Practice Area

Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers in Michigan

We only charge a 22% contingency fee of the final settlement. Other Michigan attorneys charge 331/3%.
Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Personal Injury Lawyers Specializing in Spine and Back Related Injuries

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, over one-third of all spinal cord injuries result from vehicle crashes. Back and spinal cord injuries can have far-reaching effects on a person’s life, potentially causing long-term suffering, leaving them permanently disabled, and changing their quality of life forever. 

At Matz Injury Law, we work hard to help our clients get the financial resources and care they need to rebuild their lives. Our Michigan spinal cord injury lawyers have had great success helping spinal cord injury victims get medical care, rehabilitation services, and compensation for economic and noneconomic losses, including pain and suffering.

If you or a family member has suffered a back or spinal cord injury, please contact our law firm. In our free consultation with you, one of our personal injury lawyers will review your spinal cord injury case and explain how we can help you obtain compensation to help cover the costs associated with this type of serious injury.

What are Back and Spinal Cord Injuries?

man in bed holding his back in pain

Damage to the back and spinal cord are some of the most severe injuries a person can suffer from in an accident or other event that led to the injury. Each one can cause symptoms from minor discomfort to severe pain. For others, the damage can be life-changing and have permanent effects, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia.

Back Injuries

Back injuries are any damage to the muscles or bones in your back. Common back injuries include strains, sprains, slipped or bulging discs, and fractured vertebrae. Back injuries can range in severity from temporary pain or discomfort to permanent disability.

Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs down the center of your spine, extending from the base of your brain through your back. Its function is to deliver signals between the brain and the body. A spinal cord or brain injury can disrupt this system. Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) occur when the spinal cord or the musculoskeletal structure around the spinal cord suffers damage. These injuries can be temporary or permanent, depending on the extent and severity of the injury. Either way, spinal cord injuries are extremely serious and can have far-reaching effects on the victim’s life. Experts classify spinal cord injuries in two categories: complete and incomplete.

Incomplete spinal cord injuries mean the victim still has signals transmitting past the injury, meaning they still experience some sensory awareness or movement below the injury. A complete spinal cord injury means the victim has suffered a complete loss of nerve function past the area of injury. In this case, the individual experiences both a loss of sensation and loss of movement below the injured part of the spinal cord.

Signs and Symptoms of a Back or Spinal Cord Injury

Individuals who sustain back injuries typically experience similar symptoms, which may include hearing a pop or snap at the moment of injury, numbness or tingling sensations in the hands or feet, an impaired ability to walk, difficulty standing up straight, or trouble bending over. Other symptoms include muscle weakness and pain, which can be acute (short-lived) or chronic (long-term) pain.

Victims of accidents or events that lead to a spinal cord injury may experience numbness or tingling in their hands or feet, feelings of pain or pressure in the head, neck, or back, loss of bowel or bladder control, and paralysis, which can occur immediately or be delayed. Other symptoms linked to spinal cord injury include weakness or inability to control any body part, changes in sexual function, trouble walking, and difficulty breathing.

Common Causes of Back and Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries and back injuries can occur in several ways. Unfortunately, many could have been prevented if another person or entity had acted responsibly and carefully.

Back Injuries

Back injuries can happen suddenly, as anyone who has tweaked their back knows very well. Common causes of back injuries include workplace incidents, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and slip-and-fall accidents.

Spinal cord injuries often result from trauma, such as a blow or cut to the spine. Car accidents are the most prevalent cause of spinal cord injuries in the United States, followed by workplace injuries, medical malpractice, slip-and-fall accidents, and intentional violence.

Workplace Back Injuries

Unfortunately, workplace-related back injuries are common, especially in specific professions, such as construction or other physical laborers. The causes may be the result of negligence, repetitive movements, unsafe work practices, or a workplace accident, such as a fall.

Car Accidents

Car accidents often lead to traumatic effects on the body. If you suffered an auto accident, you may have sustained a back or spinal cord injury on impact. A car crash does not have to be serious to cause injury. Even relatively minor accidents can cause a spinal cord injury due to whiplash or airbag deployment.

Michigan’s no-fault insurance system means you do not need to prove fault to receive compensation for your injuries from the insurance company. However, that may not be enough to compensate you fully for your losses. In that case, you can still pursue a liability claim against the at-fault driver for the non-economic damages you have suffered.

Medical Malpractice

Back and spinal cord injuries from medical malpractice are rarer, but sadly, they occur. Doctors may make incorrect diagnoses or provide medical treatment that causes life-impairing back pain. If a doctor’s office, hospital, outpatient facility, or chiropractor’s office caused your back injury, you may be eligible to pursue a claim for medical negligence.

Slip-and-Fall

If a property owner fails to keep a public space or their property clear from obstructions and you are injured in a fall, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. According to the CDC, older adults are most vulnerable to slip-and-falls. If your elderly loved one sustained a spinal cord injury from a slip-and-fall accident due to someone else’s negligence (such as a nursing home facility), you may be eligible to sue.

