A caller tells your intake team they were in a severe car accident and the doctors are saying something about their spinal cord. Or maybe they fell from scaffolding at a construction site and can no longer feel their legs. These are not routine PI calls. Spinal cord injury cases represent some of the highest-value personal injury claims in existence, with lifetime medical costs often exceeding $1 million and settlement values that can reach seven or eight figures. They also require a significantly different intake process than a soft tissue injury case.
The challenge is that many intake teams are not prepared for these calls. Agents trained on standard auto accident scripts will ask the right questions about fault and injuries, but they will miss the specific information that helps attorneys evaluate the full picture of a spinal cord injury claim and move quickly to preserve evidence and secure the client.
Spinal cord injuries are categorized by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale, which ranges from complete injuries (total loss of motor and sensory function below the injury level) to incomplete injuries (partial preservation of function). This classification matters enormously for damages calculations and long-term care planning.
What makes SCI intake uniquely demanding is the combination of factors that must be captured quickly:
Your intake team needs a protocol that captures essential information even when the caller is in distress, and that flags these cases for immediate attorney attention.
When a caller indicates a potential spinal cord injury, your intake team should shift from a standard script to an SCI-specific protocol. The first priority is determining whether this is a medical emergency or a post-acute call.
Most spinal cord injuries in the United States result from vehicle accidents. In addition to the standard liability questions (fault, police report, insurance), SCI intake should capture:
Falls are the second most common cause of spinal cord injuries. For workplace falls, ask:
Cervical spinal cord injuries from diving into shallow water or sports impacts present different liability issues. Ask:
In SCI cases, medical records are foundational to the claim. Your intake process should make clear what documentation the attorney will need, and guide the caller or their family toward obtaining and preserving these records:
| Document Type | Why It Matters | When to Request |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency department records | Establishes initial injury documentation and baseline neurological function | As soon as possible after discharge |
| Imaging reports (MRI, CT, X-ray) | Defines the injury level and type (complete vs. incomplete) | Immediately; some hospitals purge studies on short timelines |
| ASIA classification documentation | Provides the standardized injury severity grading | From the treating physiatrist or neurologist |
| Rehabilitation records | Supports ongoing damages and functional limitations | As rehabilitation begins |
| Life care plan (if available) | Documents projected lifetime costs; significantly increases claim value | Attorney will commission this; flag to attorney ASAP |
In severe SCI cases, the person who contacts your firm may not be the injured party. They may be a spouse, parent, adult child, or friend calling on behalf of someone in intensive care. Your intake team needs a protocol for these calls:
Important: Do not attempt to have a family member sign a retainer on behalf of an incapacitated adult without attorney guidance. Guardianship and power of attorney issues in SCI cases require legal analysis, and signing the wrong person can create problems later.
Many SCI cases that occur in workplace settings involve both a workers' compensation claim and a potential third-party personal injury claim. This is one of the most important things intake agents need to understand about SCI cases involving employees.
Workers' compensation pays medical bills and lost wages but does not compensate for pain and suffering. If the injury was caused (wholly or in part) by a negligent third party such as a subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner, the injured worker may have an additional personal injury claim that runs alongside workers' comp. These cases can have significant additional value beyond the workers' comp benefits.
When intake receives a call about a workplace SCI, always ask:
Intake agents do not calculate damages, but understanding the scope of SCI damages helps them convey appropriate urgency to callers and frame the value of legal representation correctly:
A strong SCI intake call results in the attorney receiving a complete summary that includes: the nature and level of the spinal cord injury (as best known from the caller), the accident type and date, all potential defendants identified, evidence preservation needs flagged, the caller's relationship to the injured person, and a follow-up scheduled for when the attorney can speak directly with the client or their legal representative.
Weak SCI intake results in an attorney who receives a vague note that "someone was injured in a car accident and is now in the hospital" with no further detail. That attorney cannot properly prioritize this case or act quickly on evidence preservation.
HQ Intake's specialists are trained on catastrophic injury case types, including spinal cord injuries. We capture the specific information attorneys need from the first call, and we escalate high-value cases immediately.