This was not supposed to happen. You placed your trust in a doctor. In a surgeon. In a hospital. You went to them for care, for healing, for a solution.
Instead, a mistake was made. An error in judgment, a slip of the hand, a failure to see the obvious.
Now, your world has been turned upside down. A spinal cord injury is a life-shattering event. It changes everything, in an instant, for you and for everyone you love.
But when that injury is caused by the very people who were supposed to protect you, it adds a devastating layer of betrayal, anger, and confusion to the pain. You trusted them with your life and your future. Now, you are facing a future filled with enormous challenges, from paralysis and chronic pain to the complete loss of daily function.
If you are reading this, you are likely feeling lost, overwhelmed, and uncertain about what to do next. You may be consumed by anger at the injustice of it all.
Those feelings are not just valid; they are completely and totally understandable.
But you have found your way here for a reason. You are in the right place to find answers, to find strength, and to find a path forward. This is the moment where you stop being a victim of medical negligence and start becoming an advocate for your own future.
This is where you take your power back.
The most critical thing you need to know is this: you have legal rights. If a medical provider's negligence caused your spinal cord injury, you have the right to hold them accountable.
This is not about revenge. This is about justice. It is about securing the financial resources you and your family will absolutely need for a lifetime of care, support, and dignity.
The journey ahead is long, but the first step is clear. The most important step you can take is to speak with a spinal cord injury lawyer who understands not just the law, but the human cost of these devastating errors.
Your fight is our fight. Call Shebell & Shebell now for a free, confidential consultation. Your future can’t wait. Dial (732) 663-1122 today.
Table of Content
- A Deeper Understanding: When a Trusted Healer Causes Unthinkable Harm
- How a Moment of Medical Error Can Shatter a Life
- Catastrophic Mistakes During Surgery
- From Patient to Powerful Advocate: Reclaiming Your Rights
- The Single Most Important Action You Can Take Right Now
- The Shebell & Shebell Battle Plan: How We Win Your Fight
- What You Can Do Right Now to Protect Yourself
- Take the First Step on Your Path to Justice
A Deeper Understanding: When a Trusted Healer Causes Unthinkable Harm
At Shebell & Shebell, we know that some wounds are deeper than the physical injury. The emotional and psychological trauma of a medical betrayal can be just as profound. Our lead attorney, Thomas F. Shebell III, understands this on a deeply personal level.
As a child, Thomas endured multiple brain surgeries. He knows the fear of the operating room. He understands the long road of recovery. He has a firsthand perspective on how a serious medical event impacts not just the patient, but the entire family.
This experience is the bedrock of our firm’s commitment to clients who have suffered catastrophic injuries. When we take on a medical malpractice case, especially one as severe as a spinal cord injury, it’s more than just a legal file. It’s a personal mission.
We see the person, the family, the life that has been altered. We bring a level of empathy and relentless dedication that can only come from having walked a similar path. We fight for you with the passion of someone who truly gets it.
How a Moment of Medical Error Can Shatter a Life
The spinal cord is the body's central information highway. It’s a delicate, complex bundle of nerves responsible for carrying critical messages between your brain and the rest of your body. The vertebrae of your spine act as a suit of armor, but this armor can be breached by the very people you trust to care for it.
Even the slightest amount of damage—pressure, a cut, or a lack of oxygen—can interrupt those vital signals forever, leading to a devastating loss of movement, sensation, and independence.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented the catastrophic physical, mental, social, and financial consequences of spinal cord injuries. While we often associate these injuries with violent car crashes or tragic falls, the heartbreaking reality is that many occur in the sterile, supposedly safe environment of a hospital or clinic.
When this happens, it is almost always the result of negligence—a legal term for a healthcare provider failing to provide the accepted standard of care that any reasonable professional would have under similar circumstances.
You deserve to know how this could have happened. Here are some of the most common ways a medical mistake leads to permanent spinal damage:
Catastrophic Mistakes During Surgery
Spine surgery is a field of incredible precision. Surgeons operate within millimeters of the spinal cord and the delicate nerves that branch out from it. There is zero room for error.
