Spinal Cord Injuries

At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we know that a spinal cord injury changes every aspect of your life. Simple daily routines turn into complex challenges, you face mounting bills, and the career you relied on for purpose and a paycheck may no longer be possible. And during this vulnerable time, insurance companies pressure you to accept settlements that cover only a fraction of your long-term needs.

Our founding attorney, Mark Siesel, has worked with clients who have suffered severe spinal cord injuries in construction accidents, car crashes, and other accidents. He has sat in those hospital rooms. He has explained the legal system to people whose lives were forever changed in just seconds. Most of all, he has secured million-dollar settlements for people who have been permanently injured. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury, contact The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel for a free consultation. We can talk about what we can do next.

What is a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)?

Your spinal cord is a collection of neural pathways extending from your brainstem through your vertebral column. Imagine it as the command center, roughly the diameter of your pinky finger, that orchestrates every movement, sensation, and automatic function throughout your body.

Surrounded by a cushion of cerebrospinal fluid and encased within 33 vertebrae, your spinal cord consists of specialized neurons that transmit electrical impulses. This web of nerve fibers allows instantaneous communication between brain and body, coordinating everything from your morning stretch to your evening rest.

While back injuries typically involve damage to muscles, ligaments, vertebrae, or discs—the structural components of your spine—a spinal cord injury affects the neural tissue itself. This critical difference explains the divergent outcomes between these injuries. A herniated disc or muscle strain, though painful, generally resolves with appropriate medical intervention and rarely causes permanent disability. The structural components heal, and function typically returns.

However, when the neural tissue of the spinal cord sustains damage, the consequences often permanently alter a person’s capabilities. The injured nerve cells struggle to regenerate, unlike skin or bone that naturally repairs itself. When these neural pathways are disrupted, the brain’s directives cannot reach their intended destinations, potentially affecting mobility, sensation, and even functions like breathing and temperature regulation.

Doctors classify SCIs as either complete or incomplete. In a complete injury, all sensation and motor function are lost below the injury site. This means that the patient is fully paralyzed below the injury site. With an incomplete injury, some function remains below the injury site. How much movement and sensation is preserved depends on the nature of the injury, how well the patient responds to surgery and other interventions, and other factors.

The higher the injury occurs on the spinal cord, the more widespread the impact. Cervical (neck) injuries that impact C1-C8 cervical segments will generally affect arms, hands, trunk, and legs, potentially resulting in quadriplegia, or paralysis that affects all the limbs. Serious cervical injuries can also impact a person’s ability to breathe and will require extensive adaptations. Thoracic injuries (T1-T12) generally affect the chest, trunk, and legs, while lumbar and sacral injuries primarily impact the hips and legs.

Recovery follows a unique path for each individual, with most significant neurological returns occurring within eighteen months, though subtle improvements may continue for years. Recent advances in regenerative medicine offer promising horizons, but it’s important to understand the permanent nature of spinal cord injuries and to pursue just compensation for lifelong needs.

Spinal cord injuries, because of their impact on your life, can be among the most expensive injuries you can sustain. A young person who has suffered a severe cervical injury resulting in permanent injury may face millions of dollars in income loss and around-the-clock care for the rest of their life. It is important to consult with a spinal cord injury attorney, so you can seek fair compensation in your case.

What Causes SCIs?

No one expects to suffer a serious spinal cord injury, but each year about 18,000 Americans are affected by this kind of injury. The most common causes include:

• Vehicle crashes. Vehicle accidents—including car crashes, motorcycle collisions, and truck incidents—account for nearly half of all spinal cord injuries. The tremendous forces involved can fracture vertebrae, dislocate the spinal column, or cause direct trauma to the neural tissue.
• Falls. Falls represent close to a third of spinal cord injuries, with construction site accidents, falls from ladders, and same-level falls all capable of causing devastating damage. Even a seemingly minor fall on a sidewalk can have catastrophic consequences if the spine impacts in just the wrong way.
• Recreational Activities. Diving accidents, winter sports crashes, contact sports, and athletics injuries are a common cause of SCIs. Young adults are particularly vulnerable, often misjudging risks during activities they’ve performed safely many times before.
• Violence. Gunshot wounds, knife injuries, assaults, and other acts of violence can cause many serious injuries, including SCIs.
• Medical and surgical complications. Operations near the spine can lead to SCIs if a surgeon cuts too close and causes damage to the spine or causes a compression injury during the procedure. In some cases, even epidurals during pregnancy and other procedures involving syringes near the spine can cause SCIs in rare cases.

All spinal cord injuries are upsetting, but they can be even more devastating when they result from someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or misconduct. In New York state, you have the right to file a legal claim and pursue compensation against all liable parties if your injuries were caused by negligence or a willful action.

For example, if a trucking company pushed drivers beyond safe hours of service and a fatigued driver caused your accident and SCI, you may have a claim. If a property owner failed to clean a sidewalk and you suffered a serious spinal injury in a fall, you may have a claim. It’s not always obvious whether negligence played a role in your situation, which is why you may want to consult with a spinal cord injury lawyer.

Why Choose The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel?

The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel was founded by Mark Siesel, who developed a passion for the law early and who saw a real need for law firms that treat their clients with care. Mark Siesel not only treats each client with compassion and empathy, but he is also dedicated to the community, giving talks to educate the public about legal issues that affect their lives.

Today, our team brings both legal excellence and compassionate understanding to every case we handle. We limit our caseload deliberately, ensuring each client receives the attention and dedication their situation deserves. When you work with us, our founder Mark Siesel will personally oversee your case from start to finish.

We’re not just lawyers who happen to handle spinal cord cases—we’re specialists who have dedicated our professional lives to serving New York, including Westchester, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Putnam, Dutchess, and Orange Counties as well as surrounding areas. This focus means we understand the medical terminology, the rehabilitation process, the assistive technology options, and the lifetime cost projections that general practice attorneys often miss. Our team also works with independent board-certified medical professionals, who can offer additional insight about your case.

We do the following:

• We conduct thorough investigations to identify all potentially liable parties and build the strongest possible case for maximum compensation.
• Our team collaborates with spinal cord specialists to document your injury, project future medical needs, and articulate how your injury impacts daily functioning.
• Beyond immediate medical expenses, we work with certified life care planners to calculate the true lifetime costs of your injury—from home modifications to ongoing caregiving needs.
• We prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, giving us leverage during settlement negotiations and ensuring readiness if courtroom advocacy becomes necessary.
• We connect clients with local support to address quality of life beyond the legal case.

Through it all, we remain highly responsive, replying to your emails and calls within 24 hours, and often within the same day. We make sure you stay fully informed as we aggressively pursue compensation for you.

Contact Us

Living with a spinal cord injury means facing challenges every day. Finding the right legal representation shouldn’t be one of them. Our initial consultations are always free, thorough, and pressure-free. We’ll come to your home or hospital room if mobility is a concern.

Call us at (914) 428-7386 or fill out our secure contact form. Within 24 hours, you’ll speak directly with an attorney—not an intake specialist or paralegal.

Your future matters. Let’s take the next steps together.