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Spinal cord injury in Fresno?Talk to a lawyer for free.

An injury high on the spinal cord can cost more than $1 million in the first year alone, the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates (2025 dollars). A claim has to account for every year after it.

  • No fee unless we winWe only get paid when you get paid.
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Call our Fresno office(559) 238-022324/7 line: (800) 985-9565

No attorney's fees unless we recover compensation. Clients may be responsible for case costs. Read the disclaimer

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Their team was professional, supportive, and always kept me informed.
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Results that speak.Millions won for injured clients.

We've won over $500 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients.

Recognized for excellence

Avvo Rating: Excellent, Top Rated Personal InjuryTop Rated by Super Lawyers
  • $6.25MPersonal injuryA confidential personal injury settlement.
  • $5MAuto accidentFor a husband and wife after the husband suffered a brachial plexus injury.
  • $2.34MAccident claimA win for a client injured in an accident.
  • $1.5MAuto accidentA win for a client injured in an auto accident.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

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Here to protect your interests, not the insurance company's

Insurance companies have a team.You should have one too.

The costs of a spinal cord injury don't stop when you leave the hospital: equipment, therapy, care at home, hospital stays years later and the work you may not get back. Inpatient rehab alone averages about five weeks nationally, so an offer made in the first weeks comes before anyone knows what you'll be able to do. After an accident on Highway 99, Highway 41 or Shaw Avenue, an adjuster may call within days, and what you say can shape the rest of your claim.

Before you sign anything, ask yourself:

  1. Does the offer account for every year of care after the first, not just the hospital and rehab?
  2. Does it cover equipment, changes to your home and the care your family gives?
  3. If you can't go back to your job, does it include the earnings you'll lose over a working life?

From one of our car accident cases

The insurer's best offer$410,000

What we won for our client$4.4M

A car accident that left our client with a neck injury. Most people would have taken the offer. We won more than ten times as much.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

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Our office in Fresno

Local spinal cord injury lawyers,right here in Fresno.

Not every firm that advertises in Fresno has an office here. We do.

Our office is downtown on Fulton Street, under a mile from Community Regional, whose Leon S. Peters Rehabilitation Center treats spinal cord injuries. We can meet you at home or in the hospital, anywhere in Fresno and Madera Counties.

Nearby officesModestoBakersfieldStockton

Why choose Valero Law Group?

We champion every case,big and small.

Whether your case is worth $5,000 or $5 million, we bring the same skill, attention and determination to every client we represent.

So don't let the size of your case keep you from seeking justice: every injury deserves serious representation. Let us fight for the compensation you're owed while you focus on what matters most, your recovery.

They made me feel like a priority, and they put my needs first as a client.

IsabelValero Law Group client

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Real reviews fromour clients.

  • Samuel M. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $881,000 settlement check
    Samuel M.$881,000
  • Victoria M. smiling in front of the Valero Law Group logo wall with her $625,000 settlement check
    Victoria M.$625,000
  • Karina C. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with her $625,000 settlement check
    Karina C.$625,000
  • Angela M. smiling and pointing to her $625,000 settlement check
    Angela M.$625,000
  • Destiny H. smiling with her $500,000 settlement check
    Destiny H.$500,000
  • Javier P. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $375,000 settlement check
    Javier P.$375,000
I just finished using Valero Law Group for an auto accident I was involved in earlier this year. They were completely professional and extremely helpful from the very beginning and throughout my medical treatment. … They made sure I had the ability to heal and took care of anything that would stress me out.
Vanessa V.Google review
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I want to thank Valero Law Group's Fresno team and attorneys for helping my husband obtain the best outcome possible on his case. We did not expect as great a result as we got.
Sayra M.Google review
Valero helped me out with my claim in a timely and professional manner! I recommend them to everyone.
Roberto M.Google review

What you can recover aftera spinal cord injury in California.

From the first surgery to care years later, whoever caused the injury can be held responsible for its cost, whether a driver, a business, a property owner or a public agency.

Economic damages

The costs you can add up

  • Emergency care, surgery and inpatient rehabilitation
  • Equipment, changes to your home and future care
  • Lost wages and lost earning capacity
  • Care from family members, at its reasonable value

Non-economic damages

The harm that has no receipt

  • Pain and physical suffering
  • Physical impairment
  • Mental suffering and emotional distress
  • Lost enjoyment of life
  • $1.45MFirst-year cost of a high spinal cord injuryThe National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates $1.45 million for the first year of a C1–C4 injury, and $251,000 every year after, in 2025 dollars (NSCISC, 2026).
  • 17.8%Working one year after the injuryIn the national database, 64.5% of people were working when they were injured; a year later, 17.8% were (NSCISC, 2026). A claim can include lost earning capacity.
  • 29%Back in the hospital in any given yearSince 2015, about 29% of people in the national database have been re-hospitalized at least once in any given year after their injury, most often for urinary or skin problems (NSCISC, 2026). Care you're reasonably certain to need can be part of a claim.

