After a spinal cord injury, the road ahead can feel frightening and uncertain. At Christensen Law, our Michigan spinal cord injury lawyers advocate for people facing the hardest days of their lives. We are here to listen to your story, protect your rights, and fight for the full recovery you deserve.
For more than 35 years, we have represented people across Michigan who have suffered catastrophic harm in serious crashes. We understand how a spinal cord injury affects not just your body, but your family, your finances, and your future.
From our Southfield headquarters and our offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Troy, we serve injured people throughout the state.
Our approach is simple and deeply personal: Listen, Protect, Win. If you or someone you love is living with a spinal cord injury, you can call us 24/7 for a free, no-risk consultation. You will speak with caring trial attorneys who treat clients like family, not like a case number.
Call Christensen Law today at (248) 213-4900 to talk through your options, with no pressure and no fee unless we win.
CHRISTENSEN LAW HAS A 24 HOUR RAPID RESPONSE SERVICE
How Can Our Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Help You?
Our Michigan spinal cord injury lawyers help by handling every legal and insurance burden, so you can focus on your health and your family. From the first phone call, we take over communication with the insurance companies, investigate what happened, and build a case designed to recover the maximum compensation available under Michigan law.
A spinal cord injury claim is rarely simple. These cases involve complex medical evidence, lifelong care needs, and insurance carriers that often try to pay as little as possible. We bring in medical professionals, life-care planners, and economists to document the true, long-term cost of your injury.
Most importantly, we prepare every case as if it is going to trial. Insurance companies know which firms settle quickly, and which ones are ready to stand in front of a jury. That reputation often makes the difference between a lowball offer and a result that truly reflects what you have lost.
Timing matters in catastrophic cases. The sooner we get involved, the sooner we can secure evidence, line up the right medical support, and ease some of the pressure on your family. There is never a cost to start that conversation with us.
Understanding the Lifelong Impact of a Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury happens when the bundle of nerves that carries signals between your brain and body is damaged. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, this damage can cause lasting changes in movement, sensation, and basic body functions below the site of the injury. The effects depend heavily on where along the spine the injury occurs.
No two spinal cord injuries look exactly alike. Some people regain limited function over time, while others face permanent paralysis. That is exactly why each claim deserves careful, individual attention.
Paraplegia and Tetraplegia
Injuries higher on the spinal cord, in the neck region, can affect all four limbs, a condition known as tetraplegia. Injuries lower on the cord often affect the legs and lower body, which is called paraplegia. Either way, the costs of care, equipment, and lost income can reach into the millions over a lifetime.
Why These Cases Demand Serious Attention
People living with spinal cord injuries frequently face ongoing medical complications, including chronic pain and limited mobility. Recovery depends on consistent, and often costly, care, as well as financial security for the years ahead. That is why a spinal cord injury claim must account for far more than today’s medical bills.
When your future is on the line, the strength of your legal team matters. Our attorneys make certain that every present and future cost becomes part of your claim.
Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in Michigan
Many of the spinal cord injuries we handle come from high-impact crashes on Michigan roads. Commercial truck collisions, car accidents, and motorcycle crashes can deliver the kind of force that fractures vertebrae and damages the spinal cord. On busy corridors like I-75, I-696, and I-96, a single negligent driver can cause life-altering harm in an instant.
Other causes include people hit by a vehicle while walking or biking, falls on poorly maintained property, and serious construction or work-site incidents. No matter how your injury occurred, the cause matters because it shapes who can be held accountable and which insurance coverage applies.
Identifying every responsible party early is one of the most valuable things a legal team can do, and it is something we take seriously from day one.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Spinal Cord Injury?
After a spinal cord injury, you may be able to recover money for medical care, lost income, attendant care, and the physical and emotional pain you have endured. The exact compensation depends on how your injury happened, and on the insurance coverage involved.
In Michigan, your recovery usually comes from two sources. The first is your own no-fault insurance, and the second is a separate claim against the at-fault party when your injury is severe enough to qualify.
Depending on your situation, compensation may include:
- Medical expenses, including hospital stays, surgery, rehabilitation, and future treatment
- Wage loss benefits if your injury keeps you from working
- Attendant care for help with daily tasks, often provided by family members
- Home and vehicle modifications, such as ramps and accessible bathrooms
- Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life through a third-party claim
Every spinal cord injury is different, so we build each claim around the specific care and support you will need for years to come.
How Does Michigan’s No-Fault System Affect Your Spinal Cord Injury Claim?
Michigan’s No-Fault system means your own auto insurance pays for much of your medical care and lost wages first, no matter who caused the crash.
Under Michigan’s No-Fault Act, your Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, coverage pays for reasonable medical expenses, a portion of lost wages, and certain other costs tied to your injury. These first-party benefits are available regardless of fault, and they can be a lifeline in the difficult early months after a serious crash.