A minor slip of a scalpel, the misplacement of a surgical screw, or the failure to notice and control bleeding that puts pressure on the cord can have immediate and irreversible consequences. A life can be changed forever in a single, careless moment.
Other catastrophic surgical errors include:
- Operating on the Wrong Level: Inexcusably, a surgeon may perform the procedure on the wrong vertebra, causing damage to a healthy part of the spine while leaving the original problem untreated.
- Improper Stabilization: Failing to properly fuse or stabilize the spine during a procedure can lead to instability and direct injury to the cord.
- Post-Operative Infections: Causing or failing to treat an infection that develops near the surgical site can lead to an abscess that compresses and destroys spinal tissue.
- Failure to Monitor Nerve Function: During surgery, a patient’s nerve function must be constantly monitored. A failure to notice warning signs of nerve distress can lead to permanent paralysis that could have been prevented.
If your spinal cord injury happened during or after surgery, you need answers. You need a legal team that can meticulously dissect the medical records and uncover the truth. Call the medical malpractice team at Shebell & Shebell at (732) 663-1122.
Epidural and Anesthesia Errors: A Betrayal of Trust
Epidural injections are one of the most common medical procedures performed. They are used for pain relief during childbirth and as a way to deliver steroid treatments for chronic back pain. We trust the anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist to perform this procedure safely.
But the placement of that needle is absolutely critical. If an inexperienced or negligent practitioner inserts the needle too far, it can directly puncture the dura (the protective covering of the spinal cord) and damage the cord itself, causing immediate and permanent injury.
Similarly, anesthesia errors can have a devastating impact. If a patient's blood pressure is allowed to drop too low for too long during a procedure, it can starve the spinal cord of vital oxygen. This condition, known as ischemia, can cause an injury just as severe as a direct physical trauma.
The Catastrophe of Inaction: Failure to Diagnose
Sometimes, the most devastating medical errors are not about what a doctor did, but what they failed to do. A patient can present with clear symptoms of a condition that is compressing or damaging their spinal cord. If caught in time, these conditions are often treatable.
But a delayed or missed diagnosis can allow the damage to become permanent.
Some of the most critical conditions that demand a swift and accurate diagnosis include:
- Spinal Epidural Abscess: This is a serious infection that creates a pocket of pus in the space around your spinal cord. The growing abscess puts immense pressure on the cord. The symptoms—severe back pain, fever, and progressive weakness or numbness—are red flags that demand an emergency MRI and immediate surgical drainage. A failure to act is not acceptable.
- Spinal Tumors: Whether cancerous or benign, a tumor growing on or near the spine can compress the cord. A doctor who dismisses a patient's complaints of escalating pain or neurological symptoms without ordering the proper imaging tests may be responsible for the permanent paralysis that results.
- Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES): This is a true medical emergency. It occurs when the bundle of nerve roots at the very bottom of the spinal cord (the "cauda equina") is severely compressed. Symptoms include severe low back pain, numbness in the "saddle" area (groin, buttocks), and bladder or bowel incontinence. Immediate surgery is required to relieve the pressure. A delay of even a few hours can mean the difference between recovery and a lifetime of paralysis and incontinence.
When a doctor fails to listen to their patient, fails to order the right tests, or misreads the clear results of an MRI, they have failed in their most fundamental duty. They must be held responsible for the devastating harm that results.
From Patient to Powerful Advocate: Reclaiming Your Rights
A catastrophic injury can leave you feeling utterly powerless, especially when someone in a position of authority and trust caused it.
We are here to tell you that you are not powerless. You have rights.
As a patient in New Jersey and across the country, you have the right to expect a specific standard of care from every medical provider. You also have the absolute right to be fully and clearly informed about any procedure's significant risks before you agree to it. This is called informed consent.
If your doctor downplayed the risks of a surgery, failed to mention alternative treatments, or did not properly explain what could go wrong with an injection that ultimately led to your injury, they may have violated your fundamental rights as a patient.