After a spinal cord injury in Fresno,what comes next.

Surgery, rehab, records, the cost of care and deadlines, explained.

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  • Trauma care with neurosurgery
    Community Regional Medical Center, at 2823 Fresno Street, is a Level I trauma center staffed around the clock by surgeons, with neurosurgery among its services. Injured children may be taken to Valley Children's Hospital in Madera, a pediatric trauma center.
  • Rehab, and how long it takes
    Inpatient rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries is offered at Community Regional's Leon S. Peters Rehabilitation Center, where therapy covers mobility, bowel and bladder function, equipment for home and training for caregivers. Nationally, the average stay is about 19 days in acute care and 36 in rehab. Keep every discharge plan and equipment order.
  • Ask for your scans and surgery notes
    Your imaging, operative notes and bills are part of your record, and you have a right to copies even with a bill unpaid. Request them as treatment goes on, not only at the end.
  • A claim looks decades ahead
    Care you're reasonably certain to need in the future, equipment, the care your family gives and lost earning capacity can all be part of the claim. Because the precise future costs aren't known, they're often set out in a life care plan prepared by an expert.
  • How these injuries happen
    From 2015 to 2025, vehicle crashes caused about 37% of spinal cord injuries in the national database, and falls about 33% (NSCISC, 2026). Whoever caused your injury can be held responsible.
  • Two deadlines to know
    A lawsuit generally must be filed within two years of the injury. A claim against the City of Fresno, Fresno County or the state, for a city bus, a county road or a state highway, is usually due within six months. If the injury kept you from acting, a late claim may be allowed in some cases, within a year.
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Al Barro Foundation: supporting over 400 orphans in Mexico

From the community, for the community.

Hablamos español.

We're a Hispanic-focused firm with native Spanish-speaking attorneys. We understand your family's needs, walk you through every step in your language, and fight to get you every dollar you deserve.

Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.
…they speak excellent Spanish, know how to help, and look out for their clients' best interests.
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Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.

Common questionsafter a Fresno spinal cord injury.

What's the difference between a complete and an incomplete spinal cord injury?
An incomplete injury means the spinal cord can still send some messages to and from the brain, so some feeling and movement remain below the injury. A complete injury means there's no nerve communication below it. An injury high on the spinal cord can affect all four limbs (tetraplegia, also called quadriplegia); one lower down may affect only the lower body and legs (paraplegia). Paralysis can happen at the moment of injury or develop over the following hours and days from bleeding and swelling (NINDS).
What does a spinal cord injury cost over a lifetime?
For someone injured at 25, the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates lifetime costs of about $6.4 million for a high neck injury (C1–C4), $4.7 million for a lower neck injury (C5–C8), $3.1 million for paraplegia and $2.1 million when the person keeps useful movement below the injury (AIS D), in 2025 dollars. Those estimates leave out lost wages and benefits, which it puts at about $97,800 a year on average.
Can a claim include care I'll need years from now?
Yes. A claim can include the reasonable cost of care you're reasonably certain to need in the future, often projected in a life care plan prepared by an expert. If family members care for you at home, the reasonable value of that care can count too, even if they're never paid. For brain injuries, burns and amputations, see our Fresno catastrophic injury page.
I can't go back to my job. What about lost income?
A claim can include wages you've lost and those you're reasonably certain to lose in the future. If the injury means you'll earn less than you could have, that lost earning capacity counts too, even for someone without a work history, such as a student.
Medi-Cal paid my bills. What happens at settlement?
Medi-Cal is repaid from the settlement, but only from the part that pays for medical care, and the state must be notified within 30 days of filing the claim. What it gets back is reduced for its share of attorney's fees. If Medicare paid, it must be repaid too. Tell us early who paid, and we handle the notices.
How long do I have to file?
Generally two years from the injury to file a lawsuit, and six months for a written claim if the City of Fresno, Fresno County or the state may be responsible. If the injury kept you from acting in those six months, the law lets you ask to file late, within one year, in some cases. It's worth calling early so no deadline is missed.
Do you have an office in Fresno?
Yes. Our office is at 1401 Fulton St, Suite 905, Fresno, CA 93721, downtown. Come in if you like, or we'll come to you, at home or in the hospital. Call (800) 985-9565 any time, 24/7.
What does a spinal cord injury lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. Your consultation is free, and no attorney's fees are owed unless we recover compensation for you. You may be responsible for case-related costs and expenses; we'll explain them before you sign.
Attorney Kyle Valero
Kyle ValeroAttorney, Valero Law Group

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Have a question about a potential case?Talk to a Fresno spinal cord injury lawyer today.

Your consultation is always free, with no obligation. We're happy to answer any questions and walk you through your options. No pressure, just honest answers.

(559) 238-0223

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