Practice areaSpinal Cord Injury
Great Falls & Montana Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers: Paralysis, Paraplegia, Quadriplegia and Spinal Injury Claims
Boland Aarab PLLP.
Our attorneys: Caitlin Boland Aarab · Samir F. Aarab
A spinal cord injury can mean paralysis, a lifetime of medical care and costs that national data put in the millions of dollars. If another person or company caused yours, Montana law allows recovery for the full lifetime harm. Most claims must be filed within 3 years, and the evidence should be secured much sooner.
Key Takeaways
- Vehicle crashes (37.1%) and falls (32.5%) cause most traumatic spinal cord injuries in the U.S. since 2015 (NSCISC, 2026).
- NSCISC estimates lifetime costs of $6,419,617 for high tetraplegia injured at age 25, in 2025 dollars, not counting lost wages (NSCISC Facts and Figures at a Glance, 2026).
- Montana law allows damages for harm “certain to result in the future” (§ 27-1-203, MCA).
- Most injury claims must be filed within 3 years (§ 27-2-204, MCA).
On this page: What it is · Complete vs. incomplete · Paraplegia and tetraplegia · Herniated discs · Causes · Lifetime costs · Damages · Deadlines · Why Boland Aarab · FAQ
Paralyzed or seriously hurt in a crash, fall or workplace incident? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
What is a spinal cord injury?
A spinal cord injury is damage to the bundle of nerves inside the spine that carries signals between the brain and the body, and it can cause loss of movement, feeling and body function below the injury.
The spinal cord runs from the base of the brain through the neck (cervical), mid-back (thoracic) and lower back (lumbar). The higher the injury, the more of the body it usually affects. A traumatic injury happens when a fracture, dislocation, crushing force or penetrating wound damages the cord.
The effects often reach well beyond walking. Depending on the level and severity, a spinal cord injury can affect breathing, bladder and bowel control, sexual function, blood pressure, temperature control and skin health. Many people face repeated hospital stays. NSCISC reports that since 2015, about 29% of people with traumatic spinal cord injury are re-hospitalized at least once in any given year after injury (NSCISC, 2026).
What is the difference between a complete and an incomplete spinal cord injury?
A complete injury means no movement or feeling remains below the level of injury; an incomplete injury means some remains.
Doctors grade severity on the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), from A (complete) through D (motor function preserved, with weakness) to E (normal). An incomplete injury is not a minor injury. A person with an incomplete injury may walk with help, or may not walk at all, and may still need lifelong care.
According to NSCISC data for injuries since 2015, incomplete tetraplegia is now the most frequent category (47.7%), followed by incomplete paraplegia (20.4%), complete paraplegia (19.6%) and complete tetraplegia (11.8%). Less than 1% of people had complete neurological recovery by hospital discharge (NSCISC, 2026).
That last number matters in a legal case. Early in recovery, no one knows the final outcome. Settling before the medical picture is clear can leave a family without the resources they will need.
What is the difference between paraplegia and tetraplegia?
Paraplegia affects the legs and lower body; tetraplegia (also called quadriplegia) affects the arms, hands, trunk and legs.
| Paraplegia | Tetraplegia (quadriplegia) |
|---|
| Usual injury level | Thoracic, lumbar or sacral spine | Cervical spine (neck) |
| Body affected | Legs, and often trunk, bladder and bowel | Arms and hands as well as trunk and legs |
| Common needs | Wheelchair, home and vehicle changes, bladder and bowel care | Also help with daily tasks, and in high injuries, breathing support |
| Life expectancy | Reduced compared with the general population | Reduced further, especially for high injuries |
NSCISC data show life expectancy after spinal cord injury remains substantially below that of the general population, and has not improved for people past their first year of injury since the early 1980s. For a person injured at age 20 who survives the first year, NSCISC estimates remaining life expectancy of 43.8 years with paraplegia (AIS A–C) and 32.0 years with high tetraplegia (C1–C4, AIS A–C), compared with 59.2 years without injury (NSCISC, 2026).
