A spinal cord injury can change your life in an instant. Whether it happened on a construction site, in a vehicle crash, or from a fall, the damage can leave you facing a lifetime of medical care, lost wages, and physical limitations.
If you or someone you love suffered a spinal injury in Queens, it’s time to understand your rights and the steps you can take to protect your future. A Queens spinal cord injury lawyer can help guide you through the legal process and hold the right parties accountable.
Why Choose The Perecman Firm, PLLC as Your Queens Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer?
Choosing the right law firm can mean the difference between a life filled with questions and a future built on justice and recovery. The Perecman Firm, PLLC, has been fighting for injured New Yorkers for over 40 years and understands the high stakes of spinal cord injury cases.
Here's what sets them apart:
- Decades of hands-on experience with spinal cord injury cases across New York City
- Deep knowledge of construction and labor law, vehicle accident cases, and injury litigation
- Relentless investigation of all liable parties and insurance coverage options
- Personal attention and respect for every client and their story
- Proven track record of high-value settlements and trial verdicts
- Direct access to attorneys who treat clients like family
- Offices across NYC, Queens, and Long Island for easy access
What Types of Accidents Can Cause a Spinal Cord Injury?
Injuries to the spinal cord can happen in almost any serious accident, but certain causes are more common in Queens.
Falls on construction sites
Queens has a high volume of ongoing construction, including residential towers, commercial development, and infrastructure improvements. With so many workers exposed to ladders, scaffolds, and incomplete structures, a fall can cause devastating trauma to the neck or back.
Spinal cord damage often results from falling more than six feet or being thrown onto concrete without a harness or a fall arrest system. Modified or unsafe safety gear is a major cause of spinal injuries in these environments.
Traffic crashes with commercial vehicles
Whether you were hit by a rideshare vehicle in Jackson Heights or a delivery truck in Jamaica, spinal injuries often result from rear-end collisions, T-bones, or highway accidents. Large vehicles carry more force, increasing the risk of spinal fractures or cord compression.
Commercial drivers also work long hours or under pressure, contributing to unsafe driving.
Falling objects and work equipment accidents
Tools, building materials, or even steel beams can fall from above. Workers or bystanders struck by heavy objects often experience neck trauma, which can lead to spinal cord bruising or complete severance.
These cases may involve New York Labor Law Section 240(1) violations, which protects workers from gravity-related hazards.
Slip, trip, and fall incidents on public or private property
Ice, cracked sidewalks, and cluttered store aisles- these hazards exist across Queens, from Flushing to Forest Hills. Spinal cord injuries can result when a person lands awkwardly on their back or neck during a fall.
While not all falls cause permanent damage, those involving older adults or unsafe conditions may result in severe injury.
Workplace machinery accidents
Industrial jobs in Queens—especially in warehouses, auto shops, and construction—carry high risks. Workers may be pulled or pinned when a machine malfunctions or lacks proper guards, damaging their spine.
These injuries can lead to nerve damage, paralysis, or chronic back pain that prevents future employment.
What Kinds of Spinal Cord Injuries Are Common in Queens Accidents?
The severity and location of a spinal cord injury make a big difference in how life changes.
Incomplete spinal cord injuries
These injuries mean the spinal cord is damaged but not fully severed. The person may retain some sensation or movement below the injury. Incomplete injuries often cause unpredictable symptoms, such as partial paralysis or pain.
Recovery is sometimes possible with therapy, but many victims never regain full function.
Complete spinal cord injuries
This is the most severe form of spinal trauma. A complete injury means there is no function below the point of injury. Victims may be paraplegic (loss of lower-body movement) or quadriplegic (loss of both upper and lower body control).
These injuries require lifelong care and significantly alter a person’s independence.
Herniated discs and fractured vertebrae
Even without severing the spinal cord, a crash or fall can cause disc herniation or vertebral fractures. These injuries often lead to intense pain, numbness, or limited mobility. Surgery may be required, and in many cases, the condition becomes chronic.
Nerve damage and spinal stenosis
Pressure on spinal nerves due to trauma can result in tingling, burning, or motor control issues. Spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal after trauma, can cause progressive disability if untreated.
What Should You Do in the Weeks After a Spinal Injury?
Many accident victims focus only on the physical side of recovery. But your legal and financial future needs attention, especially in the weeks following the event.
Document everything
Write down how the injury happened, who witnessed it, and what was said afterward. Save any emails, photos, or videos related to the accident. Medical records from your first hospital visits can help show the timeline and severity of the injury.
Follow your treatment plan
Doctors and specialists will recommend medications, therapy, and possibly surgery. Follow these recommendations carefully, as insurers often argue that skipping care means your injury isn’t serious.
Keep a diary of your physical limitations, pain levels, and emotional stress during this time.
Avoid early settlements
Insurance adjusters may contact you quickly, offering money to “wrap up” your claim. These early offers rarely reflect the long-term costs of a spinal cord injury. Signing anything too soon can prevent you from recovering full compensation later.
