Seattle Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Our Seattle Injury Lawyer Helps Accident Victims With Spinal Cord Injuries Navigate Complicated Litigation in Pursuit of Fair Compensation

Spinal cord injuries are often catastrophic, leaving victims grappling with permanently disabling paralysis, ongoing medical expenses, and a future they barely recognize. If another party’s negligence caused an accident that left you or a loved one with a life-altering spinal cord injury, you could be entitled to compensation. However, in Washington State, personal injury cases involving spinal cord injuries can lead to complicated litigation, underscoring the importance of securing skilled legal counsel.

At Kode Law Firm, accomplished Seattle injury lawyer Preet Kode provides adept representation and unwavering support for clients with spinal cord injuries. Preet genuinely cares about her clients, investing considerable time, effort, and resources to help them obtain the best possible outcome.

Get the Facts on Spinal Cord Injury Accidents 

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, roughly 18,000 new traumatic spinal cord injuries occur in the United States each year, and an estimated 300,000 or more Americans are living with one today. These injuries can have far-reaching consequences, including medical and living expenses that reach into the millions of dollars over a lifetime. Here’s what you should know.

Common Causes of Accidents Resulting in Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can have numerous causes. Unfortunately, many are preventable, meaning that the victims wouldn’t have suffered a spinal injury if the liable party had been more careful. Common negligence-related causes of spinal injuries include:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Uber and Lyft accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Boating accidents
• Bus, train, and plane accidents
• Sports and recreation accidents

No matter the type of accident, if another person or company’s negligence caused your spinal injury, Kode Law Firm can fight to protect your right to seek financial recovery.

Spinal Cord Injury and Paralysis 

Suffering a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis can come with a host of challenges. Whether it's paraplegia (paralysis of the legs and lower body) or quadriplegia (paralysis of the body and limbs), these injuries can profoundly affect mobility, independence, and overall quality of life. Preet Kode understands the devastating impact spinal cord injuries can have on accident victims and their families and tirelessly advocates for your rights in civil litigation.

Turn to Our Washington State Injury Lawyer for Trusted Counsel and Compassionate Support for Your Spinal Cord Injuries Case 

Catastrophic injury litigation can be challenging. The stakes are high, the medical evidence is complex, and insurers defending a claim of this size will invest heavily in disputing both liability and the extent of your losses. Fortunately, you don’t have to brave litigation alone. Kode Law Firm is a trusted ally in the fight for justice and fair compensation. Here’s how we could aid your recovery.

What Washington Law Says About Damages in a Spinal Cord Injury Case

Two features of Washington law shape what a spinal cord injury claim can recover, and both are frequently reported inaccurately on legal websites.

Washington does not cap noneconomic damages. The Legislature enacted a statutory limit on noneconomic damages—pain and suffering, disability, loss of enjoyment of life—in 1986. The Washington Supreme Court struck that limit down in Sofie v. Fibreboard Corp., 112 Wn.2d 636, 771 P.2d 711 (1989), holding that it interfered with the jury’s function of determining damages and violated the right to a jury trial guaranteed by article I, section 21 of the Washington Constitution. Unlike many other states, Washington places no statutory ceiling on what a jury may award for the human losses caused by a catastrophic injury. In a case involving permanent paralysis, that matters a great deal.

Punitive damages are not available. Washington does not permit punitive damages unless a statute expressly authorizes them, and no statute authorizes them in a negligence case. Washington courts have treated punitive damages as contrary to state public policy since the earliest days of statehood. See Dailey v. North Coast Life Insurance Co., 129 Wn.2d 572, 919 P.2d 589 (1996). Recovery in a Washington spinal cord injury case is therefore compensatory—measured by the harm you actually suffered, including your future losses, rather than by a penalty imposed on the person or company at fault.

Other factors can affect what you ultimately receive. Under Washington’s comparative fault statute, RCW 4.22.005, an award is reduced in proportion to any fault attributed to you—but unlike some states, any percentage of fault does not bar recovery entirely. Available insurance coverage and applicable liens also affect the net result. These are questions to work through with counsel based on the specific facts of your case.

Investigating the Accident and Determining Liability

Our team of legal professionals investigates the accident that led to your spinal cord injury to determine the cause and identify who is responsible. Examples of potentially liable parties include negligent motorists, product manufacturers, property owners, coaches, and sports programs.

Gathering Vital Evidence and Estimating Damages

We collect as much evidence as possible to support your spinal cord injury accident claim, such as medical bills and receipts for other related expenses. Preet and her team work with an economic expert, using this information to estimate your damages, including the cost of ongoing medical care.

Handling Communications and Negotiating Settlement Offers

Dealing with insurers and defense attorneys can be intimidating, time-consuming, and risky for accident victims, potentially exposing them to tactics designed to undermine their case. Let Preet handle communications with the other parties, negotiating and analyzing settlement offers so you can focus on treatment, rehabilitation, and adjusting to new challenges.

Taking Your Case to Trial to Fight for Fair Compensation 

When insurers won’t make a reasonable settlement offer, Preet and her dedicated team will prepare your case for trial. Regardless of whether you settle or succeed in court, your spinal cord injury recovery might include compensation for:

• All medical expenses related to your spinal cord injury accident. This includes ambulance transportation, emergency care, doctor and specialist visits, surgical procedures, rehabilitation, prescription medications, accessibility-related home and vehicle modifications, and the estimated costs of ongoing or future care.
• Lost wages and/or earning capacity. These damages compensate you for wages and earning potential lost due to your accident-related impairments.
• Pain and suffering. These damages provide you compensation for subjective losses without an attached monetary value, such as physical pain and suffering, mental distress, permanent disability, and reduced quality of life.

Talk With Our Seattle Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

If a spinal cord injury has changed your life or your family member’s, the sooner the evidence is preserved and the losses are documented, the stronger your position will be. Kode Law Firm offers a free, confidential consultation to discuss what happened and what your options are.

Reviewed for legal accuracy by Preet Kode, Kode Law Firm, on August 10, 2026.
This page provides general information about Washington personal injury law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutes and case law change, and the rules that apply to your claim depend on its specific facts. Nothing on this page is a prediction, promise, or guarantee about the outcome or value of any claim.