Spinal cord injuries demand immediate, specialized legal action to protect your future and your family's financial security. Bur Oak Injury Law fights for full lifetime compensation — no fee unless we win.
(573) 499-0200 — call anytimeSpinal cord injuries are among the most catastrophic injuries a person can sustain. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vehicle accidents alone account for nearly half of all new spinal cord injuries each year. The consequences are often permanent: paralysis, loss of independence, and lifetime medical care costs that can exceed $3 million for a young person with paraplegia.
Insurance companies know these numbers — and they move quickly to minimize what they pay. At Bur Oak Injury Law, attorney Chris Miller represents SCI victims throughout Columbia and central Missouri. Every case stays with Chris from the first call to the final outcome, with no handoffs to associates or paralegals.
Before representing injured Missourians as a plaintiff attorney, Chris served as a government attorney in the Missouri Department of Labor and administered the Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation — giving him firsthand knowledge of how complex injury claims are evaluated, processed, and sometimes undervalued.
SCI cases require life care planners, medical specialists, and economists to document the true lifetime cost of your injury. We build the expert team your case demands to calculate and prove every category of damages.
Chris Miller won a case before the Missouri Supreme Court that expanded the legal rights of working Missourians statewide. That level of advocacy — all the way to the top of Missouri's court system — is what Bur Oak Injury Law brings to your case.
Selecting a lawyer familiar with the medical distinctions of complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries is critical for effective representation. The classification of your injury significantly affects both your care needs and the value of your legal claim.
Before representing injured workers and accident victims in court, Chris Miller served as a government attorney in the Missouri Department of Labor and administered the Division of Workers' Compensation — the state administrative body where disputed claims are heard and decided. He knows how the process works because he ran it. That insider perspective, combined with experience in Missouri civil courts, gives Bur Oak Injury Law clients a strategic edge that most personal injury attorneys simply cannot offer.
Most spinal cord injuries result from sudden, violent incidents caused by another person's negligence. When someone else's carelessness causes your injury, you have the right to pursue full compensation for its lifetime consequences.
Car, truck, and motorcycle crashes are the leading cause of traumatic SCI. High-speed impacts, rollovers, and rear-end collisions can fracture or dislocate vertebrae and compress or sever the spinal cord.
Slip and fall accidents and falls from heights are a leading cause, particularly for older adults. Construction falls, ladder accidents, and premises liability cases frequently produce serious spinal trauma.
Industrial machinery, construction equipment, and heavy lifting injuries can all damage the spinal cord. These cases often involve both workers' compensation and third-party liability claims.
Surgical errors during spinal procedures, anesthesia complications, and delayed diagnosis of spinal cord compression or cauda equina syndrome can result in preventable permanent injury.
Diving accidents, contact sports injuries, and extreme recreational activities can cause cervical spine trauma leading to quadriplegia — most often in younger victims at the prime of their lives.
Gunshot wounds and other violent acts can cause spinal cord damage. These cases may involve criminal proceedings alongside civil personal injury claims for full compensation.
Under § 537.090 RSMo, Missouri law allows SCI victims to recover both economic and non-economic damages. A 25-year-old with paraplegia faces estimated lifetime healthcare and living expenses exceeding $3.1 million — not including lost wages. Our job is to document and pursue every category of those damages.
Most people have never filed a serious injury claim. Here is how we guide you through the process — from your first call to the final resolution of your case.
We review your medical records, understand your diagnosis, and assess the accident circumstances. We identify all responsible parties and evaluate the strength of your claim — at no charge and with no obligation.
We partner with medical experts and accident reconstruction specialists, gather accident reports and surveillance footage, and secure witness statements. Early action preserves critical evidence before it disappears.
We retain life care planners and economists to calculate the true lifetime cost of your injury — future medical care, adaptive equipment, home modifications, and long-term lost earning capacity. This documentation is the foundation of your claim.
We handle all communications with insurers and opposing counsel. Missouri's statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is five years under § 516.120 RSMo — two years for medical malpractice. If the insurer refuses a fair settlement, we take your case to trial.
Bur Oak Injury Law serves spinal cord injury victims throughout Boone, Callaway, Cole, Howard, Audrain, Cooper, and Moniteau counties — and communities across central Missouri. Whether your injury resulted from a crash on I-70, a fall at a Columbia worksite, or a medical error at a regional hospital, we handle cases wherever they arise in this region. You do not need to travel to us; we meet clients where they are.
Missouri follows a pure comparative negligence rule, meaning that even if you were partially at fault for the accident, you can still file a personal injury claim. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault — but you are not barred from recovery. Insurance companies routinely attempt to inflate a claimant's share of fault to reduce what they pay. An experienced attorney protects you from that tactic and fights to ensure your recovery reflects the true impact of your injury.
The legal process is only one part of rebuilding your life after a spinal cord injury. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects your rights in employment, housing, and public accommodations as you navigate recovery. Missouri's court system provides the legal framework for pursuing the compensation you need — but acting quickly matters. Evidence disappears, witnesses' memories fade, and the clock on your statute of limitations begins running from the date of injury. Contact Bur Oak Injury Law as soon as possible to protect your rights and your future.
Call now or contact us online to discuss your spinal cord injury case and what you may be entitled to recover.