Case

Damages, or compensation, in a Washington spinal cord injury case means the compensation you can pursue for medical needs, lost income, and changes in daily life after cord damage. A compelling case will show the full impact of your injury now and in the future. Compensation may be needed for the following:

• Medical Care and Rehabilitation – Hospitalization, surgery, intensive care, inpatient rehab, outpatient therapy, medications, equipment to manage bladder and bowel function, and counseling or support for trauma and adjustment.
• Personal Care and Support Services – Attendant care, help with transfers, bathing, dressing, and other activities of daily living, whether provided by paid caregivers or by family members who give up work hours to help.
• Mobility Equipment and Home Changes – Wheelchairs, seating systems, cushions, lifts, pressure-relief devices, and home modifications like ramps, bathroom changes, and door widening, along with periodic replacement and maintenance.
• Income and Earning Capacity – Missed paychecks during the first recovery period, reduced hours or job changes, and long-term limits on the kind of work you can do or how long you can stay in the workforce.
• Pain, Emotional Harm, and Loss of Enjoyment – Chronic pain, spasticity, sleep disruption, anxiety, depression, and loss of activities and independence that mattered to you before the injury.

Freeman Law Firm, Inc. gathers medical records, life-care planning opinions, employment information, and detailed accounts of your daily routines so each category of damages rests on specific, documented support.

Spinal Cord Injury Case Development

Freeman Law Firm, Inc. treats spinal cord injury cases as long-term, high-stakes work and keeps caseloads tight so our attorneys and staff stay hands-on at every stage.

Investigation and Evidence

Our team moves quickly to secure proof that shows how the injury happened and who had the duty to prevent it, including:

• Police, workplace, or property reports
• Video from nearby homes, businesses, or vehicles
• Photos of the scene, vehicles, or equipment
• Key safety and maintenance records in work, premises, or product cases

In medical cases, we add complete charts, imaging, and internal policies so independent experts can evaluate care.

Medical and Financial Experts

When spinal cord injuries leave lasting limits, our lawyers call on experts who can explain:

• Cord damage, surgeries, and long-term prognosis
• Future care, equipment, and attendant needs
• Effects on earning capacity and projected wage loss

Expert opinions help turn technical medical and financial issues into clear, supportable numbers.

Dealing With Insurance and Preparing for Trial

Insurance carriers fight hard on spinal cord injury claims, so Freeman Law Firm, Inc. steps in to handle adjuster contact, prepare detailed demand packages, and push negotiations with organized records and expert support. At the same time, we organize exhibits, prepare clients and witnesses, and plan how to present key evidence so the case can move into a Washington courtroom if settlement talks stall.

Spinal Cord Injury Claims Deadlines

Spinal cord injury cases in Washington run under specific time limits. For most negligence cases, Washington’s statute of limitations gives you three years from the date of injury to bring a personal injury lawsuit. Missing that deadline can end your case, even when fault evidence looks strong.

Special timing rules can apply when:

• A government agency bears responsibility, which can require formal notice and a waiting period before suit
• Medical negligence contributed to the spinal cord injury, which may trigger separate discovery and timing rules

Our team will review deadlines at the start of your case, track critical dates, and advise you on when a lawsuit needs to be filed to protect your rights.

What To Do After a Spinal Cord Injury

In the first days and weeks after a spinal cord injury, everything feels urgent. A few concrete steps can protect both your health and your case:

• Focus on Medical Care and Follow-Up – Keep follow-up appointments, therapy sessions, and specialist visits, and tell your providers about all symptoms, including pain, muscle spasms, mood changes, and sleep issues.
• Preserve Evidence When Possible – Save photos, clothing, equipment, and contact details for witnesses. If family members can safely photograph vehicles, hazards, or equipment, those images may help later.
• Limit Statements and Social Media – Direct insurance calls to your lawyer once you hire one, and avoid posting about the injury, your activities, or your progress online, because insurers review public posts and try to use them to cut down claims.
• Talk With Our Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers – A consultation with Freeman Law Firm, Inc. gives you a chance to ask questions, hear how Washington law applies to your situation, and decide on next steps with clear information instead of guesswork.

Let Freeman Law Firm, Inc. Fight for You

A spinal cord injury changes how you function day-to-day and how you earn a living. Freeman Law Firm, Inc. takes a limited number of serious cases so your attorney has time to dig into the facts and push back against insurance companies that discount long-term needs. We meet with you and your family to understand how the injury affects daily care and future plans, then we build a case that reflects those changes over time. Our firm handles spinal cord injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no attorney fees unless we recover money for you.

Call (253) 383-4500 to schedule a free consultation with a Washington spinal cord injury lawyer. If our firm accepts your case, we will fight for the strongest result the law allows so you can focus on your health and your family.