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McGuire Law

Columbia Spinal Cord and Paralysis Personal Injury Attorney

Spinal cord injuries and paralysis destroy everything in an instant—one moment you're driving on I-26, working at a Columbia, South Carolina construction site, or enjoying normal life, and the next you're facing permanent paralysis, lifetime wheelchair dependence, and catastrophic medical expenses exceeding millions of dollars.

Catastrophic Injury? Lifetime Care Costs Millions - Call Now
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Available 24/7 - Immediate Response for Catastrophic Injuries

Attorney Matt McGuire

Whether you suffered complete paralysis from a car accident on Garners Ferry Road, incomplete spinal cord injury in a workplace fall, or paraplegia from a truck collision near Malfunction Junction, these devastating injuries require immediate specialized medical care at Prisma Health Richland's trauma center and long-term treatment that will continue for the rest of your life. Columbia families facing spinal cord injuries confront not just physical devastation but financial catastrophe as insurance companies offer inadequate settlements that cannot begin to cover lifetime care costs, home modifications, medical equipment, and lost earning capacity totaling tens of millions over a lifetime.

Matt McGuire has represented catastrophically injured Columbia residents for over three decades, pursuing maximum compensation from negligent drivers, dangerous property owners, defective product manufacturers, and corporations whose recklessness caused permanent paralysis. Call (888) 499-5738 now for 24/7/365 representation.

The Legal Expertise of McGuire Law

Catastrophic spinal cord injury cases require attorneys who understand lifetime damage calculations, life care planning, and the resources needed to pursue multi-million dollar recoveries against well-funded defendants.

Catastrophic Injury Specialization

Over 30 years recovering tens of millions for spinal cord injury victims—understanding the unique medical, financial, and legal complexities of paralysis cases.

Life Care Planning Expertise

Retaining top life care planners who calculate lifetime medical needs, equipment costs, attendant care, and home modifications totaling millions over decades.

Economic Loss Quantification

Working with economists who calculate lost earning capacity, reduced life expectancy impacts, and present value of lifetime damages for maximum recovery.

Medical Expert Network

Relationships with neurosurgeons, physiatrists, and rehabilitation specialists who document injuries, prognosis, and lifetime care requirements.

Trial-Tested Results

When insurance companies refuse adequate settlements, we take catastrophic injury cases to trial where juries understand the true cost of permanent paralysis.

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Types of Cases We Handle

Spinal cord injuries result from many causes—vehicle crashes, workplace accidents, medical errors, and defective products. We pursue every responsible party for maximum recovery.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

High-impact collisions, rollovers, or ejections on I-26, I-77, I-20, or Columbia streets causing traumatic spinal cord injuries and permanent paralysis.

Truck Accidents

Commercial vehicle negligence near Malfunction Junction or along interstate corridors causing devastating crashes resulting in quadriplegia or paraplegia.

Workplace Accidents

Falls from heights, equipment failures, or crushing injuries at Columbia construction sites, warehouses, and industrial facilities causing spinal damage.

Diving and Pool Accidents

Inadequate depth warnings or supervision at Columbia apartments, hotels, or private pools causing devastating cervical spine injuries.

Medical Malpractice

Surgical errors, anesthesia complications, or delayed diagnoses at Columbia hospitals causing iatrogenic spinal cord damage.

Defective Products

ATV rollovers, vehicle roof crushes, or equipment failures manufactured with inadequate safety features causing catastrophic spinal injuries.

No Damage Caps in South Carolina

South Carolina law provides no damage caps for catastrophic personal injury cases, allowing full recovery of economic and non-economic damages for lifetime needs.

McGuire Law's Core Values

When paralysis transforms your entire existence, you need an attorney who fights as though their own family's future depends on the outcome—because yours does.

Lifetime Commitment

Spinal cord injury cases aren't quick settlements—we commit years when necessary to ensure you receive compensation adequate for lifetime care needs.

Family-Centered Approach

Paralysis affects entire families. We address caregiver needs, family dynamics, and the support systems you'll need for decades ahead.

Resource Investment

Catastrophic cases require significant upfront investment in experts, life care planners, and economists. We advance these costs knowing the stakes involved.

