A spinal cord injury (SCI) changes everything in an instant. From your physical health to your independence, career, and emotional well-being—the impact of an SCI reaches every part of your life. For many Louisianans injured on the job, in car crashes, or through medical malpractice, the journey to justice isn’t just about compensation. It’s about securing the lifelong support, specialized care, and financial stability needed to rebuild what was lost.
As a spinal cord injury lawyer in Louisiana, I, Reagan Charleston Thomas, and my team at AWKO dedicate our work to helping victims of catastrophic injuries reclaim their futures. This guide explains how we approach spinal cord injury cases—covering how to prove fault, calculate maximum lifetime damages, and use expert testimony to show the full picture of your recovery needs.
The Life-Altering Impact of a Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury occurs when trauma disrupts the network of nerves running from the brain through the spine. These injuries are often permanent and severe, causing partial or total paralysis. Depending on the level of the injury, victims can lose movement, sensation, or organ control below the point of injury.
Every year, thousands of Americans experience spinal cord injuries, with motor vehicle accidents being the number one cause—many of them right here in Louisiana. These cases are often the result of car crashes on I-10, construction accidents, violent incidents, or medical negligence.
Types of SCIs
- Complete Spinal Cord Injury: Total loss of motor and sensory function below the site of injury.
- Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: Some sensation or muscle function remains.
- Paraplegia: Paralysis of lower limbs and lower body.
- Quadriplegia (Tetraplegia): Paralysis of all four limbs and torso.
- Even “incomplete” injuries require lifelong therapy, adaptive technology, and specialized care.
The Emotional and Financial Burden
The physical toll of an SCI is apparent, but the emotional pain and financial stress can be just as devastating. In my practice, I’ve seen how a single collision or workplace accident can completely alter families—spouses become caretakers, careers end overnight, and medical bills escalate into the millions.
A spinal cord injury typically results in:
- Lifelong medical dependence (wheelchairs, ventilators, therapy, rehabilitation)
- Psychological effects such as depression and PTSD
- Inability to work or perform daily activities independently
- Ongoing expenses for home modifications, medical equipment, and caregivers
That’s why securing full compensation is critical—partial settlements won’t sustain a lifetime of care.
Calculating Maximum Damages in a Louisiana SCI Case
Recovering fair compensation after a spinal cord injury involves more than adding up hospital bills. It’s a comprehensive process that accounts for current and future costs, physical and emotional suffering, and lost earning capacity.
1. Medical Expenses and Future Care
Medical bills following an SCI often exceed $1 million in the first few years alone. Long-term hospitalization, therapy, surgeries, and assistive devices can push lifetime care costs to $5 million or more, depending on injury severity and age.
Common medical costs include:
- Surgeries and emergency care after the accident
- Hospitalization and rehabilitation (in-patient & out-patient)
- Adaptive medical devices (wheelchairs, lifts, ventilators)
- Medications and ongoing treatments
- In-home nursing and long-term therapy
To calculate these damages, we collaborate with life care planners and medical experts to project costs decades into the future.
2. Lost Income and Earning Capacity
If you’re paralyzed or physically impaired, returning to your previous job may no longer be possible. Louisiana injury law allows victims to seek payment for lost wages and lost future earning potential.
We work closely with forensic economists and vocational experts to quantify lifetime earnings based on your age, career trajectory, and skill set. Even if you can work part-time, that difference in long-term income belongs in your claim.
3. Pain and Suffering
Physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, and diminished quality of life deserve compensation, too. In spinal cord injury cases, these non-economic damages are often substantial because victims face irreversible lifestyle changes.
4. Home and Vehicle Modifications
Most spinal cord injury survivors must modify their homes and vehicles for accessibility:
- Ramps, widened doorways, and lift systems
- Accessible bathrooms and kitchens
- Modified vans with hand controls
These costs, often ranging from $100,000 to $200,000, are recoverable damages when properly documented.
5. Loss of Consortium and Emotional Damages
Family members—spouses, parents, children—may also have claims for loss of companionship, guidance, and marital relations. These emotional damages can never truly replace what’s lost, but they help families afford the care and time needed to adapt.
Beyond the Basics: Suing Liable Parties Beyond the Driver
Most spinal cord injuries stem from catastrophic car or truck accidents—but Louisiana law often allows injured victims to pursue additional defendants beyond the person who hit them.
Examples of Additional Liable Parties:
- Vehicle Manufacturers: Faulty brakes, seat belts, or airbag defects that worsen injuries.
- Employers or Contractors: If the at-fault driver was working at the time, the company can share liability.
