How Our Fort Wayne Paralysis Lawyers Build Your Case

A paralysis claim is built backward from a single question: what will the next fifty years actually cost? At CBM, we answer it with hard documentation rather than estimates.

  • Lock down the level and completeness of the injury. We obtain the full imaging, surgical notes, and neurology records, then have a spinal cord medicine specialist classify the injury on the ASIA scale, because a complete C5 injury and an incomplete T10 injury carry very different lifetime numbers.
  • Commission a life care plan early. A certified life care planner projects every future cost: attendant care hours, wheelchair replacement cycles, catheter and bowel-program supplies, surgical revisions, and the home and vehicle modifications a wheelchair user needs.
  • Reconstruct how the injury happened. We pull the at-fault vehicle’s event data recorder, crash-scene measurements, and any roadway or property evidence to fix liability before it can be disputed.
  • Build the economic loss model. A vocational economist documents lost earning capacity, not just the paychecks already missed, projected across the client’s full work-life expectancy.
  • Prepare every file for trial. We assemble the damages exhibits and expert testimony as if the case will be tried in Allen County, because that posture is what moves a serious offer.

With decades of Indiana trial experience behind every paralysis file, our evidence-first approach is built to hold up in negotiations and in court. If you are ready to discuss your case, schedule a free consultation with us and review how we have resolved similar claims.

Speak with a personal injury lawyer today. Call: 317-488-5500

Common Causes of Paralysis Injuries in Fort Wayne

Most paralysis claims we handle in Fort Wayne trace back to a moment of someone else’s negligence. The cause matters, because it determines who can be held accountable.

  • High-speed highway collisions. Crashes on I-69, US-30, and the Coliseum Boulevard corridor generate the violent forces that fracture vertebrae and damage the cord, the same crash severity NHTSA ties directly to higher speeds.
  • Falls from height. Unguarded edges, defective stairs, and unsafe scaffolding on commercial and construction property cause spinal trauma that landlords and contractors are responsible for.
  • Motorcycle and pedestrian impacts. Riders and people on foot absorb the full force of a vehicle, and a single hit on Lima Road or Coldwater Road can sever cord function.
  • Defective products and equipment. A failed seatback, restraint, or piece of machinery can turn a survivable accident into a permanent injury.
  • Acts of violence on poorly secured property. Inadequate security at apartments or parking structures can leave a property owner liable for resulting paralysis.

If a negligent driver, property owner, or manufacturer caused any of these, CBM can build a case that holds them accountable for the full cost of your recovery.

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Indiana Law and Your Paralysis Claim

Indiana law sets both the deadline and the math for what you can recover, and missing either one quietly can cost a paralysis victim millions.

The Two-Year Filing Deadline

Under Indiana Code 34-11-2-4, you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. Paralysis cases need that time: the life care plan, the economic projections, and the medical classification all take months to build correctly, so the earlier we start, the stronger the file.

How Comparative Fault Affects Your Recovery

Indiana uses a modified comparative fault rule under Indiana Code 34-51-2. You can recover as long as you are found less than 51% at fault, but your award is reduced by your share of the blame. On a multi-million-dollar paralysis claim, even a few disputed percentage points represent a fortune, which is why we investigate hard to push back on inflated fault arguments.

These rules decide what a paralysis claim is worth, and reading them in your favor takes preparation. A free consultation with CBM is the place to start.

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Common Injuries in Fort Wayne Paralysis Cases

Paralysis is rarely a single, clean diagnosis. Documenting the full range of damage from the start is what supports a lifetime claim.

  • Paraplegia. Loss of movement and sensation in the lower body and legs, typically from thoracic or lumbar cord damage.
  • Quadriplegia (tetraplegia). Loss of function from the neck down, often requiring ventilator support and around-the-clock attendant care.
  • Incomplete paralysis. Partial retained movement or sensation, frequently paired with chronic pain and unpredictable secondary complications.
  • Associated traumatic brain injury. The same impact that injures the spine often injures the brain, compounding care needs.
  • Secondary medical complications. Pressure sores, respiratory infections, autonomic dysreflexia, and recurrent urinary problems that drive ongoing cost.

