San Diego
Spine Injury
Attorney
A serious spine injury can affect mobility, independence, work, and daily life in ways that aren’t always obvious at first. Whether you’re dealing with a herniated disc, vertebra fracture, spinal cord compression, or paralysis after a crash, fall, or unsafe condition in San Diego County, Hulburt Law Firm represents people and families in catastrophic spine injury and wrongful death cases under California law.
Types of spine injury cases we handle include:
- Car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian crashes
- Falls (stairs, balconies, unsafe guardrails, trip hazards)
- Construction and workplace incidents
- Defective vehicles/components (seatbacks, headrests, tires, etc.)
- Dangerous roadway conditions and unsafe crosswalks
Our Approach
Throughout your spine injury case, we keep you informed, answer your questions, and explain each step in clear terms. Because we limit the number of catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases we accept, we’re able to build the kind of evidence serious spine claims require—imaging, surgical records, neurological findings, functional limitations, and long-term treatment plans.
Spine injuries are often minimized by insurance companies as “just back pain,” even when the damage involves fractures, nerve compression, or spinal cord injury. We work with the right medical and financial experts to document the full impact, including future care needs, mobility limitations, and reduced earning capacity—so your claim reflects what this injury truly costs.
Navigate the Law
Understand and manage the complexities of your case with an expert legal team on your side.
Gather Crucial Evidence
Our legal team collects crucial evidence to present a compelling case.
Negotiate Settlements
We handle negotiations with insurance companies and opposing parties in order to achieve the highest settlements possible.
Representation in Court
Our experienced attorneys provide skilled representation if your case goes to trial.
Case Results
Our attorneys have a proven track record of achieving extraordinary results.
A San Diego I-5 freeway collision resulted in brain and spine injuries.
A passenger seatback collapsed in a rear-end collision, causing the occupant life-changing spinal injuries and paralysis.
A negligent driver rear-ended a cyclist in Carlsbad who was lawfully using the bike lane, causing a severe spine injury.
The Harm
A man was driving to a ski trip with friends when his compact SUV was rear-ended at highway speed. In the violent impact, his head snapped backward into the head restraint, which broke under the force. His head and neck hyperextended over the seatback, fracturing his upper spine and leaving him paralyzed from the chest down for the rest of his life.
The Truth
The SUV manufacturer claimed there was nothing wrong with the head restraint and argued the at-fault driver alone was responsible. Through extensive investigation and discovery, attorney Conor Hulburt uncovered that the head restraint was secured by inexpensive plastic sleeves that were prone to cracking and failure. The manufacturer had redesigned those sleeves, but the older, weaker design was still used in our client’s vehicle—despite the availability of safer designs used in other vehicles.
Justice
The case resolved shortly before trial in a confidential settlement that helps provide long-term support and resources for the client’s lifelong needs.
If you or a loved one suffered a serious back injury, spinal cord injury, or paralysis in San Diego County, you don’t have to navigate this alone. Request a free spine injury case review.
How It Works
Spine Injury Case Review
During your free case review, we listen to what happened, what diagnosis you’ve received (such as a herniated disc, vertebra fracture, spinal cord injury, or paralysis), and how your symptoms are affecting your work and daily life. We review any information you already have—accident reports, photos or video, medical records, imaging results, and insurance letters—and give an honest assessment of whether a spine injury claim may be available under California law. This conversation is confidential and there’s no obligation to move forward.
Evidence Preservation
If you decide to work with us and the scope of representation is signed, we move quickly to investigate the incident and preserve key evidence. Depending on how the injury occurred, that can include securing traffic-camera or business-camera footage, documenting the crash scene or hazardous condition, preserving vehicles or defective components, obtaining police or incident reports, and interviewing witnesses. Acting early matters because video can be overwritten and vehicles or site conditions can change quickly.