Understanding these rights is the first step in your transformation. You are no longer just a victim of a medical tragedy. You are now the single most important advocate for your future. You are the person best positioned to fight for the justice you deserve and the resources you will need.
And you do not have to do it alone. The most powerful action you can take is to align yourself with a spinal cord injury attorney who will stand with you, guide you, and fight for you every step of the way.
The Single Most Important Action You Can Take Right Now
Your focus from this moment forward should be on your health, your rehabilitation, and your family. The stress and complexity of a legal battle is a burden you should not have to bear.
That is why the most effective, most critical action you can take—right now—is to contact a law firm that concentrates specifically on spinal cord injury and medical malpractice cases.
Here is why this is so vitally important:
- Evidence Is Perishable: The moment your injury occurred, the hospital and its powerful insurance company began building their defense. They have teams of lawyers, risk managers, and investigators working around the clock to protect their financial interests, not yours. You need an advocate fighting just as fiercely for you. The attorneys at Shebell & Shebell will immediately take legal action to preserve all critical evidence, including medical records, imaging films, and internal hospital documents, before they can be altered, misplaced, or "lost."
- You Pay Absolutely Nothing Upfront: We know that the last thing you can afford right now is a legal bill. That’s why the attorneys at Shebell & Shebell, and all reputable medical malpractice law firms, work on a contingency fee basis. This means we only get paid if we win your case through a financial settlement or a court verdict. We advance all the considerable costs of the lawsuit—which can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars for expert witnesses and trial preparation—so you never have to pay a single dollar out of your own pocket.
- We Understand the True, Lifelong Cost of Your Injury: An experienced spinal cord injury lawyer knows that the costs of your injury extend far beyond the initial hospital bills. It’s a lifetime of expenses. We work with a national network of life care planners, economists, vocational experts, and medical specialists to calculate the full, true cost of your injury over your entire lifetime. This is the only way to ensure you receive a financial recovery that is sufficient to cover everything you will ever need.
Filing a medical negligence claim takes courage. But it is a necessary and empowering step to secure your future. An experienced malpractice attorney from Shebell & Shebell will handle every single aspect of the complex legal process, freeing you to concentrate on what matters most: your health, your recovery, and your family.
Don’t bear this burden alone. Let our family help yours. Call (732) 663-1122 for a free consultation.
The Shebell & Shebell Battle Plan: How We Win Your Fight
Hiring a lawyer is not just about filing paperwork. It is about assembling a dedicated, world-class team whose only goal is to prove your case and secure your future.
Step 1: Proving Medical Negligence
To win a medical malpractice lawsuit, our legal team must prove two fundamental things:
- The Healthcare Provider Was Negligent: We must establish that the doctor, surgeon, or hospital failed to act with the same level of skill and care that a reasonable, competent provider would have demonstrated in the same situation. This is known as a breach of the standard of care.
- This Negligence Directly Caused Your Injury: It’s not enough to show that the doctor made a mistake. We must draw a clear, undeniable line showing that this specific mistake was the direct cause of your spinal cord damage. This critical link is called "causation."
To prove these points, we don't just use our legal expertise. We recruit top-tier medical professionals from across the country—highly qualified neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, and other specialists who will meticulously review your medical records. These experts will provide powerful testimony to establish the standard of care and explain exactly how your provider failed to meet it, leading directly to your injury.
Step 2: Handling All Complex Legal Requirements
States like New Jersey have special, complex rules for filing medical malpractice cases. For instance, an "Affidavit of Merit" is often required at the beginning of a case. This is a sworn statement from a qualified medical professional in the same specialty, declaring that there is a reasonable probability that the care you received fell below accepted medical standards.
This is a complex procedural hurdle designed to deter frivolous lawsuits. It is not something you ever need to worry about. This is a legal requirement that your attorney at Shebell & Shebell will handle entirely. It is one of the very first steps we take to formally validate your case and put the defendants on notice that we are prepared for a serious fight.