No Pressure Settlements

We never pressure clients into inadequate settlements despite insurance company tactics designed to exploit financial desperation after catastrophic injuries.

Transparent Communication

Keeping families informed throughout complex litigation that may span years, explaining medical developments, legal strategy, and realistic expectations.

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Immediate Post-Injury Action Steps

The hours and days after spinal cord injury are critical—both for medical stabilization and for preserving legal rights to full compensation.

Emergency Stabilization

Treatment at Prisma Health Richland trauma center where neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine specialists provide critical acute care preventing secondary injury.

Spinal Imaging Documentation

CT scans and MRIs documenting injury location, severity, and neurological damage establishing baseline for prognosis and lifetime care needs.

Specialized SCI Center Transfer

Transfer to Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Carolinas Rehabilitation in Charlotte, or other facilities with dedicated spinal cord injury programs.

Accident Scene Documentation

Attorneys, investigators, or family members photographing conditions, vehicles, equipment, or hazards before evidence disappears.

Evidence Preservation

Preserving vehicles involved in crashes, defective equipment, workplace safety records, or property maintenance logs critical to proving liability.

Avoid Insurance Contact

Do not speak with insurance adjusters or sign any documents without legal representation—early statements destroy valuable claims worth millions.

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The McGuire Law Difference

Spinal cord injury cases demand resources, expertise, and commitment that most law firms cannot provide. Matt McGuire has recovered tens of millions for paralysis victims.

Three Decades of Catastrophic Injury Experience

Matt McGuire has represented catastrophically injured Columbia residents for over 30 years, recovering tens of millions in compensation for spinal cord injury victims.

Former Prosecutor Insight

As a former Assistant Attorney General and Assistant Solicitor, Matt understands how defendants and insurance companies build defenses—and how to defeat them.

Elite Expert Network

Life care planners, economists, vocational experts, neurosurgeons, and rehabilitation specialists who document lifetime needs and testify to full damage values.

Multi-Million Dollar Resources

We advance substantial costs for expert witnesses, medical evaluations, and litigation expenses—investing in your case because the stakes demand it.

Trial-Ready Preparation

When insurance companies refuse adequate settlements, we're prepared for trials lasting weeks—presenting the full devastating impact of permanent paralysis to juries.

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Insurance Company Tactics

Insurance companies facing catastrophic injury claims deploy sophisticated tactics designed to minimize payouts worth tens of millions. Matt McGuire knows how to defeat them.

Common Defense Tactics

  • Lowball offers presenting hundreds of thousands as "large" when lifetime costs reach millions
  • Minimizing injury severity by emphasizing retained function
  • Defense experts who underestimate life expectancy and care needs
  • Surveillance operations filming any activity to contradict claims

Our Countermeasures

  • Comprehensive life care plans documenting true lifetime needs
  • Top medical experts establishing permanent impairment
  • Economists calculating millions in lost earning capacity
  • Trial preparation forcing adequate settlements

Structured Settlement Warning

Insurance companies push periodic payments rather than lump sums—denying you full control over lifetime care funding. We fight for your right to manage your own recovery.

Damages Available

Spinal cord injury damages often exceed $10-20 million for complete paralysis when properly calculated by qualified experts.

Lifetime Medical Expenses

Surgeries, hospitalizations, rehabilitation, medications, durable medical equipment, and attendant care costing $2-5 million or more over a lifetime.

Home Modifications

Wheelchair-accessible construction, bathroom renovations, ramps, lifts, and technology enabling independent living in your home.

Vehicle Modifications

Hand controls, wheelchair lifts, and adaptive equipment allowing transportation independence for paralysis victims.

Lost Earning Capacity

Complete lifetime earnings when paralysis prevents return to work—often $2-4 million for young victims with decades of work ahead.

Attendant Care Costs

Daily living assistance with bathing, dressing, transfers, and medical needs requiring 24/7 care in severe paralysis cases.

Pain and Suffering

Physical pain, emotional trauma, loss of life enjoyment, and psychological devastation of permanent paralysis warranting substantial compensation.

Long-Term Complications

Spinal cord injuries create lifelong medical challenges requiring ongoing treatment, monitoring, and care that must be calculated in damage awards.

