Topeka Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
An injury to your spinal cord may cause a severe and debilitating injury that can change your life. Even if your injury is less serious but was caused by the negligence or wrongful act of another individual or manufacturer, you may be able to claim significant compensation for the losses and pain you have suffered.
However, these cases can be complex and require the expertise of experienced personal injury lawyers.
The team at Irigonegaray & Revenaugh has a successful record in spinal cord injury claims and can help you pursue the damages that you deserve.
Know Your Rights
What To Know About A Spinal Cord Injury Claim In Topeka
A spinal cord injury can bring lasting medical, financial, and emotional costs, and the full extent is not always clear right after an accident. Here’s what to keep in mind before you talk to a lawyer about your case.
- To prove negligence, you must show the at-fault party owed you a duty of care, breached it, and that the breach directly caused your injury. If a defective vehicle part caused the crash, the manufacturer may be liable without proof of negligence.
- Kansas generally gives you two years from the date of the injury to file a claim (K.S.A. 60-513), and under its comparative fault rule (K.S.A. § 60-258a), your compensation is reduced by your share of fault and generally barred if you are 50% or more at fault.
- Compensation can cover past and future medical bills, including rehabilitation and physical therapy, past and future lost earnings, and physical and emotional pain and suffering.
Common spinal injuries and trauma types in Kansas
Spinal cord injuries encompass a wide variety of injuries resulting from:
- Car accidents, semi-trucks accidents, motorcycles and bicycles accidents
- Slips and falls – especially common for elderly people
- Swimming pool accidents – shallow pools at home are a common cause
- Alcohol-related incidents – especially when driving
Injuries may be severe and cause temporary or permanent paralysis or disability, as well as severe headaches, breathing problems, reduced motor skills, and other serious complications.
Alternatively, symptoms can be much milder, resulting in no more than mild pain or discomfort and inconvenience.
Typical severe and acute injuries include:
- Fractured or dislocated vertebrae
- Spinal cord compression or deformity
- Herniated discs
- Disc tears
- Spinal stenosis
Milder injuries may involve:
- Whiplash-associated disorders
- A stiff neck
- Spinal muscle strains
Injuries may also turn from acute to chronic when they last for many weeks or months. Low back pain, neck pain or sciatica are typical results of chronic spinal cord injuries.
All spinal cord injuries are potentially serious though they are not always evident at the time of an accident.
It is important to seek prompt medical attention to check the severity of your injuries. This will also help you document your condition in the event of a future compensation claim.
Spinal cord injuries from a Topeka car accident
Trauma to the back or neck can affect the spinal cord and its ability to transmit messages between the brain and the body’s sensory and motor systems.
This is particularly common in car accidents, where severe trauma may result from a collision with another vehicle on the road.
In such cases, where the injury was due to the negligence or failure to act of another individual, you may be entitled to claim for compensation.
To show negligence, your lawyer must demonstrate that:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care
- The duty of care was breached
- You were injured
- Your injury was a direct result of the breach
Drivers have a duty of care to all others on the road.
The challenge for your spinal cord injury lawyer is to show that your injuries were a result of a breach of this care and the resulting accident.
In order to make a valid compensation claim against the insurance company, your lawyer will carefully evaluate evidence from the scene of the accident, get testimony from witnesses, and consult with the relevant accident, financial, and medical professionals.
We’re Here For You
An Injury To Your Spine Can Change Everything Overnight
Some back and neck injuries are obvious right away, and others only show up days later as pain, numbness, or trouble moving. Either way, you deserve clear answers. Our Topeka team is here to listen, explain your options in plain language, and make sure you don’t have to face the insurance company alone.
Get a Free ConsultationSpinal cord injuries from a defective product
In rare cases, it’s possible to have a car accident that was the result of the manufacturer’s actions rather than those of another driver.
In such cases, you may be able to file a claim for compensation for your spinal cord injury against the manufacturer.
In product liability lawsuits, manufacturers of new vehicles can be held liable for defective products (usually one of the parts of the vehicle) without proof of negligence.
Your lawyer will need to demonstrate that the product was defective and caused your injury.
Again, these cases can be complex, involving investigations into manufacturing practices and requiring expert medical opinion.
You will need a seasoned personal injury lawyer familiar in product liability lawsuits to win compensation.
What Compensation Can I Recover for a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury can have serious consequences for your future.
Severe injury may result in:
- Loss of ability to work, earn a living, and take care of your family
- Loss of movement – making daily activities and exercise difficult
- Pain and discomfort
- Extensive medical treatment and significant bills
Filing a lawsuit for compensation against the at-fault party can address some of the losses you have experienced to date and will experience in the future.
