A spinal cord injury can change how you move, work, and care for yourself in a single moment, and the costs often continue for the rest of your life. The insurance company’s first offer rarely reflects that. Ralph A. Schwartz, PC represents people with spinal cord injuries across Las Vegas and the rest of Nevada, and Ralph Schwartz, a former insurance defense attorney, handles each case personally from the first call to the final result. Call 702-888-5291 for a free consultation with a Las Vegas spinal cord injury lawyer.
Free consultation. No fee unless we win. Se habla español.
Why Spinal Cord Injury Claims Need a Different Approach
Most injury claims look at what has already happened. A spinal cord injury claim has to account for what comes next, often for decades. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center’s 2026 Facts and Figures at a Glance, the estimated lifetime cost of paraplegia for someone injured at age 25 is about $3.1 million, and high tetraplegia (C1 to C4) runs about $6.4 million. Those figures cover health care and living expenses only. They do not include lost wages.
The same data shows that fewer than 1 percent of people regain full neurological function by the time they leave the hospital. That is why we do not rush to settle. A fair recovery depends on understanding your long-term prognosis, and that takes time and the right medical and financial experts.
Insurers know these cases are expensive, and they look for ways to shrink them. Common tactics include blaming the injury on prior wear and tear in the spine, pointing to gaps in treatment, and pushing for a quick settlement before the full picture is clear. Ralph worked as an insurance defense attorney before representing injured people, so he recognizes these arguments early and builds the evidence to answer them.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries We Handle
Doctors classify a spinal cord injury by where it happened on the spine and how much function remains below that point. Both factors shape your medical needs and the value of your claim.
Complete and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries
- Complete injury: no preserved sensory or motor function in the lowest sacral segments of the spinal cord.
- Incomplete injury: some movement or sensation remains below the injury. Incomplete tetraplegia is now the most common category, according to the same 2026 NSCISC data.
Tetraplegia and Paraplegia
- Tetraplegia (quadriplegia): a cervical spinal cord injury that affects the arms and legs, with the extent of impairment depending on the injury’s level and severity. Higher injuries can also affect breathing.
- Paraplegia: an injury in the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine that affects the legs and lower body.
Other Spinal Cord and Nerve Injuries
- Central cord syndrome, which often weakens the arms and hands more than the legs
- Anterior cord syndrome and Brown-Séquard syndrome, two patterns of incomplete injury
- Cauda equina syndrome, which affects the nerve roots at the base of the spinal canal rather than the spinal cord itself
- Fractured, compressed, or dislocated vertebrae and herniated discs that press on the cord
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in Las Vegas
Nationally, vehicle crashes and falls cause almost 70 percent of recent spinal cord injuries, and acts of violence and sports or recreation account for about 23 percent, according to NSCISC. The cases we see in Clark County follow the same pattern:
- Car and truck crashes, especially rear-end, rollover, and high-speed freeway collisions on I-15, US-95, and the 215 Beltway. Our car accident and commercial vehicle accident pages cover how those claims work.
- Motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle crashes, where there is little between the body and the impact
- Falls on unsafe property, including wet floors, broken stairs, and poor lighting at hotels, casinos, stores, and apartment complexes, which fall under premises liability
- Construction and workplace falls from ladders, scaffolding, and roofs
- Assaults, including attacks made possible by inadequate security
- Boating, pool, and recreational accidents at Lake Mead and other local waters
- Defective products, such as seat belts, airbags, and vehicle roofs that fail in a crash
Who Can Be Held Responsible
The person who directly caused the injury is not always the only party who owes you compensation. Depending on the facts, a claim may include:
- The at-fault driver and, if they were working at the time, their employer
- A property owner or manager who ignored a known hazard
- A general contractor or subcontractor responsible for site safety
- A business that failed to provide reasonable security
- A vehicle or parts manufacturer
- Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, when the at-fault driver’s policy is too small
Nevada follows a modified comparative negligence rule under NRS 41.141. You can generally recover if your share of fault is not greater than the combined negligence of the defendants you are suing, but your award is reduced by your percentage of fault.
What a Spinal Cord Injury Claim Can Include
A spinal cord injury claim should cover both the costs you have today and the care you will need in the years ahead. Depending on the facts of your case, compensation may include:
- Emergency care, surgery, hospital stays, and inpatient rehabilitation
- Future medical care, including follow-up surgeries, medications, therapy, and repeat hospital stays. About 29 percent of people with a spinal cord injury are re-hospitalized in any given year, according to NSCISC.
- Long-term, in-home, or attendant care
- Wheelchairs, mobility equipment, and changes to your home and vehicle
- Lost wages while you recover
- Lost earning capacity. Spinal cord injuries can significantly affect a person’s ability to work, potentially reducing future earning capacity.
- Pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Your spouse’s claim for the impact the injury has on your marriage (loss of consortium)
To value these losses, we work with your doctors and with medical, life care planning, and economic experts who can put future care and lost income into concrete terms an insurer or jury can follow.
In most Nevada injury cases there is no cap on compensatory damages such as medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Punitive damages are available only in certain cases and are generally subject to the limits in NRS 42.005, although statutory exceptions apply. Claims against government agencies and medical malpractice claims follow different rules.