Are herniated discs and other back injuries covered?
Yes. We also handle serious back and neck injuries that do not damage the spinal cord itself, including herniated discs, vertebral fractures and nerve-root injuries.
A herniated (or ruptured, bulging or slipped) disc happens when the soft center of a spinal disc pushes out through its outer layer. It can press on nearby nerve roots and cause pain, numbness or weakness in the arms or legs. Some heal with therapy. Others need injections, surgery or a spinal fusion, and leave lasting limits on lifting, sitting and work.
Insurers often argue that a herniated disc is “degenerative” — that it was already there. Montana law holds a wrongdoer responsible for all the harm their conduct proximately causes (§ 27-1-317, MCA). If a crash made a quiet condition painful and disabling, that change is part of the harm. The proof comes from prior medical records, imaging comparisons and the treating doctors.
What causes spinal cord injuries in Montana?
Most spinal cord injuries come from vehicle crashes and falls, and in Montana those include highway, work and recreation settings.
NSCISC reports these causes for injuries since 2015: vehicle crashes 37.1%, falls 32.5%, violence 15.2%, sports 7.6%, medical/surgical 3.8% and other 3.9% (NSCISC, 2026). The cases we see include:
- Car crashes, truck crashes and rollovers on I-15, U.S. 87, U.S. 89 and the Hi-Line.
- Motorcycle crashes.
- Falls from roofs, scaffolds, ladders and stairs, and on unsafe property (§ 27-1-701, MCA).
- Workplace incidents in construction, agriculture and the oil field, where a third party may be responsible in addition to workers’ compensation (§ 39-71-412, MCA).
- Defective products, such as seat belts, roofs that crush in rollovers, and machinery (§ 27-1-719, MCA).
- Medical malpractice, such as surgical errors or a missed spinal fracture or infection.
What does a spinal cord injury cost over a lifetime?
National data show lifetime costs from about $1.5 million to more than $6.4 million, depending on severity and age, before lost wages are counted.
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) publishes these estimates of costs directly caused by the injury — health care and living expenses — in 2025 dollars, with lifetime costs discounted at 2% (NSCISC Facts and Figures at a Glance, 2026):
| Severity | First year | Each later year | Lifetime, injured at 25 | Lifetime, injured at 50 |
|---|
| High tetraplegia (C1–C4), AIS A–C | $1,446,827 | $251,246 | $6,419,617 | $3,528,112 |
| Low tetraplegia (C5–C8), AIS A–C | $1,045,459 | $154,128 | $4,690,573 | $2,885,122 |
| Paraplegia, AIS A–C | $705,131 | $93,409 | $3,139,165 | $2,060,139 |
| Motor function at any level, AIS D | $472,190 | $57,353 | $2,144,693 | $1,513,784 |
These figures do not include lost wages, benefits and productivity, which NSCISC says averaged $97,787 per year in 2025 dollars. NSCISC also reports that since 2015, about 18% of people with traumatic spinal cord injury are employed one year after injury, compared with 64.5% at the time of injury.
National averages are a starting point, not a verdict. In an actual case, we prove the costs for this person, in Montana, with a life-care plan built from the treating doctors’ recommendations and an economist’s analysis. Our catastrophic injury page explains that process.
What can you recover for a spinal cord injury in Montana?
Montana law allows compensation for all the detriment a wrongful act causes, now and in the future (§§ 27-1-202, 27-1-203, 27-1-317, MCA).
That usually includes:
- Medical costs, past and future: surgery, rehabilitation, medications, supplies and treatment of complications (§ 27-1-308, MCA).
- Equipment: wheelchairs and their replacement, lifts, beds and adaptive devices.
- Home and vehicle changes: ramps, accessible bathrooms, hand controls and accessible vans.
- Attendant and home care, paid or provided by family.
- Lost earnings and lost earning capacity.
- Pain, emotional distress and loss of established course of life.
- Loss of consortium for a spouse, in appropriate cases.
If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage, and you can still recover as long as your share was not greater than the fault of those responsible (§ 27-1-702, MCA).
Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
How long do you have to file a spinal cord injury claim?
Most spinal cord injury claims in Montana must be filed within 3 years.
- 3 years for most negligence and wrongful-death claims (§ 27-2-204, MCA).
- Medical malpractice: generally 2 years, with an outer limit of 5 years (§ 27-2-205, MCA).
- Claims against the State, a county or a city must be presented in writing first (§ 2-9-301, MCA).
- Minors: the time a person is a minor generally does not count (§ 27-2-401, MCA).
The vehicle, the product and the scene are the most important evidence, and they are the first things to disappear. Call early.
The Boland Aarab Way
We are trial lawyers. A spinal cord injury case has to be built to be tried, because the lifetime numbers are large and the defense will contest every one of them.
- We try cases. Our firm has tried more than a dozen jury trials, in Cascade, Phillips, Meagher and Yellowstone Counties, and our attorneys have spent more than 4,000 hours in the courtroom.
- We protect verdicts. When a jury’s $168,500 verdict for our client in a rear-end crash case was set aside, we took it to the Montana Supreme Court and had it reinstated (Voegel v. Salsbery, 2023 MT 137).
- We hold institutions accountable, including a $115,000 net jury verdict for municipal negligence (Jack v. City of White Sulphur Springs).
- We know federal court. More than 40 cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana over nine years; Samir Aarab has argued twice before the Ninth Circuit.
- We are part of the trial bar. Both attorneys are AAJ and MTLA members. Caitlin Boland Aarab is an AAJ Governor and serves on the MTLA Board; Sam Aarab is also a Public Justice member.
- You work with the lawyers. The Boland Aarab appellate record reaches back to 1977 (appellate results).
See our results.
Where do we handle spinal cord injury cases?
From our Great Falls office at 18 6th Street North, Suite 200, we handle spinal cord injury cases across Montana, including Great Falls, Billings, Missoula, Helena, Bozeman, Butte and Kalispell. We also handle traumatic brain injury, burn injury and wrongful death cases.
Spinal cord injury cases across Montana
We are based in Great Falls and handle spinal cord injury cases statewide. Local information for each city:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a complete and incomplete spinal cord injury? A complete injury leaves no movement or feeling below the injury. An incomplete injury leaves some, but can still be severe and permanent.
Is quadriplegia the same as tetraplegia? Yes. Both mean paralysis affecting the arms, trunk and legs, usually from a neck injury. Paraplegia affects the legs and lower body.
How much does a spinal cord injury cost over a lifetime? NSCISC’s 2026 data sheet estimates about $1.5 million to more than $6.4 million in 2025 dollars, depending on severity and age at injury, not counting lost wages.
How much is a spinal cord injury settlement worth? It depends on the severity, the person’s age and work, future care needs, fault and available insurance. A fair value requires a life-care plan and economic analysis, not an average.
Is a herniated disc a spinal cord injury? Usually not; it is an injury to the disc that can press on nerve roots. It can still cause lasting pain and require surgery, and it can support a significant claim.
What if I had back problems before the accident? You can still recover for the harm the accident caused, including making an existing condition worse. Prior records help show the change.
Can I sue if I was paralyzed at work? Workers’ compensation is usually the only remedy against your employer, but you may also have a claim against a third party, such as a contractor, property owner or equipment maker (§ 39-71-412, MCA).
How long do I have to file a spinal cord injury lawsuit in Montana? Generally 3 years (§ 27-2-204, MCA), with different rules for medical malpractice and claims against government entities.
Talk to a Great Falls Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
Sources: NSCISC, Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Facts and Figures at a Glance (2026) · NSCISC · § 27-1-202, MCA · § 27-1-203, MCA · § 27-1-308, MCA · § 27-1-317, MCA · § 27-1-701, MCA · § 27-1-702, MCA · § 27-1-719, MCA · § 27-2-204, MCA · § 27-2-205, MCA · § 27-2-401, MCA · § 2-9-301, MCA · § 39-71-412, MCA
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