Talk to an experienced injury law firm
Consulting with a Queens spinal cord injury lawyer early in the process ensures your legal rights stay protected. You won’t have to guess whether your bills will be covered or if you’ve missed a filing deadline.
A legal team can handle communication with insurers, employers, and other parties while you focus on healing.
What Compensation Is Available in Spinal Cord Injury Cases?
These injuries often come with overwhelming costs—both financial and emotional. In Queens, spinal injury victims can recover different types of damages depending on how the injury occurred and who is responsible.
Medical care and rehabilitation
You can recover the cost of hospital stays, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and any long-term care services. If you need mobility aids or home modifications, those costs are also included.
Lost wages and future earning potential
If your injury keeps you from returning to work, or forces you into a lower-paying job, you may be compensated for those lost earnings. The court can also estimate the value of your future income and include it in the settlement or verdict.
Pain and suffering
Chronic pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment in life are common after spinal cord injuries. You may be compensated for how the injury changes your day-to-day life, relationships, and emotional well-being.
Home care and long-term assistance
Many spinal cord injury victims need help bathing, dressing, and moving. Whether you rely on family members or hire outside help, those costs can be part of your legal claim.
Wrongful death
If a spinal injury leads to a loved one’s passing, surviving family members can pursue damages for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and lost household income.
From Flushing to Far Rockaway: Injuries in the Borough That Builds
Queens is one of the most diverse and densely populated parts of New York. The borough's mix of residential neighborhoods, commercial development, and construction makes it a hotspot for serious accidents.
Local laws, union rules, and building codes can all influence who is at fault. Construction workers are especially vulnerable here, as many jobs are part of large-scale developments in Long Island City and Astoria.
In addition, public transit options like buses, trains, and rideshare vehicles create a constant risk for vehicle-related spinal injuries. Queens courts can also be challenging. Local judges, jury tendencies, and court calendars may affect how long your case takes and how much compensation is likely.
That’s why working with a law firm that knows the borough inside and out is mandatory.
Don’t Let the Insurance Company Call the Shots
Insurance companies start working against you the moment your accident is reported. Their goal is to minimize how much they pay, even if your spinal injury is life-changing. Many people fall into traps they don’t see coming without a strong legal team.
Tactics they use to avoid paying
Adjusters may deny that the injury is related to the accident, blame you for what happened, or insist that your medical treatment was “unnecessary.” They might delay your claim, request duplicate documentation, or lowball your settlement offer. These tactics are designed to wear you down and make you accept less.
How hard it is to recover fair compensation
Spinal cord injuries often cost hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars over a lifetime. Insurance companies know this and use aggressive lawyers to fight your claim. Without representation, you may miss out on legal remedies you didn’t know existed, such as those available under New York’s labor laws.
How Does a Spinal Cord Injury Change Your Living Environment in Queens?
Adjusting to life after a spinal injury isn’t just about hospital visits or legal claims. For many people in Queens, it also means rethinking where and how they live. Homes that once worked fine can become full of barriers after an injury.
Something as basic as getting through your front door or into your shower can become a daily challenge.
Small spaces become big obstacles
Queens has a wide range of housing—walk-up apartments in Ridgewood, single-family homes in Bayside, and high-rises in Rego Park. Many buildings aren’t wheelchair-friendly.
If your injury limits mobility, even a narrow hallway or second-floor entrance can make your home hard to live in. You may need to install ramps, widen doorways, or renovate your bathroom to make it safe and usable.
Renting limits your options
Landlords don’t always move quickly when accessibility becomes an issue. Some tenants feel pressure to move, even if they’ve lived in the same place for years. Others are unsure if they have the right to request modifications.
This is especially true in older rent-controlled buildings. These challenges can affect where you live, how much you pay rent, and how often you can leave your home.
Help at home may require changes, too
If you need a home health aide or regular nursing visits, your living space must be able to accommodate them. That could mean clearing a spare room, adding safety rails, or rearranging furniture. These are not luxuries but basic needs that make daily care possible.
The cost of adapting your home adds up fast
Wheelchair-accessible kitchens, stair lifts, adjustable beds, and grab bars all carry costs. These changes aren't covered by typical health insurance. A Queens spinal cord injury lawyer can include these modifications in your compensation claim. They can also work with experts who understand the long-term needs of spinal injury survivors to help you plan for what’s ahead.
How The Perecman Firm, PLLC helps you fight back
Our legal team investigates every angle. We bring in medical experts, engineers, and vocational specialists to calculate the full value of your claim. We negotiate aggressively, and if the insurer won’t budge, we’re ready to take them to court. We keep you informed at every step, so you never feel alone.
Get Back on Your Feet with One Call
Spinal injuries don’t just change your body—they change your future. Don’t leave your recovery to chance.
Call The Perecman Firm, PLLC today at (212) 977-7033 to speak with a Queens peronal injury lawyer who will fight for everything you deserve.
Your life may feel uncertain, but the right help is only one call away.