Spinal Cord Injuries in Santa Monica, CA

If you or a family member suffered a spinal cord injury in Santa Monica, the months ahead will involve trauma care, rehabilitation, and decisions about long-term support that a single insurance policy rarely covers. A claim against the responsible party has to account for care that may last a lifetime. Our Santa Monica, CA personal injury lawyer can identify every source of compensation and build the medical and financial record that supports it. Cohen Injury Law Group works with families from the first weeks after the injury, while key evidence and care decisions are still taking form.

How Spinal Cord Injuries Happen in Santa Monica

Spinal cord injuries usually follow high-energy impacts or serious falls, and several local patterns come up again and again. Riders on Pacific Coast Highway and the Santa Monica Freeway face severe forces in motorcycle crashes, and people on foot can suffer spinal trauma when a speeding or turning driver causes a pedestrian accident. Falls from balconies, stairways, and rooftop decks at hotels and rental properties are another source, along with collisions involving e-scooters and e-bikes.

Each cause points to different responsible parties. A crash may involve a driver and an employer, while a fall may lead to a premises liability claim against the owner or manager of the property.

From Trauma Center to Rehabilitation

Serious spinal cord injuries on the Westside often go first to one of the trauma centers serving Santa Monica, such as Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, a Level I center, for surgery and stabilization.

After the acute phase, many patients move to an inpatient rehabilitation program. In Los Angeles County, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, part of the county health system, is known for its neurorehabilitation program, which serves people with spinal cord injuries.

Doctors grade these injuries on the ASIA Impairment Scale, which runs from A, a complete injury with no preserved motor or sensory function in the lowest part of the spinal cord, to E, normal function. That grade, and how it changes during rehabilitation, is among the most important medical evidence in a claim because it informs the prognosis and the long-term care plan.

Planning for Lifetime Care

A spinal cord injury claim has to account for costs that continue for decades. These include attendant care, wheelchairs and their replacements, home and vehicle modifications, medications, and treatment for complications like pressure injuries and urinary tract infections. The figures are usually built into a life care plan prepared with treating physicians and rehabilitation specialists, then valued as part of the economic damages in the case.

Families pursuing spinal cord damage claims should expect the defense to challenge each line of the care plan, from the hours of attendant care to the replacement schedule for equipment.

Protecting Medi-Cal and SSI Benefits

Many people with spinal cord injuries rely on Medi-Cal or Supplemental Security Income, and both programs limit the assets a recipient can hold. A large settlement paid directly to the injured person can end that eligibility. A properly drafted special needs trust can hold settlement funds for the injured person’s benefit without counting as a resource for SSI, according to the Social Security Administration. Medi-Cal applies its own rules, so the trust should be set up before any funds are disbursed. Structured settlements that pay out over time are another common tool.

Deadlines and Insurance Limits

Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years, but a claim against the City of Santa Monica or another public agency requires a written claim within six months under the statute of limitations for personal injury cases. Because an individual driver may carry only $30,000 per person in bodily injury coverage, identifying every liable party and your own underinsured motorist coverage is often what makes full compensation possible. Our truck accident lawyer in Santa Monica, CA handles cases where a commercial carrier’s larger policy may apply.

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney in Santa Monica, CA About a Spinal Cord Injury

Attorney Wayne R. Cohen has practiced law since 1991 and has been featured in Newsweek and U.S. News. Attorney Nicholas E. Cohen works with him to coordinate the medical, financial, and benefits questions these cases raise. Cohen Injury Law Group also represents people injured farther up the coast in Malibu.

Consultations are free, and you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation. Contact our team to discuss your family’s situation.

Back to Personal Injury Resources →