Washington Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
Injury Law Group NW represents people across Washington whose lives changed in an instant because of someone else’s negligence, including those paralyzed or partially paralyzed after car and truck crashes, construction falls, medical errors, and dangerous property conditions. From Issaquah and King County to the greater Seattle area and the rest of the state, our attorneys take on spinal cord cases for clients and families who now face a lifetime of medical needs.
A Washington spinal cord injury attorney has to think about a claim differently than a lawyer handling a sprain or a fracture. A spinal cord injury is rarely a bill that ends. It can mean a wheelchair-accessible home, a modified vehicle, attendant care, repeated hospital stays for pressure sores and infections, and a working life cut short or ended. The number an insurer offers in the first months often reflects none of that.
The decisions made early, in the trauma unit and the first weeks of rehabilitation, shape the value of the case for decades. Evidence disappears, the other side’s adjusters call, and families who are exhausted are asked to sign things.
Why Choose Injury Law Group NW for a Spinal Cord Injury Claim
Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury firm serving King County, the Eastside, Seattle, and communities throughout Washington. We represent people hurt by negligence, and our attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before representing injury victims. That history matters most in catastrophic cases, where the insurer’s internal valuation of lifetime care is the number everything turns on. We are paid on a contingency basis, so you owe no attorney fee unless we recover money, and the first consultation is free and confidential. If travel is hard, we will meet you at home or at the hospital.
Troy Hunter, our Founding Partner, spent 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer, defending insurers and corporate clients against personal injury, wrongful death, and construction defect claims. He also serves as a dispute mediator. David D. Mordekhov spent two decades at Gardner Trabolsi & Mordekhov trying wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and product liability cases before Washington judges and juries. He has been selected to the Super Lawyers list and teaches trial and deposition skills as faculty at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Both Troy and David are rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. Associate attorneys Warren Barreiro and Hannah Shergold complete the team, and the firm is a member of the Washington State Association for Justice. Our attorneys have argued at every level of the Washington court system, from district court to the Washington Supreme Court.
We prepare every claim as though it will be tried, because insurers pay more fairly when they know the lawyer across the table will go to a jury. Our results include a mid-six-figure settlement for a family of five whose minivan was forced into the I-5 center barrier by a semi-truck, a mid-six-figure settlement for an elderly woman struck by a transit bus in a downtown Seattle crosswalk, and more than $1 million for parents whose newborn died after a hospital failed to adequately test for Group B Strep, a case that also led the hospital to change its procedures. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome. Clients describe our team as responsive and communicative, and our case managers return calls and texts promptly. David Mordekhov is fluent in Russian and Warren Barreiro speaks Spanish, so families can talk through a devastating injury in their own language.
How Spinal Cord Injuries Happen in Washington
- Highway and Truck Crashes: High-speed impacts on I-5, I-90, and I-405 are a leading cause of cervical and thoracic injuries. Semi-truck cases involve commercial carriers, driver logs, and federal safety rules that can establish fault beyond the driver.
- Motorcycle and Pedestrian Collisions: Riders and people on foot have no vehicle frame around them. Spinal fractures from being thrown or struck are common, and underinsured motorist coverage often becomes central to the claim.
- Construction Falls: Falls from scaffolds, ladders, and roofs on Eastside and Seattle job sites can fracture vertebrae. Third-party claims against property owners, general contractors, or equipment makers can reach beyond workers’ compensation.
- Medical Negligence: Delayed diagnosis of spinal compression, surgical errors, and missed signs of cauda equina syndrome can turn a treatable problem into permanent paralysis.
- Slip and Fall and Premises Injuries: Broken stairs, icy entryways, poor lighting, and unsecured hazards at stores and apartment complexes can cause falls severe enough to damage the cord, especially in older adults.
- Bus and Transit Accidents: Sudden stops and collisions involving buses can injure standing passengers and people in crosswalks, and claims may involve a public agency with special notice rules.
