Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Massachusetts

If a spinal cord injury changed your life or a family member's, you may be entitled to compensation that covers decades of care, not just today's medical bills.

Insurance adjusters treat a spinal cord injury differently from a routine claim because they know the financial stakes involved. Attorney Jason Ranallo has handled spinal cord injury and other catastrophic injury cases throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for more than two decades. He builds these claims around a full accounting of what a lifetime of medical care, rehabilitation, lost income, and support may cost before an insurer gets the opportunity to make the first offer.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries We Handle

A spinal cord injury is classified as complete or incomplete. A complete injury means total loss of sensation and movement below the point of damage. An incomplete injury leaves some feeling or function intact, though the long-term effects can still be severe and unpredictable.

Where the injury occurs on the spine determines how much of the body is affected. Damage to the cervical spine can cause quadriplegia, also called tetraplegia, affecting the arms, legs, and trunk. Damage lower down, in the thoracic or lumbar spine, more often causes paraplegia, affecting the legs and lower body.

Not every back injury involves the spinal cord itself. A herniated or bulging disc can compress the cord or a nerve root and cause chronic pain, numbness, or radiculopathy running down an arm or leg. Insurers frequently try to label these as minor soft-tissue injuries; imaging and a treating specialist's records are what prove otherwise.

What a Spinal Cord Injury Costs Over a Lifetime

The bills do not stop after the hospital discharge. A serious spinal cord injury typically involves acute hospitalization and surgery, followed by weeks or months of inpatient rehabilitation to relearn basic function.

After that comes the cost of living with the injury: home modifications like ramps, widened doorways, and a roll-in shower; adaptive equipment such as a power wheelchair, transfer lift, or modified vehicle; and, for many, attendant care that can run around the clock. For a severe cervical injury, these combined costs routinely reach into the millions of dollars over a person's remaining lifetime.


Lost earning capacity adds another layer. Someone who can no longer perform their prior job, or who can only work in a reduced capacity, loses income and career growth that a settlement needs to account for, not just the paycheck missed while recovering.

Proving Negligence in a Spinal Cord Injury Case

A spinal cord injury claim has to establish that someone else's carelessness, whether a driver, a property owner, an employer, or a medical provider, caused the harm. That means proving a duty of care existed, that it was breached, and that the breach directly caused the injury and the damages that followed.



Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence rule: you can still recover damages as long as you were not more than 50% at fault for the accident, though your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Strong cases are typically built on accident reconstruction, complete medical and imaging records, and testimony from a life care planner or vocational expert who can put a number on future needs.

Compensation Available for Spinal Cord Injury Victims

Massachusetts law allows spinal cord and back injury victims to pursue compensation for future medical care and lifetime attendant needs, adaptive equipment, home or vehicle modifications, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering. In some cases, a spouse may also have a separate claim for loss of consortium when the injury has significantly affected the couple's relationship, companionship, or support.

Because these cases involve decades of projected costs, an accurate settlement or verdict depends on documenting the full scope of care a person will need, not just the treatment received so far.

Massachusetts Statute of Limitations

In Massachusetts, you generally have three years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Medical malpractice claims follow the same three-year window but involve additional procedural steps, including a review by a medical malpractice tribunal.

If your fall or accident happened on public property, claims against a Massachusetts city or town require written notice within two years, which is far shorter than the filing deadline itself. Missing either deadline can end a valid claim, so it is worth talking to an attorney well before time runs out.

Secure the Resources You Need for the Road Ahead

A spinal cord injury can affect nearly every aspect of your future, including your mobility, independence, career, and quality of life. The financial impact often extends far beyond your initial hospital stay, making it essential to understand the full value of your claim before accepting any settlement. An experienced attorney can help ensure that future medical care, rehabilitation, adaptive equipment, and long-term support are fully considered.

Since 2002, Attorney Jason Ranallo has helped seriously injured clients throughout Massachusetts pursue the compensation they need to rebuild their lives after catastrophic accidents. As part of our broader personal injury lawyer practice, we represent people harmed by negligence in cases involving spinal cord injuries, car accidents, motorcycle crashes, unsafe properties, and other serious incidents.

If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord or severe back injury because of someone else's negligence, contact the Law Offices of Jason M. Ranallo, P.C. today for a free consultation. There are no upfront legal fees, and you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Call (781) 344-6200 to speak with our team today.