Every case is different, and we do not promise a number before reviewing your medical records, the evidence of fault, and the insurance coverage available.
What To Do After a Spinal Cord Injury
If you or a family member is able, these steps protect both your health and your claim:
- Get emergency care and follow every treatment plan. Gaps in treatment are one of the first things an insurer will use against you.
- Keep every record, including imaging, discharge papers, bills, prescriptions, and mileage to appointments.
- Make sure the incident is reported. Get the police report number after a crash, or ask for a written incident report from the property owner or business.
- Collect photos and witness names, and ask any business involved to preserve its surveillance video, which can be recorded over if no one asks for it.
- Do not give a recorded statement or sign a medical release for the other side’s insurance company.
- Keep a simple daily journal of pain, limitations, and the help you need with daily tasks.
- Call a spinal cord injury attorney before accepting any settlement offer.
How We Handle Your Case From Start to Finish
- Free consultation with Ralph. You speak with the attorney who will handle your case, not an intake screener.
- Investigation. We gather the police or incident report, photos, video, witness statements, and any physical evidence before it disappears.
- Documenting your injury. We work with your treating doctors, life care planners, and economists to show your current condition and future needs.
- Demand and negotiation. We present the full value of your claim to the insurance company once your long-term needs are understood.
- Trial if needed. If the insurer will not pay a fair amount, we are prepared to take your case to court.
Throughout the case, you work directly with Ralph and an attentive legal assistant, so you always know where your case stands.
Why Clients With Spinal Cord Injuries Choose Ralph A. Schwartz, PC
- Ralph Schwartz has more than 30 years of legal experience and is a former insurance defense attorney, so he knows how insurers evaluate and defend serious injury claims.
- Every case is handled personally by Ralph and a legal assistant. You are not handed off to a junior associate.
- Ralph is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the ATLA Top 100 Trial Lawyers, the Nevada Justice Association, and the State Bar of Nevada. The firm is BBB certified.
- Free consultations, no fee unless we win, and Se habla español.
Results in Serious Spine Injury Cases
Spine and back injury cases make up a large share of the verdicts and settlements we have recovered for injured clients, including:
- $1,765,000 (2025): A commercial driver whose trailer was struck by another commercial vehicle suffered disabling injuries that required multiple surgeries, including lumbar reconstruction.
- $1,250,000 (2024): A 51-year-old woman rear-ended by a commercial vehicle suffered severe spine injuries that required surgery.
- $2,000,000 (2005): A 35-year-old woman suffered a spine injury when her car was struck in a parking lot.
You can review the full range of verdicts and settlements we have recovered for clients across Las Vegas. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of your case.
If a spinal cord injury has changed your life or a loved one’s, call 702-888-5291 to talk with Ralph about your options.
Spinal Cord Injury FAQs
What is the typical settlement for a spinal cord injury?
There is no typical number. The value depends on the level and completeness of the injury, your age and earnings, the care you will need, the strength of the evidence on fault, and the insurance coverage available. Lifetime care costs alone can reach into the millions, according to NSCISC, which is why we do not estimate a value before reviewing your records.
How long do I have to file a spinal cord injury lawsuit in Nevada?
In most cases, you have two years from the date of the injury under NRS 11.190. Claims against government entities and certain other claims may have specific procedural requirements or different deadlines. Evidence also fades quickly, so it helps to start early.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
You can still recover under Nevada’s modified comparative negligence rule as long as your share of fault is not greater than the combined negligence of the defendants you are suing. Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurers often overstate a victim’s fault, so we gather evidence early to answer that argument.
Should I wait until I finish treatment before settling?
In most spinal cord injury cases, yes. Settling before your doctors understand your long-term prognosis can leave future surgeries, care, and lost income uncovered, and a signed settlement and release generally prevent you from seeking additional compensation later for the same claim. We still protect the filing deadline while your treatment continues.
Can I bring a claim if I was hurt at work?
Workers’ compensation usually covers on-the-job injuries, and it generally limits claims against your employer. If someone other than your employer caused or contributed to the injury, such as a contractor, driver, or equipment manufacturer, you may also have a personal injury claim. Our page on workers’ compensation vs. personal injury claims explains the difference.
How much does it cost to hire a spinal cord injury attorney?
Nothing up front. Your first consultation is free, and we handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis. Attorney fees depend on the outcome, but you may still be responsible for certain costs or opposing-party fees.
Practice Areas
Personal Injury
Workplace Injuries and Accidents
Related Injury Claims We Handle
Spinal cord injuries are one of several life-changing injuries we cover on our catastrophic injuries page, along with brain injuries, amputations, and severe burns. If you were hurt in a crash on two wheels, our motorcycle accident page covers the issues riders face. When a spinal cord injury leads to the loss of a loved one, our wrongful death page explains the claims available to surviving family members.
A Las Vegas spinal cord injury lawyer with more than 30 years of legal experience is ready to review your case at no cost. Call 702-888-5291 or schedule your free consultation today. No fee unless we win. Se habla español.