- Defective Products: Faulty vehicle components, ladders, and equipment can cause crashes and falls. Product claims have their own rules about a product’s useful safe life.
- Wrongful Death After Spinal Trauma: When a spinal injury leads to death through complications or the original trauma, the family may bring a wrongful death claim.
What to Do After a Spinal Cord Injury
Medical care comes first, and that includes follow-up. Every diagnosis, scan, and rehabilitation note becomes proof of what the injury cost. Gaps in treatment are what insurers point to when they argue the injury is less serious than claimed. If you are able, or a family member is, keep a running record of symptoms, pain, therapy sessions, and what you can no longer do.
Preserve evidence quickly. Photograph the scene, the hazard, or the vehicles if anyone can. Save the police report, names of witnesses, and any messages from insurers. In trucking and construction cases, records such as driver logs, maintenance files, and safety plans can be overwritten or discarded, so a lawyer should send preservation demands early.
Be careful with the other side’s insurer. You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance company, and adjusters ask questions designed to shrink your injuries or shift blame. Do not sign releases or accept a quick payment before the full extent of the injury is known, because spinal cord damage may reveal itself over months.
Coverage matters too. Washington auto policies must include underinsured motorist coverage unless the insured rejected it in writing, and the limits generally match the liability limits. Motorcycle policies are treated differently, since the standard requirement does not apply to motorcycles, though insurers must offer a chance to reject it. Where a ride-share vehicle is involved, the required policy carries specified underinsured coverage while a passenger is in the car. Catastrophic injuries often exceed the at-fault party’s limits, so identifying every possible source of coverage early is essential.
Deadlines are strict. Most personal injury lawsuits in Washington must be filed within three years, and an action is treated as started by filing or service as long as the other step follows within 90 days. Intentional acts carry a shorter two-year period. Claims against the state require a standard tort claim form submitted to the Office of Risk Management, with a 60-day waiting period before suit, and claims against cities, counties, and other local government entities require a claim presented to the entity’s agent with the same 60-day wait. The limitations period is tolled during those 60 days. Medical malpractice claims generally must be filed within three years of the act or one year from when the injury was or should have been discovered, whichever is later, and the status of the older eight-year outer limit has been affected by a Washington Supreme Court ruling, which is one reason to get a lawyer involved early.
Lawsuits in this area are typically filed in King County Superior Court, which sits in Seattle and in Kent at the Maleng Regional Justice Center. Residents of Seattle and areas north of I-90 are generally heard in Seattle, while those south of Seattle and I-90 are generally heard in Kent. Federal claims can be brought in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, which has a Seattle division covering King County. District court has a monetary cap on civil claims that makes it unsuitable for most spinal cord cases.
What a Spinal Cord Injury Claim Is Really Worth
A fair valuation starts with a life care plan, a professional projection of the medical, therapy, equipment, home modification, and attendant care you are likely to need over your life expectancy. It is often built with physiatrists, rehabilitation specialists, and economists. Add lost earnings and diminished earning capacity, which may require vocational evidence, plus pain, suffering, and loss of the ordinary pleasures of life. These are the elements insurers try to compress.
Liability in Washington follows a pure comparative fault rule. If you share some blame, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you are not barred from recovering. There is no 50 or 51 percent cutoff. Insurers frequently inflate the injured person’s share, so the facts deserve independent review.
Workers face a separate track. If you were hurt on the job, industrial insurance benefits may apply, and you may still bring a claim against a negligent third party who was not your employer. The Department of Labor & Industries or a self-insurer may assert an interest in that recovery and has to be given notice when a lawsuit is filed. Design professionals on construction projects are generally shielded from these suits unless they took on responsibility for safety. We sort out who can be sued and how liens will affect your net recovery before settlement decisions are made.
When a spinal cord injury causes death, Washington allows the personal representative to bring the claim for the benefit of the spouse or registered domestic partner and children, and if there are none, parents or siblings. The estate may recover economic losses and, where qualifying beneficiaries exist, the decedent’s own pain and suffering. The general three-year deadline runs from the date of death.