Because these complications develop over years, we coordinate with Indiana medical specialists from day one so the record captures the true scope of the injury.

What Compensation Can You Recover After Paralysis in Fort Wayne

Paralysis damages are calculated across a lifetime, not a recovery period, and Indiana’s comparative fault rule means every dollar must be documented to survive a reduction fight.

Economic Damages

These cover the measurable costs: past and future medical care, surgeries and rehabilitation, lifelong attendant care, assistive technology, and the home and vehicle modifications a wheelchair user requires. They also include lost wages and diminished earning capacity projected across the client’s full work life.

Non-Economic Damages

These address the human losses that no invoice captures: physical pain, emotional suffering, loss of independence, and the loss of enjoyment of life that comes with paralysis. Loss of consortium may also be available to a spouse.

We retain economic experts and life care planners and present the damages as courtroom-ready exhibits, because the difference between the carrier’s first offer and what a paralysis case is actually worth is usually measured in years of care.

Do You Have a Fort Wayne Paralysis Claim?

Lee C. Christie is a founding attorney at Christie Bell & Marshall and an ISBA Hall of Fame member who has handled some of the firm’s highest-stakes catastrophic injury cases. Here is his perspective on paralysis claims in Fort Wayne.

“In forty years I have learned the insurer’s whole strategy is speed, to settle before anyone counts the cost of a life lived from a wheelchair. Patience is the client’s advantage. We build the file as though it is headed for an Allen County jury, with the medicine and the economics ready, because the one thing that moves a fair number on a catastrophic case is a defendant who believes we will take it to trial.”

Do You Qualify?

You likely have a claim worth investigating if any of these apply to your situation:

  • Another party’s negligence caused the accident, such as a driver who lost control on I-69 or a property owner who ignored a known hazard.
  • Your medical records document spinal cord damage, whether the paralysis is complete, incomplete, or still evolving.
  • You are facing future costs your health insurance will not cover, including attendant care, home modification, or lost income.

What Cases Like Yours Have Recovered

CBM has secured an $18,500,000 recovery for a client with a traumatic brain injury caused by a negligent truck driver and a $30,000,000 recovery for a client who suffered severe burns over half of his body. You can review our case results to see how we approach catastrophic claims. Past results cannot guarantee what any individual case will produce, because every claim turns on its own facts.

If your situation looks anything like these, call us or schedule a free consultation and we will tell you honestly what we see.

Contact a Fort Wayne Paralysis Lawyer at CBM

A paralysis diagnosis arrives alongside mounting medical bills, an insurance adjuster eager to settle cheaply, and a filing deadline that does not pause for grief. Christie Bell & Marshall has spent more than 40 years fighting for injured Hoosiers, and we bring an evidence-first approach to every catastrophic case so your claim reflects the full lifetime of care ahead.

We Get To Work While You Get To Heal. Your consultation is free, there is no fee unless we win, and you can contact CBM today to talk through your options with a team that knows what a paralysis case is truly worth.

FAQs About Fort Wayne Paralysis Claims

Do I need to be completely paralyzed to file a claim in Fort Wayne?

No. Incomplete paralysis, partial loss of movement or sensation, and spinal cord trauma that still leaves some function can all support a claim. What matters is that the injury was caused by negligence and has changed your life and your future costs.

How is a paralysis settlement valued in Indiana?

There is no fixed figure. Value turns on the level and completeness of the injury, the lifetime cost of attendant care and equipment, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering. We build a custom life care plan and work with economic experts to document the full number rather than accept the carrier’s estimate.

What if I was partly at fault for the accident?

Under Indiana Code 34-51-2, you can still recover as long as you were less than 51% responsible, though your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. We investigate to challenge any inflated blame the insurer tries to assign you.

Can I bring a claim if my paralysis resulted from a fall on someone else’s property?

Yes. When a fall is caused by an unsafe condition the property owner knew about or should have fixed, that owner can be held liable for the resulting paralysis under Indiana premises law.

How long does a Fort Wayne paralysis case take to resolve?

Serious paralysis cases often take a year or more, because building an accurate life care plan and economic loss model takes time. Rushing the process usually benefits the insurer, not the injured person, so we prepare each case fully before pushing for the recovery it deserves.