A spinal cord injury can change mobility, independence, and the ability to earn a living, sometimes permanently. The medical costs are enormous, and the human costs are larger still. These cases demand a lawyer who will document the full lifetime impact and refuse to settle for the insurance company’s first number.
Valley Accident Law represents Arizonans with spinal cord and back injuries from crashes across the Phoenix metro. Founder Charles Paglialunga has 29 years of Arizona accident experience, and every case is handled by Charles personally.
Request your free consultation or call 1-602-584-8054.
Future care drives the value of a serious spinal case: surgery, rehabilitation, assistive equipment, attendant care, home and vehicle modifications, and lost earning capacity. We build the case around the full lifetime cost, working with medical and life-care professionals, rather than accepting an offer that covers only the bills paid so far.
Many spinal injury clients were hurt in car accidents, truck collisions, motorcycle crashes, and pedestrian accidents. When an injury is catastrophic or fatal, we also handle the related wrongful death claim.
Most Arizona injury claims must be filed within two years, with a 180-day notice window for claims involving a government entity. The sooner the evidence is preserved, the stronger the case.
Charles handles every spinal injury case personally. The first consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we recover for you. We have secured verdicts and settlements up to $6.1 million.
Request your free consultation or call 1-602-584-8054.
Arizona follows a comparative fault rule, so the insurance company will look for any way to shift part of the blame onto you, since even a small percentage reduces what they owe. Building a strong spinal injury case starts with the police report, but it rarely ends there. We look at vehicle damage patterns, available data recorders, witness statements, and the mechanism of injury itself, since a low speed collision does not usually explain a fractured vertebra or nerve damage. The insurance adjuster’s first move is often a quick medical review aimed at limiting what they pay for future treatment, not just what has already been billed. Spinal cases differ from a typical injury claim because the medical picture develops over months, as doctors determine whether nerve function will improve, plateau, or decline. Expect imaging, specialist consultations, and sometimes a functional capacity evaluation before anyone can estimate what the injury will cost over a lifetime. A spinal cord injury attorney in Scottsdale should be building that record from day one.
If you are dealing with a spinal or back injury from a crash, the most useful thing you can do is see a doctor and keep every appointment, even if the pain seems to be easing. Gaps in treatment give the insurance company an easy argument that the injury was not serious or was caused by something else. From there, let us handle the parts designed to wear you down: adjuster calls, requests for recorded statements, and paperwork deadlines you should not have to track while you are trying to heal. Our experienced and friendly attorney will explain your legal rights in plain language, walk you through your case, and handle communication with insurers so you are not doing it alone. We do not rush spinal cases, because the full impact often is not clear early on, and a fast settlement will under most circumstances favor the insurance company more than it favors you. There is no obligation to move forward, and no cost to find out where you stand.
The lifetime cost of care, equipment, and lost earning capacity, which usually dwarfs the bills paid to date.
Yes. Disc injuries can require surgery and cause chronic pain that limits work and daily life, and they are compensable.
Generally two years in Arizona, and only 180 days to notice a claim against a government entity.
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, paid only if we recover for you.
Not before you understand the full scope of your injury. Spinal injuries often take months to reveal their true impact, and an early offer is typically based only on the bills paid so far, not future surgery, therapy, or lost earning capacity. Once you accept and sign, the claim is closed for good. Talk to us first, there is no cost to ask.
Yes, in most circumstances. Arizona follows a comparative fault rule, which allows you to recover even if you share some responsibility for the crash, though your compensation may be reduced by your percentage of fault. The insurance company will look for ways to shift blame onto you, which is exactly why the evidence needs to be handled carefully from the start.
It depends mainly on how long it takes your injury to stabilize. Spinal cases often move slower than other injury claims because we need a clear medical picture of your prognosis before we can value the case accurately. Rushing a serious spinal claim usually costs you money in the long run.
Lost earning capacity, not just missed paychecks, is a central part of a serious spinal claim. We work to document how the injury affects your ability to do your job now and in the future, which under most circumstances plays a major role in the value of the case. This is part of why these cases take real documentation, not guesswork.
Most spinal injury claims resolve without a trial. We prepare every case as though it may need to go before a jury, because that preparation is often what pushes an insurance company to negotiate seriously rather than lowball the offer.