Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Chico

Over a Century of Local Roots. Serious Representation for Catastrophic Injuries.

A spinal cord injury changes everything at once. The physical, financial, and emotional weight falls on the injured person and their family before they have any chance to prepare. At Peters, Habib, McKenna, Juhl-Rhodes, Cardoza & Hansen, LLP, we handle these claims with the local court familiarity and long-term case perspective that catastrophic injuries demand.

If you or a family member has suffered a spinal cord injury in the Chico area, call (530) 342-3593 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.

What Spinal Cord Injuries Involve

The spinal cord carries signals between the brain and the body. When it’s damaged, those signals are interrupted, resulting in partial or complete loss of motor function and sensation below the injury site. How much function remains depends on where along the spine the injury occurs and whether it is complete or incomplete.

A complete injury means no motor function or sensation below the level of injury. An incomplete injury means some function remains. Damage to the cervical spine typically causes quadriplegia (also called tetraplegia), affecting all four limbs and the torso. Injury to the thoracic or lumbar spine generally produces paraplegia, affecting the lower body. Both classifications carry profound long-term consequences.

Common causes include:

• Motor vehicle collisions
• Falls from heights or on dangerous surfaces
• Workplace accidents involving heavy equipment or unguarded hazards

Severe injuries in Butte County are often treated at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, an American College of Surgeons-verified Level II Trauma Center serving the region. The treatment path that begins there frequently continues for years, with ongoing rehabilitation, adaptive equipment, and in-home care compounding the long-term cost.

Why Chico Families Bring These Cases to Our Firm

Our roots in Chico stretch back more than a century, to when Guy R. Kennedy established his practice here in approximately 1896. That history isn’t just a number. It reflects generations of familiarity with the Superior Court of California, County of Butte, the judges who preside there, and the insurance companies that operate in this region. That local knowledge shapes how we approach case strategy and settlement negotiations.

Spinal cord injury claims aren’t routine personal injury matters. They involve projecting lifetime medical and care costs, identifying every liable party, and building a damages case that reflects the real scope of what the injured person has lost. Our team collaborates across its combined experience to handle that complexity. We take time to understand each client’s situation rather than process it, and we offer services in both English and Spanish so language is never a barrier to communication.

Our attorneys are active in civic and professional life in Chico, reflecting a commitment to this community that extends well beyond the courtroom.

Compensation in a California Spinal Cord Injury Claim

California law allows injured people to pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover measurable losses: past and future medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, life care planning, lost income, and reduced earning capacity. Non-economic damages address pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress.

California follows a comparative negligence system. If an injured person is found partially at fault, their compensation is reduced by their percentage of fault, but shared fault doesn’t automatically bar recovery. Because spinal cord injuries typically require lifelong care, building an accurate damages claim often means coordinating with medical specialists who can project future needs.

Filing Deadlines That Affect These Cases in California

Two separate deadlines can apply to a spinal cord injury claim in California, and missing either one can limit or eliminate the ability to recover compensation. Identifying which deadlines apply is one of the first steps we take when evaluating a case.

Claims Against Private Parties

Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is generally two years from the date of injury. Exceptions can shorten or extend that window, so the sooner a claim is evaluated, the better.

When a Public Entity May Share Fault

When a government entity may share fault, the timeline is much shorter. California Government Code section 911.2 generally requires a written claim to be submitted to the public entity within six months of the injury before a lawsuit can be filed. This applies when a public road, government vehicle, or public employee may have contributed to the accident. Missing this deadline can limit or prevent recovery from that entity, subject to narrow exceptions for late-claim relief.

Injuries involving poorly maintained public roadways or intersections in and around Chico may trigger this shorter deadline. Identifying potential government involvement early is part of how we work to protect our clients’ options.

Talk to Our Chico Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys

These cases involve high-stakes matters, strict deadlines, and a level of medical and legal complexity that requires careful, experienced handling. We offer a free initial consultation so you can understand your options without any obligation.

Our firm has represented Butte County clients through serious injury claims for over a century. We’re ready to listen to what happened and provide an honest assessment of your situation.

Call (530) 342-3593 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation today.