Spinal Cord Lawyer | Orange County

The Attorneys for Spinal Cord Injury Victims in Orange County, Irvine, and Dana Point, California

A spinal cord injury can change your life in the blink of an eye. One moment, everything is fine. The next? Your life has been turned upside down. Each year, thousands of accident victims experience life-changing spinal cord injuries. This includes injuries resulting in paraplegia and quadriplegia, as well as non-paralyzing injuries that can still have profound effects on victims’ day-to-day lives. If a spinal cord injury has left you with pain or limited mobility, or if you are unable to return to work or enjoy your hobbies and daily life because of your injury, these are all losses that could entitle you to significant financial compensation.

At Neale & Fhima, we aggressively pursue rightful compensation on behalf of spinal cord injury victims in Orange County and throughout Southern California. Our attorneys bring more than 40 years of combined litigation experience to the table; together, they have recovered more than $50 million for their clients.

Why Choose Us

There are a lot of attorneys to choose from in California, but we feel confident that our legal team will impress you with their compassion and professionalism. Attorney Aaron Fhima is a tough negotiator and has an accomplished legal track record when it comes to winning cases. Our law firm has represented hundreds of clients in personal injury cases, and we have an outstanding record of success.Our satisfied clients will testify to the excellence of our legal services. Our Orange County spinal injury lawyers have more than 40 years of combined experience representing clients throughout Southern California. We understand the myriad of state statutes and established case law, as well as the many court opinions interpreting the laws. We put this knowledge to work for you.

How We Can Help

At Neale & Fhima, we are experienced in helping Orange County spinal injury victims navigate the legal system. We understand that it can feel overwhelming, and we’ll walk beside you every step of the way. You don’t ever have to feel alone. Following are the ways we can help. We will:

Explain your legal rights and your options for compensation
Gather evidence
Review police reports
Interview witnesses
Conduct an accident scene investigation
Use medical tests and treatment plans to prove your injuries
Hire expert witnesses, if needed
Construct a powerful and convincing lawsuit and file all motions and documents with the court
Negotiate aggressively with insurance companies on your behalf
Argue your case in front of a judge and jury, if required.

At Neale & Fhima, our skilled and experienced personal injury attorneys will fight to get the highest payout possible in your case. Call us at 888-407-2955.

Neale & Fhima has an outstanding record of success representing spinal cord injury victims. We will fight aggressively to get the compensation you deserve.

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Client Testimonial

”The very best , friendly , communication ,fast results. Everyone in the office very efficient. I’m very thankful with Gabrielle and Monica thank you for everything.” – Aura Romero (Google Review)

An Orange County Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Explains the Compensation You May Be Entitled To

If you are injured in a California scooter rental accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to both economic and non-economic damages. These include:

Economic

Medical and hospital bills
Lost wages
Cost of future medical care and rehabilitation
Loss of future earnings potential
Property damage
Wrongful death

Non-Economic

Pain and suffering
Scarring and disfigurement
PTSD and emotional distress
Loss of consortium

In some cases, where a defendant’s disregard for the safety of others is particularly egregious, a judge can also award punitive damages, which are designed to punish the defendant and send a warning to other would-be offenders.

Spinal Cord Injury FAQs

Through decades of experience, our Orange County spinal cord injury lawyers know that victims often have a lot of the same questions. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions with answers. We hope it’s helpful.

How many people suffer spinal cord injuries in the U.S. each year?

Research shows that more than 17,700 people sustain spinal cord injuries each year in the U.S. Vehicle crashes (39.3%) are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, followed closely by falls (31.8%).

What if my loved one died after a spinal cord injury accident?

In the horrible event that your loved one died in a spinal cord injury accident, their estate can file a wrongful death claim. By doing so, you can recover economic and non-economic damages as well as funeral and burial expenses.

Can my spouse sue for loss of companionship if I’m injured?

Yes, in some cases a spouse can sue for “loss of consortium” if your spinal cord injury prevents you from engaging in everyday spousal activities such as going places together, helping with tasks around the house, raising children, and enjoying sexual relations. If successful, your spouse would be awarded damages of his or her own.

What’s the average length of stay in a hospital after a spinal cord injury?

While each case is different and some injuries are more severe than others, the average length of stay in a hospital acute care unit after a spinal cord injury is 11 days. The average spinal cord rehabilitation length of stay is 31 days. Roughly 30% of people with spinal cord injuries are re-hospitalized one or more times during a given year after the injury. Among those re-hospitalized, the length of stay in a hospital is about 19 days.

What are common secondary health complications after a spinal cord injury?

Depression is common in the spinal cord injury population, affecting up to 37% of injured people. Chronic pain is a negative secondary effect of spinal cord injuries, too, significantly reducing the quality of life. Pressure injuries are also secondary health complications that occur when underlying tissue is damaged due to loss of blood flow, eventually breaching the skin. Up to 80% of spinal cord injury victims will have a pressure sore during their lifetime, and many will have multiple sores.

Can spinal cord injuries affect bowel and bladder function?