Step 3: Calculating the Full, True Value of Your Lifetime Needs
A spinal cord injury generates a tsunami of expenses that will last a lifetime. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) confirms the devastating effects of these injuries, including paralysis, chronic neuropathic pain, respiratory complications, and loss of bladder and bowel control. Your financial needs will be immense.
A dedicated lawyer from Shebell & Shebell will fight relentlessly for compensation to cover every single aspect of your past, present, and future needs. This isn't a list of demands; it's a blueprint for your life.
- All Past and Future Medical Bills: This covers everything—from emergency surgery and ICU stays to future operations, ongoing doctor visits, prescription medications, and intensive physical and occupational therapy.
- Lost Income and Earning Capacity: You deserve to be compensated for every dollar of income you have already lost. More importantly, we fight for the full value of the future earnings you will no longer be able to make because of your injury.
- Assistive Devices and Essential Equipment: This includes state-of-the-art wheelchairs, specially modified vans with lifts, hospital-grade beds for your home, pressure-sore-prevention mattresses, and advanced communication devices if needed.
- Home and Vehicle Modifications: Your environment must adapt to you. This compensation covers the cost of building ramps, widening doorways, installing stairlifts, and creating accessible, roll-in showers in your home, as well as modifying your vehicle for independent transport.
- Professional In-Home Care: Many people with spinal cord injuries require daily assistance with essential activities like dressing, bathing, meal preparation, and transfers. This can require a professional caregiver or home health aide for many hours a day, for the rest of your life.
- Pain and Suffering (Loss of Enjoyment of Life): This is the most human element of your claim. This is compensation for the physical agony, the emotional distress, the psychological trauma, and the profound loss of quality of life you have been forced to endure. It acknowledges the hobbies you can no longer enjoy, the relationships that have been strained, and the simple joys of life that have been stolen.
At Shebell & Shebell, we leave no stone unturned. We build a case so detailed and comprehensive that insurance companies know we are prepared to demonstrate the full, staggering cost of this injustice to a jury.
What You Can Do Right Now to Protect Yourself
While our team handles the heavy legal lifting, here are three simple, powerful things you can do right now to protect your case and give yourself a sense of control.
- Start a Daily Journal. Get a simple notebook and write in it every day. Document everything. What is your pain level on a scale of 1 to 10? What activities could you not do today? What did you need help with, and who helped you? This daily record becomes powerful, undeniable evidence of how this injury has fundamentally altered your life. Also, keep a simple folder for any receipts for prescriptions, co-pays, or medical supplies.
- List Your Providers. You do not need to request the official records—your lawyer must do that. But it is incredibly helpful to make a simple list of every doctor, specialist, therapist, and hospital you have seen since your injury. Include names, addresses, and the approximate dates of your visits. This helps your legal team get organized quickly.
- Do NOT Speak to Any Insurance Adjusters. The hospital’s insurance company will call you. The adjuster will sound friendly, concerned, and helpful. This is a tactic. Their one and only job is to get you to say something that weakens your case or to trick you into accepting a shockingly low settlement offer before you know the true value of your claim. You are under NO obligation to speak with them. Your only response: "My attorney will contact you." Then hang up. Let your lawyer handle all communication.
Take the First Step on Your Path to Justice
A spinal cord injury caused by a medical mistake is a profound and cruel injustice. It has forced you and your family onto a path you never would have chosen.
But you can choose what you do next. You can choose to fight back. You can choose to hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions. You can choose to secure the financial resources you need to live the fullest, most independent, and most dignified life possible.
You are an advocate. You are a survivor. The challenges ahead are real, but so is your strength. The most powerful step you can take on this new path is to arm yourself with a legal team that combines elite legal skill with true, personal empathy.
Do not wait. The clock is ticking on your right to file a claim. Do not let the insurance company dictate the terms of your future.
Contact the dedicated medical malpractice attorneys at Shebell & Shebell today. Let us take on the legal fight so you can focus on you.
Call (732) 663-1122 now for a free, completely confidential consultation, or reach out to us online. The first step is the most important one. Take it today.