PIP can also cover attendant care, which is the day-to-day help many people need at home after a spinal cord injury. Coordinated insurance policies and the involvement of more than one carrier can complicate these benefits, so it helps to have a knowledgeable team reviewing every detail.
When an injury is catastrophic, you can also step outside the no-fault system to pursue a third-party claim against the person who caused it. To do this, your injury must meet the legal threshold of a serious impairment of body function. A spinal cord injury almost always meets that standard, which opens the door to compensation for pain and suffering.
How Comparative Fault Can Affect Your Recovery
Michigan follows a rule called modified comparative negligence. Under state law, you can still recover compensation even if you were partly to blame, as long as you were not more than 50% at fault. If you are found partially responsible, your award is simply reduced by your share of the blame.
Because insurance companies often try to shift blame onto injured people, having a trial-ready firm on your side protects your right to a fair recovery.
Why Trial-Ready Representation Matters in Catastrophic Injury Cases
Insurance companies are businesses, and their goal is to limit what they pay. After a spinal cord injury, you may face recorded statement requests, independent medical exams, and early settlement offers that fall far short of your real needs. These tactics can feel confusing during an already painful time.
We see these strategies for what they are, and we know how to respond. Our team gathers evidence quickly, preserves key records, and pushes back when an insurer tries to delay or deny a valid claim. We handle these conversations, so you do not have to.
Many firms settle cases simply to avoid the courtroom. We take a different path, because we prepare every spinal cord injury case with the detail required for trial. When a fair offer does not come, we are fully ready to present your story to a jury.
That commitment has helped us recover record-setting results for people whose lives were forever changed by someone else’s negligence.
Why Choose Christensen Law for Your Spinal Cord Injury Case
When your future depends on the outcome, you deserve a team with a proven record in high-value injury cases. Christensen Law has fought for injured people and grieving families across Michigan since 1991, and we have the courtroom results to show for it.
Our verdicts and settlements include a $17.8 million recovery in a motor vehicle accident case, and a $9.5 million result in a wrongful death claim. These outcomes reflect the resources and determination we bring to every catastrophic injury case.
Families across Michigan turn to us because:
- Founder David Christensen is a Michigan Hall of Fame attorney, an ABOTA member, and holds AV Preeminent status from Martindale-Hubbell
- Managing Partner Sarah Stempky-Kime is a recognized Leader in the Law, and also an ABOTA member
- We maintain a 4.9 to 5.0 review rating across all of our office locations
- We treat every client like family, and we keep you informed at each step
- We are available 24/7, and you pay nothing unless we win your case
From our Southfield headquarters to our offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Troy, we are ready to fight for you. Call Christensen Law today at (248) 213-4900 to schedule your free consultation.
FAQs: Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
Below are answers to some of the questions we hear most often from people and families dealing with a spinal cord injury in Michigan.
Michigan generally allows three years to file a third-party lawsuit against an at-fault party, while claims for no-fault PIP benefits follow a separate one-year rule. These deadlines can shift depending on the facts of your case, so it is wise to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. Acting early also helps us preserve evidence before it disappears.
Nothing up front. We handle spinal cord injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Your first consultation is always free, so there is no risk in simply learning about your options.
You may still have a path to compensation even when the at-fault party is uninsured or underinsured. Your own policy may include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and other responsible parties may share the blame. We investigate every available source of recovery for you.
Not necessarily, because many cases resolve through settlement. The key is being fully prepared for trial from the start, which encourages insurance companies to make a fair offer. If they refuse, we are ready and willing to take your case before a jury.
In Michigan, your no-fault PIP benefits often cover much of your ongoing medical care and attendant care, regardless of fault. When your injury is catastrophic, a third-party claim can provide additional compensation for future needs. We work to account for every cost you are likely to face over a lifetime.
Every case moves at its own pace, depending on the severity of the injury and the cooperation of the insurance companies. We push to move your case forward efficiently, while never rushing toward a settlement that shortchanges you. Our goal is the strongest possible result, not the fastest one.
Talk to Our Michigan Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Today
A spinal cord injury can reshape your entire future, but you do not have to face it alone. At Christensen Law, we are ready to listen to your story, protect you from aggressive insurance tactics, and fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.
Our trial attorneys have stood up for injured people and grieving families across Michigan for more than 35 years, and we are prepared to do the same for you. Serving all of Michigan, from the D to the UP, we put our full resources behind every client we represent.
You deserve clear answers, honest guidance, and a team that treats your case with the urgency it demands. We are glad to explain where you stand and what your next steps could be, at no cost and with no obligation.
Call Christensen Law 24/7 at (248) 213-4900 for a free, no-risk consultation. Listen, Protect, Win, it’s what we do.