- Property Owners: Dangerous premises or unsafe work environments.
- Medical Providers: Mishandled surgeries, anesthesia, or delayed diagnoses that contribute to paralysis.
Each additional defendant expands potential recovery sources, ensuring you aren’t limited by the at-fault driver’s insurance limits.
The Role of Expert Witnesses in Spinal Cord Injury Cases
From my experience as a Louisiana spinal cord injury attorney, these cases succeed or fail based on the quality of expert witness testimony. SCIs are complex—and juries or insurance adjusters need clear, credible explanations of how the injury occurred and what recovery truly requires.
1. Medical Experts
These experts testify about the cause and extent of the injury, proving how trauma to the spinal cord caused paralysis or sensory loss. They explain medical imaging (like MRI scans) in plain language and confirm the need for future treatments.
Why It Matters: Their testimony connects your injury directly to the negligence—especially in disputed or delayed-diagnosis cases.
2. Life Care Planners
A life care planner outlines every expense the victim will face over their lifetime—prosthetics, therapy sessions, medications, home modifications, and more. These experts are vital when calculating multimillion-dollar settlements because they translate present injuries into future financial impact.
3. Economists & Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists
These professionals assess how a spinal injury affects your earning potential. They project life-long lost earnings, career re-training possibilities, and future employability.
4. Accident Reconstruction & Engineering Experts
In traffic or industrial incidents, reconstruction experts use physics, 3D models, and witness data to establish liability. They show how reckless speed, defective equipment, or missed safety protocols caused the injury.
How the Right Legal Team Uses Experts Effectively
At AWKO, we integrate expert testimony into a comprehensive story—tying science, economics, and emotion together. The goal isn’t just to prove that you were injured—it’s to show what that injury truly costs over a lifetime.
Local Perspective: Spinal Cord Injury Cases in Louisiana Courts
Louisiana’s legal system and damage caps can influence payouts significantly. For example:
- No general damage cap applies in most car or workplace cases—only government or medical malpractice cases have caps.
- Comparative Fault Rules (Post-2026) mean victims can recover only if they are less than 51% liable.
- Statute of Limitations: You have two years to file an injury claim for most accidents after July 1, 2024.
Every parish handles major personal injury cases a bit differently, but in Orleans Parish courts, juries tend to award higher compensation when presented clear, evidence-based life care plans.
Why Expert Testimony Can Change Everything
To put it bluntly: spine injury cases require more than empathy—they require proof. Expert witnesses make complex medicine and economics understandable.
Many adjusters or defense lawyers will argue that your paralysis isn’t total, or that therapy might restore function. Without medical and care experts, these arguments can reduce settlements dramatically. The right testimony provides the clarity and credibility judges and juries need to understand why a fair award must include future care, lost function, and emotional harm.
Reagan’s Client Advocacy: No Detail Too Small
At AWKO, I focus on two goals in every spinal cord injury case:
- Comprehensive Recovery: Making sure every lifetime cost is measured—because once the case closes, you’ll live with its results forever.
- Empowering the Client’s Voice: You aren’t just a case number. You’re a person whose whole world was disrupted by negligence, deserving of respect and representation.
Our process includes:
- Immediate investigation and evidence preservation (photos, reports, and witness interviews)
- Working with neurologists, spine specialists, and rehab professionals to forecast long-term outcomes
- Coordinating life care planning to value every cost of independence restoration
- Calculating total economic and non-economic losses
When insurance companies try to undervalue paralysis or misrepresent the impact of your injuries, we step up with evidence, experts, and your story.
Facing Insurance Company Resistance
Insurers often attempt to minimize spinal cord injury payouts by:
- Claiming “pre-existing” spinal issues
- Contesting the severity of paralysis
- Discounting therapy or assistive care as “optional”
We push back with hard data from doctors, therapists, and economists—painting a full picture of your post-injury life. Our team pursues compensation from every available source: drivers, vehicle manufacturers, businesses, and insurance carriers.
If tragedy was caused by drunk driving, defective machinery, or workplace negligence, we take the fight to court and demand justice that reflects the true cost of your loss.
Your Future Deserves a Strong Advocate
A spinal cord injury doesn’t end your story—but it changes it forever. The right legal representation ensures that your future is secure, your medical needs are met, and the people responsible for your injury are held accountable.
Facing a spinal cord injury? Let’s talk about your future.
Contact me, Reagan Charleston Thomas at AWKO, for a FREE consultation.
We’ll discuss your case, explain your rights, and connect you with experts who can help you rebuild your life. Fill out the form below to get started.