Intentional Violence

Intentional violent acts can permanently impact the victim. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, many spinal cord injuries result from violence, primarily from gunshot wounds. If you or a family member suffered an injury due to violence, you may be eligible for civil litigation against the violent party and any other party whose negligence contributed to your injury. For example, if you were shot at a nightclub, you may be able to file a suit against the business owners for negligent security.

Can I Sue the Person Who Caused My Back or Spine Injury?

If your back or spinal injury is due to another person’s negligence, you can sue the at-fault party for compensation for your economic and non-economic damages.

Injury claims for economic damages include payment for medical treatment and healthcare providers, lost wages, and home or vehicle accommodations costs. Non-economic damages are compensation for any non-financial losses you’ve suffered, including, but not limited to, pain and suffering, loss of relationships, loss of quality of life, and an inability to participate in work, home, or leisure activities.

The State of Michigan does not have punitive damages available for victims to pursue. Your injury claim must be for actual compensation, not to punish the wrongdoer. However, you are permitted to seek exemplary damages, which empowers you to collect compensation because of the outrageous behavior or conduct of the offender. This is almost exclusively available to victims of drunk or impaired drivers who have a history of driving under the influence.

The compensation you can be awarded will depend upon the severity of your injuries and how they directly affect your life.

Proving Liability for a Back or Spinal Cord Injury

doctor showing a patient a neck x ray image

To prove liability in Michigan for a back or spinal cord injury, the victim must be able to prove the negligent party was at least 50 percent at fault. Next, they must prove they sustained an injury that led to medical bills, loss of quality of life, or lost wages.

To confirm the extent of your injuries, you will be required to undergo medical examinations and likely need to provide expert testimony from your healthcare providers to describe the severity of your injury. Victims who work with spinal cord injury lawyers usually find they can establish a solid case to prove liability and be entitled to compensation to help cover their losses and suffering. Your attorney will examine circumstances, gather evidence, and assemble your case to negotiate a settlement or present in court.

Statute of Limitations on Back Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuits

The State of Michigan places a three-year statute of limitations for filing a negligence lawsuit for a back or spinal cord injury. It is essential to distinguish that the three-year timeframe begins on the date of the accident, not the date the spinal cord injury claim was filed.

How Can a Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Attorney Help Me?

After a back or spinal cord injury, there may be a need for significant long-term care and rehabilitative services, all of which can be very costly. A successful personal injury case can help pay for these medical expenses.

At Matz Injury Law, our priority is helping our clients get all the medical care, long-term care, physical therapy, and other needed rehabilitative services. Our personal injury attorneys will work with medical specialists to map out the required lifetime of care and services. Then, we’ll stand up for you in settlement negotiations or at trial to obtain full compensation for your losses and all necessary medical care and services.

Michigan attorneys with experience with back and spinal cord injury lawsuits can assist with examining circumstances, collecting essential evidence, and deciding a course of action to help you receive the compensation you deserve.

In Wayne County, we negotiated an agreement with an insurance company for a client who suffered a spinal cord injury. The agreement included compensation for a specially equipped home and a wheelchair-accessible van. We worked with a school district and hospital medical team to provide nursing care and special education services for the client under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

Whether it involves a herniated disc or paralysis, you can depend on Matz Injury Law for skillful, results-oriented representation. Call 866-226-6833 or reach us online through our contact form to get started. 

We’ll Help Make Your Finances Less Painful

Insurance adjusters are usually out of touch with the reality of what a spinal cord injury victim faces each day. They often simply offer lowball settlements to close the case. By working with a skilled personal injury law firm, you will get the experience of having someone by your side who knows how to deal with insurance adjusters adeptly and can negotiate a fair settlement.

Very few catastrophic injury cases go to trial for injury victims who work with a knowledgeable lawyer. This is because they can accurately explain the daily challenges and life-altering circumstances a victim faces. As a result, they can usually convince the adjuster the company is better off paying a fair settlement than letting the case go to trial.

Whether it involves a herniated disc, paralysis, a separate disability, or another type of injury, you can depend on Matz Injury Law for skillful, results-oriented representation. Call 866-226-6833 or reach us online through our contact form to get started. We proudly serve all Michigan residents from Southfield to Grand Rapids and Houghton.

Recent Settlements

  • $4.15 Million Settlement in Washtenaw County

    $4,150,000 settlement on behalf of the family of a college student who was killed in a traffic crash while riding a motorcycle. The settlement came from three different insurance companies.

  • $3.45 Million Settlement In Genesee County

    $3.45 million settlement against a cement company whose truck crossed a center line causing three deaths and severely injuring a 4 year-old boy. The settlement was $450,000 in excess of available insurance.

  • $1.74 Million Settlement Awarded In Calhoun County Collision

    $1.74 million settlement against a 19 year-old driver and the fraternity where he was drinking immediately prior to a head on collision that killed a 52 year-old husband and father of 3 children.

  • $1.3 Million Settlement In Monroe County

    $1.3 million Federal District Court settlement on behalf of a mother and daughter in a car/truck collision. Mom suffered a pancreas injury but returned to full-time employment within six months; eight year old daughter suffered an aggravation of a pre-existing learning disability as well as a ruptured spleen.

