A spinal cord injury can change your life in a single moment. One minute you’re driving home, finishing a shift, or crossing an icy parking lot, and the next you’re facing surgery, rehabilitation, and hard questions about what your future looks like.

If a spinal cord injury has turned your world upside down in Green Bay, Brian Hodgkiss Injury Lawyers is here to help. We understand how much is at stake, and we can fight to get you the money you deserve.

These are among the most serious injuries a person can suffer, and the cost of treating them can climb into the millions of dollars over a lifetime. When someone else’s carelessness caused your injury, you should not have to shoulder that burden alone. An experienced Green Bay catastrophic injury lawyer can consider all the relevant facts, walk you through your options, and handle the legal side so you can focus on healing. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.

Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury happens when trauma damages the bundle of nerves that carries signals between your brain and the rest of your body. Nationwide, there are about 18,482 new traumatic spinal cord injuries each year, and about 311,560 Americans are living with one today, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC).

Many of these injuries result from traffic crashes, and our area sees plenty of them. According to Wisconsin DOT crash data, roughly one person is killed or injured in a Brown County crash every six hours, and the county logs more than 1,000 injury crashes in a typical year. Some intersections are especially risky.

The junction of West Mason Street and Packerland Drive was long considered Brown County’s worst intersection for crashes before a $4 million safety overhaul was completed in late 2025. Behind each of these numbers is a person whose life may have changed in an instant.

Most spinal cord injuries trace back to a handful of preventable causes. National data from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) points to the following leading sources of these types of injuries:

• Car and Truck Accidents: Vehicle crashes are the single leading cause of spinal cord injuries. A high-speed collision on a highway like I-43 or U.S. 41 can fracture the spine and damage the cord in an instant.
• Slip-and-Falls: Falls are a close second and are especially common during Wisconsin’s long winters, when ice and snow turn sidewalks, stairs, and parking lots into hazards. These accidents can also occur when a property owner fails to clear ice, fix broken stairs, or warn guests of a wet floor.
• Workplace Injuries: Construction, manufacturing, and agriculture are major industries in Northeast Wisconsin, and a fall from height or a heavy-equipment accident on the job can cause a catastrophic spinal injury.
• Medical Malpractice: Surgical errors, anesthesia mistakes, or a delayed diagnosis can damage the spinal cord during what should have been routine care.
• Acts of Violence: Gunshot wounds and other assaults account for a meaningful share of spinal cord injuries each year.

No matter how your injury happened, the key legal question is whether another party’s negligence played a role. If it did, you may have the right to seek compensation.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries and Long-Term Complications

Doctors describe spinal cord injuries in two main ways: by how complete the damage is, and by where along the spine it occurs. Both factors shape your prognosis and the lifelong care you may need.

Complete vs. Incomplete Injuries

In a complete injury, the cord is damaged so severely that all feeling and movement below the injury are lost. In an incomplete injury, some signals still reach the brain, allowing the injured person to retain partial sensation or movement. Incomplete injuries are now the most common type of spinal cord injury.

Paraplegia vs. Tetraplegia

The location of the injury determines which parts of the body are affected. An injury to the lower back (the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions) can cause paraplegia, which affects the legs and lower body. An injury higher up in the neck (the cervical region) can cause tetraplegia, also called quadriplegia, which affects all four limbs and can even interfere with breathing.

Because the spinal cord rarely heals fully, many people face lasting complications that require ongoing medical attention, including:

• Chronic pain and muscle spasticity
• Loss of bladder and bowel control
• Breathing and respiratory difficulties
• Pressure sores and skin problems
• Blood clots and circulation issues
• Depression, anxiety, and other emotional effects

These complications are part of why spinal cord injuries are so costly to live with, and why it is so important to account for future care when you pursue a claim.

Your Legal Rights After a Spinal Cord Injury in Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a fault-based state, which means the person or company responsible for your injury (and their insurance company) is responsible for paying for the harm they caused. If a negligent driver, property owner, employer, or other party caused your spinal cord injury, you may be entitled to compensation.

Wisconsin follows a rule called modified comparative negligence under Wisconsin Statutes § 895.045. Under this rule, you can still recover money as long as you’re not more at fault than the other side.

If you’re found 50% or less at fault, you can recover, though your award is reduced by your share of the blame. If you’re 51% or more at fault, you cannot recover. Because insurance companies often try to shift blame onto injured people, having a lawyer protect your side of the story matters.