Spinal Cord Injury Questions Washington Families Ask
How long do I have to file a spinal cord injury lawsuit in Washington?
Most injury claims must be filed within three years of the injury. Claims arising from intentional acts have a two-year limit, medical malpractice has its own discovery-based rule, and claims against government agencies require a formal claim and a 60-day wait first. Because the pieces overlap, speak with a lawyer as early as you can.
What compensation is available for a spinal cord injury?
Washington allows recovery of past and future medical care, rehabilitation, lost wages and lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering. In catastrophic cases, future care costs and loss of earning capacity are typically the largest components, which is why expert projections matter.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault?
Yes. Washington’s pure comparative fault rule reduces your award by your share of responsibility but does not bar recovery. A person found 30 percent at fault can still recover 70 percent of their damages.
How much does it cost to hire Injury Law Group NW?
The first consultation is free and confidential. We work on a contingency fee, so we are paid only if we recover compensation for you. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fee.
Who pays my medical bills while the claim is pending?
Personal injury protection coverage is included in Washington auto policies unless rejected in writing, and it can pay medical expenses and some lost wages regardless of fault. Health insurance may also cover treatment. We work to coordinate these sources so bills are handled while the claim moves forward.
Should I talk to the insurance company about my injury?
You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault party’s insurer. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that can be used to minimize your injuries or assign blame to you. Our attorneys spent years on the defense side and know how those statements are used.
What if my injuries are worse than the insurance policy limits?
Spinal cord claims commonly exceed liability limits. Your own underinsured motorist coverage, other responsible parties, and employer or business policies may add recovery. Washington requires underinsured coverage to be included in auto policies unless rejected in writing, so we review your policy and any possible additional defendants early.
Does a spinal cord injury caused by medical malpractice follow different rules?
Yes. A malpractice claim must be filed within three years of the act or one year from discovery, whichever is later, with limited extensions for fraud, concealment, or a foreign object left in the body. These cases also require qualified medical experts to show that care fell below the accepted standard.
Can I bring a claim if I was hurt on a construction site while working?
Often yes, against third parties. Workers’ compensation covers many job injuries, but a worker may also seek damages from a negligent party who is not the employer, such as a property owner, general contractor, or equipment manufacturer. The state agency or self-insurer that paid benefits can claim part of the recovery.
What if the injury is from an old or aging product?
Washington’s product liability law treats a product’s useful safe life as a defense, and harm more than twelve years after delivery is presumed to fall outside it, though that presumption can be rebutted. Exceptions apply if the seller warranted a longer life or concealed facts.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer if the insurer already made an offer?
For a spinal cord injury, almost always. Early offers rarely account for lifetime care, equipment, and lost earning capacity. Having an attorney who understands how insurers value these claims can change what is on the table, and a consultation costs nothing.
Can you help if I cannot travel because of my injuries?
Yes. We will meet you at home or at the hospital at a time that works for you, and our case managers keep you informed throughout.
Spinal Cord Injury Representation Across King County and Washington
We represent spinal cord injury clients from Issaquah and across King County, including Sammamish, Redmond, Kirkland, and Bellevue on the Eastside. In the greater Seattle area, we serve injured people in Seattle, Kent, and Renton, and our attorneys regularly handle crashes along I-90, I-405, and I-5 as well as injuries at construction sites and medical facilities throughout the Puget Sound region.
Whether the injury happened on a freeway interchange, a job site, or in a hospital, we serve people throughout Washington, and our attorneys have tried cases in courts across the state. The families we help come from many communities, and we work with clients in Russian and Spanish as well as English.
Talk With a Washington Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Today
A spinal cord injury changes what a family needs for the rest of a lifetime, and the claim should be built to match. If you or someone you love was paralyzed or seriously injured because of another party’s carelessness, speak with a Washington spinal cord injury lawyer at Injury Law Group NW. Call or text us for a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to what happened, explain your options, and fight for the care and compensation you need. We give hope. We get results.