  • $1 Million Settlement In Gravel

    $1 million settlement for a 52 year-old woman in a rural county who broke both ankles and suffered a retrobulbar hemorrhage of her right eye after being struck by a gravel truck.

  • $1,000,000 Settlement for Rear-end Accident

    Matz Injury Law obtained a $1,000,000 settlement for a woman in Northern Michigan who fractured both ankles as a result of being rear-ended by a gravel truck.

  • $3,450,000 Settlement From Commercial Vehicle Accident

    A settlement of $3,450,000 for a family who lost loved ones as a result of an inattentive cement truck driver.

  • $100,000 Uninsured Motorist Settlement In Detroit

    $100,000 uninsured motorist settlement (policy limit) for family of passenger killed in Detroit in suspected joyriding incident.

  • $1 Million Settlement In Oakland County Negligence Case

    $1 million settlement on behalf of a 60 year-old woman with a mild closed head injury due to County Road Commission negligence.

  • $950,000 Settlement On Behalf Of Hillsdale County mother

    $950,000 settlement on behalf of the mother of a young boy who died while a passenger in a one-vehicle crash.

  • $750,000 Settlement in Kalkaska

    $750,000 to the family of a passenger killed in a collision on an icy road.

  • $285,000 Settlement For Auto Injury Victim

    $285,000 settlement on behalf of a 52 year-old woman who suffered from fibromyalgia after hurting her shin resulting from an auto injury.

Visit Our Office

Address:
Matz Injury Law
25800 Northwestern Hwy # 575
Southfield, MI 48075
Phone:
+1 (866) 226-6833
Our location:
steven matz headshot

Written By Steven Matz

Founding Shareholder

Steven J. Matz is a founding shareholder of Matz Injury Law. The firm’s concentration is on personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on traumatic brain injury.

Customer Reviews

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  • “Steve Matz deserves more than 5 stars! He went above and beyond to help me with my automobile accident/lawsuit, and stayed in constant contact with me. He cared about me as a person and how I was feeling or doing.”
    – Holly L.
  • “Mr. Matz was great helping me after my auto accident. I had no idea what was going on or where to turn but he led me the correct direction and to the right kind of doctors I needed to treat my injuries. He was there …
    – Judy W.
  • “Many thanks to Jared and the staff at Matz law! You definitely helped ease a very stressful situation. I really didn’t have to do anything, you folks did it all, which I appreciated very much. It’s never a pleasant e…
    – Kim B.
  • “If you are looking for the best attorney to handle your automobile accident claim, look no further! I have known Steve Matz for more than 20 years. He successfully represented me in 2001 then again in 2019 followin…
    – Gary C.
  • “If you’re looking for an attorney to handle your automobile accident/injury claims, then I highly recommend Steve Matz and his team! When I fractured my skull, he helped me settle my bodily injury claim in a timely m…
    – Alicia C.
  • “Following a near head on collision that left my wife with serious injuries to her leg and a head injury from the air bag that caused “instant onset dementia”, she has been deteriorating and needs constant supervision…
    – Thomas C.
  • “I was advised by Steve Matz over several days regarding a previous auto accident. He was very diligent with providing me the information I needed to be successful. I was very worried and misguided about the steps I n…
    – Domonique B.
  • “I cannot speak highly enough of Steve and his team! Everyone is so friendly and professional. Steve always kept me in the loop during the whole process and I tried to do the same. I love that Steve is such an honest …
    – Kristina K.
  • “Steve Matz was very easy to work with. His whole staff was knowledgeable and efficient. I would recommend them to anyone in need of an attorney. Thanks again Steve and staff!!”
    – Linda P.
  • “Steve was outstanding from the first telephone conversation all the way through until he settled my case at an amount that exceeded my expectations. He is a consummate professional and a compassionate attorney and I …
    – Sharyn G.

The maximum contingency fee permitted by law is actually 331/3%. Michigan court rules require that the attorney fee be computed on the net sum recovered after deducting all disbursements properly chargeable to the enforcement of the claim.

What does 22not33 mean, exactly?

We can charge 22% while virtually all other injury attorneys charge 331/3% because we are very, very, good at obtaining results for our clients.

We do not spend millions of dollars on television ads; instead, we offer a lower fee to all our clients. We do not have dozens of lower paid associates handling our work. All our clients are represented by Steven and Jared Matz. Steven Matz started the firm in 1977 and since then has dedicated his life to representing injury victims. Jared joined the firm in 2016 but grew up listening to stories, discussing theories, and generally learning at the dinner table about how to effectively and compassionately represent injury victims. Jared Matz was literally born to represent individuals involved in motor vehicle crashes.

All of our cases are handled on a contingency fee and all our cases are handled at 22%. Whether the case settles or goes through trial, the fee does not change. While our competitors make excuses as to why they charge so much, we are obtaining results for our clients at a lower fee.

At a typical television advertising law firm, your first call will be handled by a receptionist, who may refer you to an intake person, who will discuss your claim with an intake manager, who then discusses your claim with an associate, who may then report to a partner. You may never speak with the person whose name is at the top of the letterhead. At Matz Injury Law you will always speak with either Steven Matz or Jared Matz.