Yes, the bladder and bowels can be negatively impacted by a spinal cord injury, causing constipation, incontinence, bloating, nausea, and autonomic dysreflexia (a dangerous spike in blood pressure). If you suffer from these after a spinal cord injury, they can be calculated as part of the damages you suffered because they reduce the quality and enjoyment of life.

Who is most likely to suffer a spinal cord injury?

Most spinal cord injuries are suffered by men (78%), and the average age of injury is 43 years.

What are the top 5 causes of spinal cord injuries?

The top 5 causes of traumatic spinal cord injuries are:

Car crashes: 39.3% of cases
Falls: 31.8% of cases
Violent acts: 13.5% of cases
Sports and recreation: 8.0% of cases
Medical/surgical complications: 4.3%% of cases

Do people with spinal cord injury have lower life expectancies?

Unfortunately, yes. People who experienced traumatic spinal cord injuries tend to have significantly reduced life expectancies. For example, a 40-year-old at the time of injury who has low tetraplegia (inability to move upper and lower parts of body) is expected to live another 24 years after the first year of injury. If that person did not have a spinal cord injury, his or her life expectancy would be another 41 years. The top causes of death for patients surviving a spinal cord injury are pneumonia and septicemia (blood poisoning).

It is easy to see that spinal cord injuries can dramatically lessen a victim’s quality of life while resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical and rehabilitation costs. A skilled Orange County spinal cord injury lawyer can negotiate aggressively – and litigate, if necessary – to get you the compensation you deserve. While this won’t give you back an injury-free body, it can help provide the financial resources to rebuild your life.

How a Spinal Injury Lawyer in Orange County, CA, Proves Negligence

Negligence claims must prove four elements. These include:

Duty
Breach
Causation
Damages/Harm

Generally, what this means is that your attorney must show that the defendant (1) owed you a duty of care, (2) breached that duty, (3) caused you harm, and that (4) the harm you suffered can be measured and compensated by awarding damages.

Statute of Limitations for Filing a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in Orange County

The statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim (including spinal cord injury) is two years in the state of California. The clock starts on the day of the injury. If the injury was not discovered right away, then it is one year from the date the injury was discovered. For a wrongful death claim, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the person’s death, which, in some cases, could be weeks or months after the injury occurred. It’s important to file your claim before the deadline. Otherwise a judge could dismiss your case, barring you from recovering financial damages.

There’s no time to waste! Call an Orange County spinal cord injury lawyer at Neale & Fhima today.

Spinal Cord Injuries from Traumatic Accidents

The spinal cord, like the rest of the human body, is very fragile. While it can handle most of the stresses of everyday life, it simply isn’t built to withstand the extreme forces involved in a traumatic accident. As a result, vehicle collisions, pedestrian accidents, slips and falls, and other traumatic accidents all regularly lead to spinal cord injuries. These can be categorized as either “complete” or “incomplete.” A complete spinal cord injury results in total loss of sensation and mobility below the level of the injury in the spine, with both sides of the body being equally affected. An incomplete spinal cord injury is somewhat less serious in that the victim retains a certain degree of functionality below the level of the injury; however, incomplete injuries still leave many people struggling to deal with a new way of life. Neale & Fhima provides legal representation for spinal injury victims who’ve experienced trauma such as:

Vehicle collisions
Pedestrian accidents
Slips and falls
Sports injuries
Trampoline and other recreational accidents
Train accidents
Boating accidents
Dog attacks
Violent assaults

Four Tips for Spinal Cord Injury Claims

As a spinal cord injury victim, there are several steps that you need to take – and mistakes that you need to avoid – in order to preserve your claim for maximum financial compensation. Here are four basic tips for protecting your spinal cord injury claim:

Seek prompt medical attention.
Avoid talking to the insurance companies. While it is ok to report an auto accident, you don’t want to say anything else that could be used against you.
Stay off of social media. While it may be tempting, you do not want to post photos or talk about your accident online.
Don’t delay in enforcing your legal rights. California’s statute of limitations requires injury victims to file their claims within a certain timeframe, and delays can make it more challenging to collect key evidence for your claim.

Contact a Spinal Cord Injury Attorney in Orange County

The first step in protecting your rights is to speak to an experienced attorney. A skilled Orange County spinal cord injury lawyer at Neale & Fhima will fight for the compensation you deserve. Spinal cord injuries are devastating and can substantially compromise your ability to participate in a meaningful life. You should not have to bear these difficulties alone, especially if the injury was caused by someone else’s negligence. An Orange County spinal cord injury lawyer at Neale & Fhima will be your strongest advocate and fight hard to secure financial damages. To find out more about our legal services, call us at 888-407-2955. The initial consultation is free.

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Client Testimonial

Attorney Aaron Fhima

Aaron Fhima is a trial attorney who has secured numerous settlements and verdicts against large corporations and some of the largest auto manufacturers in the world. Representing consumers and injury victims throughout the state of California, Aaron’s practice areas include personal injury, and lemon law litigation. Aaron has a long record of success taking on large defense firms; and he doesn’t hesitate to take cases to trial when necessary to enforce his clients’ rights. [ Attorney Bio ]