For instance, in a successful case you can expect the following:
- Payment of medical bills (hospital bills, prescription drugs, rehabilitation and physical therapy, etc.
- Lost earnings – both past and future earnings can be compensated
- Pain and suffering –physical and emotional pain in the past, present, and future can be claimed
Free Case Evaluation
The Property Owner Will Have Defences Ready. You Should Too.
The owner may argue the hazard was obvious, that they had no time to fix it, or that it didn’t cause your injury. We gather the photos, maintenance records, and witness statements needed to answer those arguments. Your first consultation is free, and we will tell you where your claim stands.
Get a Free ConsultationProving fault for a spinal cord injury claim
Your claim for compensation for a spinal cord injury will only be successful if your lawyer can prove how the accident occurred and who was at fault.
You must show that the negligence of the at-fault party contributed to your spinal cord injury.
At Irigonegaray & Revenaugh, we are able to establish proof by gathering the evidence required from a number of different sources, including:
- Eyewitnesses
- Medical specialists
- Police officers
- Accident reconstruction specialists
- Financial experts
Remember – we only get paid if we win your case!
Claims for spinal cord injuries are complex, and we first need to investigate the circumstances of your case.
If you have a strong argument for compensation, we will work with the necessary specialists to present a compelling case for losses to the insurance company.
Insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with and negotiations are best left to established professionals like our attorneys.
Note that with all personal injury cases, the lawyers at Irigonegaray & Revenaugh work on a contingency basis: that means we only get paid if we win your case – and the more we earn you, the more we earn for our firm.
Common Questions
Spinal Cord Injury Claim FAQs
Every spinal cord injury case is different, but these are some of the questions we hear most from injured people across Shawnee County before they sit down with our Topeka attorneys.
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Get medical attention right away, even if your symptoms seem mild. Spinal cord injuries are not always evident at the time of an accident, and some worsen over the following days or weeks. Prompt treatment protects your health and creates medical records that document your condition if you later file a compensation claim.
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It depends on how the injury affects your life. A successful claim can cover past and future medical bills, including rehabilitation and physical therapy, past and future lost earnings, and physical and emotional pain and suffering. Injuries that cause paralysis or leave you unable to work generally support larger claims than milder injuries.
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You may still recover compensation. Kansas follows a comparative fault rule, so your award is reduced by your share of blame. If you are found to be 50% or more at fault, you generally cannot recover damages. Insurers often argue shared fault to lower what they pay, so don’t accept blame before all the facts are known.
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Kansas generally gives injured people two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury claim. Spinal cord injury cases often need accident reconstruction, medical experts, and witness testimony, and that evidence is easier to gather early. It’s best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after your accident.
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Testimonials
Irigonegaray & Revenaugh is a boutique law firm offering personalized legal services grounded in deep expertise and attentive client care. As a women‑owned micro business, the firm combines thoughtful counsel with tailored solutions to serve individuals and businesses with professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to achieving positive outcomes for its clients.
My experience with Nicole Revenaugh was beyond my expectations as her passion, knowledge, and kindness showed clearly as she assisted me with my legal needs while also clearly communicating at each step of the process and clearing up any questions I had with ease!
Pedro Irigonegaray is one of the most experienced, knowledgeable, professional and compassionate attorneys I have ever known. When you need legal advice or someone to fight for you, get the best. Talk to Mr. Irgonegaray.
Very helpful. Very friendly. Very personable. Even if you need to know which direction to go with your issue, they’ll help show you the way even if it means you don’t need to go through them. We need more kind people like this!
I have known Pedro for many years. A true gentleman, capable and ethical attorney. Glad to see the firm expand with more talented and ethical attorneys. A real asset to the Topeka legal community.
Very impressed with their attention to detail, prompt service and professionalism. Highly recommend.
Passion for everyone’s rights, especially — but not exclusively — LGBTQ.
There are no words to express my gratitude for this law firm. Pedro Irigonegaray represented my family a few times. Mr. Irigonegaray is a very honest, direct, and diligent attorney. We found the entire staff to be very caring, kind, and helpful. This law firm is definitely full of good people!!
We only get paid if we win your case
With personal injury cases, we work entirely on a contingency basis. That means we only get paid if we win your case.
We will deduct a pre-agreed percentage from the compensation that you are awarded. This is always made clear and agreed upon before we take on your case.
Our goal is to make our services accessible and affordable for anyone involved in an accident, regardless of their financial situation.
Book a free consultation with one of our attorneys to discuss your case.