Expert Collaboration
Serious spine injuries are often minimized as “just back pain,” even when imaging shows fractures, nerve compression, or spinal cord damage. We gather and organize the medical evidence needed to prove severity and permanency, including MRI/CT imaging, surgical and hospital records, neurology and orthopedic findings, and therapy documentation. When appropriate, we work with qualified experts—such as spine surgeons, neuroradiologists, and rehabilitation specialists—to explain the injury, treatment options, and long-term functional limitations.
Proving Liability
Using the evidence, we identify all potentially responsible parties—such as negligent drivers, employers, property owners, product manufacturers, contractors, or public entities responsible for dangerous roadways. At the same time, we evaluate the full scope of damages: past and future medical care, rehabilitation, mobility equipment, home and vehicle modifications, lost income and reduced earning capacity, and the impact the injury has on independence and quality of life. In catastrophic cases, we may also coordinate life-care planning to document future needs over time.
Settlement Strategy
We handle communications with insurance companies and defense lawyers so you don’t have to. In spine injury cases, insurers often argue that symptoms are degenerative, that surgery was unnecessary, or that limitations are exaggerated. We present objective evidence—imaging, treating physician opinions, and expert support where needed—to show what the injury truly requires now and in the future. Throughout negotiations, we keep you informed, explain any offers in plain language, and help you weigh settlement versus litigation.
Litigation & Trial Representation
If a fair resolution cannot be reached, we are prepared to file a lawsuit and take your case to court. Litigation can involve written discovery, depositions of witnesses and medical providers, and testimony from experts such as surgeons, rehabilitation specialists, life-care planners, vocational experts, and economists. At trial, we work to present complex medical evidence clearly—so decision-makers understand how the spine injury happened, why the defendants are responsible, and what the injury will mean for your life going forward.
California Spine Injury Law: Claims, Compensation & Deadlines
Spine injury cases in California are generally evaluated under the same framework as other serious personal injury matters—fault, causation, and damages—but catastrophic spine injuries often require more detailed medical and future-care proof because the impact can be permanent.
What Do You Have to Prove in a California Spine Injury Case?
Comparative Fault in Spine Injury Cases
Types of Compensation After a Spine Injury
Deadlines to File a Spine Injury Lawsuit in California
Wrongful Death and Survival Claims in Catastrophic Spine Cases
The Hulburt Law Difference
In-Depth Investigations
Forget surface-level research and mediocre inquiries. We dive deep to conduct extensive investigations and gather evidence in order to build your strongest case.
Tech-Forward Approach
We use technology to your advantage. By using video and photography, scene recreations, and graphics, we tell your story in a visually-compelling way that other law firms cannot match.
Maximum Compensation
Defense attorneys and insurance companies know us and respect us. We assess the full extent of your damages and pursue all responsible parties in order to maximize the compensation you deserve.
The Right Experience
Catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases are rarely simple. We have taken on the largest corporations, insurance companies, and defense firms in the country and won.
Genuine Care
We understand how important it is to have a compassionate and considerate lawyer. From providing regular case updates to ensuring clients are adequately prepared for each step of the case, we continually demonstrate our care for all of our clients.
Spine Injury
FAQs
What should I do after a serious back or spine injury in San Diego?
What’s the difference between a spinal cord injury and a serious back injury?
Can I have a spine injury claim if my MRI shows a herniated disc?
What if the insurance company says my back or neck problem is “degenerative”?
What are common causes of spine injuries in San Diego personal injury cases?
What evidence is important in a spine injury case?
What experts are used in serious spine injury and paralysis cases?
What compensation is available in a California spine injury claim?
How long do I have to file a spine injury lawsuit in California?
How long does a spine injury case usually take?
Do I need a San Diego spine injury attorney, and how are fees handled?
Request a Free Case Review
Simply fill out the form or call 619.821.0500 to receive a free case review. We’ll evaluate what happened, your injuries, and potential defendants to determine how we can best help you.
The Hulburt Law Firm specializes in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases in San Diego, California.