Depending on your situation, a successful claim may help you recover compensation for damages such as:

• Emergency treatment, surgery, and hospital stays
• Long-term rehabilitation and in-home care
• Medical equipment and home or vehicle modifications
• Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
• Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life

Our team can help you identify every party that may share responsibility and pursue the value of what your injury has truly cost you. Our goal is to get you paid so you can move forward with stability.

Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries

Treating a spinal cord injury is a long road that usually moves through two phases: emergency stabilization right after the injury, and long-term rehabilitation that can continue for years.

Emergency Care

In the first hours after an injury, the priority is to stabilize the spine, prevent further damage, and manage life-threatening complications. Green Bay is fortunate to have advanced trauma care close to home.

HSHS St. Vincent Hospital operates the region’s first Level II Trauma Center, and Aurora BayCare Medical Center offers neurosurgical spine care for patients with serious spinal injuries. The most severe cases may arrive by ambulance or medical helicopter for immediate surgery and stabilization.

Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation

Once a patient is stable, the focus shifts to recovery and adapting to daily life. Long-term care can include physical and occupational therapy, respiratory support, pain management, mental health counseling, and help learning to use wheelchairs, braces, and other assistive devices.

Close to home, Aurora BayCare runs an accredited neuro-rehabilitation program that treats spinal cord injuries on both an inpatient and outpatient basis, and Bellin Health operates an inpatient rehabilitation unit in Green Bay.

Calculating the Lifetime Costs of a Spinal Cord Injury

One of the most important parts of a spinal cord injury claim is making sure the settlement reflects what the injury will truly cost over a lifetime, not just the bills that have already arrived. These injuries are among the most expensive of any catastrophic injury to live with.

The NSCISC publishes national estimates of these costs, drawn from federal research data. The figures below, reported in 2023 dollars, show how quickly expenses add up, especially in the first year:

Severity of Injury	First Year	Each Later Year	Lifetime (injured at age 25)
High Tetraplegia (C1–C4)	$1,369,755	$237,862	$6,077,646
Low Tetraplegia (C5–C8)	$989,768	$145,918	$4,440,708
Paraplegia	$667,569	$88,433	$2,971,942
Incomplete Motor Function (any level)	$447,037	$54,298	$2,030,446

Figures are directly attributable health care and living costs and do not include lost wages or benefits, which add an estimated $92,578 in annual costs.

Insurance companies know these numbers too, which is one reason they may push an injured person to settle quickly and cheaply. A careful calculation that accounts for future surgeries, ongoing therapy, equipment, and lost income can mean the difference between running out of money and being able to afford the care you need for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions About Spinal Cord Injury Claims

How Much Is My Spinal Cord Injury Case Worth?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, because every injury is different. The value of a case depends on the severity of the injury, the cost of past and future medical care, lost income, the strength of the evidence, and the amount of insurance coverage available.

As the lifetime cost figures above show, a severe spinal cord injury can carry expenses in the millions of dollars. We can review the details of your situation and give you an honest assessment of what your claim may be worth.

What Happens in a Spinal Cord Injury Lawsuit?

Most claims begin with an investigation and a demand to the at-fault party’s insurer, and many settle without a trial. If the insurer refuses a fair offer, we can file a lawsuit. From there, both sides exchange information, take depositions, and may attend mediation. If no fair settlement is reached, the case can go to trial, where a jury decides the outcome. Throughout the process, our team handles the legal work while keeping you informed at every step.

What if the Insurance Company Offers an Immediate Settlement?

Be cautious. An early offer is often far lower than what your injury will ultimately cost, and once you accept, you usually cannot reopen the claim if your condition worsens. Because spinal cord injuries carry decades of expenses, it is wise to talk with a lawyer before signing anything. We can review any offer to help you understand whether it is fair before you decide.

How Long Do I Have to File a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in Wisconsin?

In most cases, Wisconsin Statutes § 893.54 gives you three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Some situations have different deadlines, and claims against a government entity can require written notice within just 120 days. Because these deadlines are strict and missing one can bar your claim entirely, it is best to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.

What Does It Cost to Hire a Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer?

Nothing upfront. Brian Hodgkiss Injury Lawyers handles spinal cord injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay us nothing unless we recover money for you. The initial consultation is free, so there’s no risk in finding out where you stand.

Bank on Brian After a Spinal Cord Injury in Green Bay

A spinal cord injury affects every part of your life, and you should not have to face the medical bills and insurance battles on your own. The catastrophic injury team at Brian Hodgkiss Injury Lawyers is ready to listen to your story, answer your questions, and work to protect your rights while you focus on your recovery.

Contact us today for a free consultation. There’s no fee unless we win money for you. Bank on Brian!