Pressure Ulcers

Vigilant skin monitoring and prevention required—severe ulcers cause hospitalizations, surgeries, and life-threatening sepsis infections.

Respiratory Complications

Pneumonia, reduced lung capacity, and ventilator dependence for high cervical injuries requiring lifetime respiratory management.

Urinary and Kidney Issues

Urinary tract infections and kidney disease from neurogenic bladder requiring lifetime catheterization and medical management.

Cardiovascular Risks

Deep vein thrombosis, autonomic dysreflexia episodes, and increased heart disease risk requiring ongoing monitoring and treatment.

Bone Density Loss

Fractures from immobilization requiring monitoring, medications, and careful handling during transfers and daily care.

Mental Health Impact

Depression, anxiety, and PTSD requiring ongoing mental health treatment as paralysis victims process devastating life changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Families facing catastrophic spinal cord injuries have urgent questions about treatment, prognosis, and how to secure adequate lifetime compensation.

How much is a spinal cord injury case worth?

Complete spinal cord injuries often result in damages exceeding $10-20 million when lifetime medical care, lost earnings, attendant care, and pain and suffering are properly calculated.

Should I accept the insurance company's settlement offer?

Never accept early settlement offers without legal representation. Insurance companies offer hundreds of thousands when lifetime costs reach millions—these offers represent pennies on the dollar.

What is a life care plan?

A comprehensive document prepared by medical and rehabilitation experts detailing every medical need, equipment cost, and care requirement for your lifetime—often totaling $2-5 million or more.

Can I recover damages if I was partially at fault?

South Carolina's comparative negligence law allows recovery even when partially at fault. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you can still recover if 50% or less responsible.

How long does a spinal cord injury case take?

Catastrophic cases often take 2-4 years to reach maximum medical improvement and full resolution. Rushing settlement before understanding lifetime needs shortchanges your family.

What if the at-fault party doesn't have enough insurance?

We investigate all potential sources of recovery—multiple defendants, umbrella policies, corporate assets, and your own underinsured motorist coverage to maximize compensation.

Will I need to go to trial?

Most cases settle before trial when properly prepared. However, we prepare every catastrophic case for trial—this preparation often motivates adequate settlements.

Can family members recover damages?

Spouses can recover loss of consortium damages for destroyed marital relationships, intimacy, and companionship. Family caregiving burdens may also factor into damage calculations.

Medical Care Coordination

We coordinate with Columbia-area specialists and national spinal cord injury centers to ensure optimal care while documenting lifetime medical needs.

Acute Surgical Care

Neurosurgeons at Prisma Health or MUSC performing spinal decompression, fusion, or stabilization procedures within critical time windows.

Inpatient Rehabilitation

Specialized spinal cord injury centers providing comprehensive therapy, adaptive equipment training, and psychological support for recovery.

Physical and Occupational Therapy

Teaching wheelchair mobility, transfers, adaptive techniques for daily living, and maximizing remaining function after paralysis.

Lifetime Care Management

Coordinating ongoing care including respiratory support, bladder management, skin monitoring, and complication prevention for decades ahead.

Matt McGuire - Attorney

About South Carolina Attorney Matt McGuire

Matt McGuire South Carolina Attorney

With over 30 years of experience defending South Carolina, McGuire Law provides elite legal representation with national recognition. McGuire Law has grown from a small practice into one of the most trusted law firms in South Carolina. We understand that legal issues can be overwhelming, whether you're facing criminal charges, dealing with injuries from an accident, or navigating family law matters.

McGuire Law is committed to each client's unique situation, and we don't believe in boilerplate solutions. Every case requires careful analysis, strategic planning, and aggressive representation. Our firm combines over 30 years of experience with cutting-edge legal strategies to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients.

McGuire Law serves all 46 South Carolina counties. We know these counties, their courts, their legal communities, and most importantly, the people who live here. This local knowledge, combined with our legal expertise, gives our clients a significant advantage.

Matt McGuire received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and his J.D. from the University of South Carolina.

Matt has served as a law clerk for a State Circuit Judge, an Assistant Attorney General for the State of South Carolina, and an Assistant Solicitor in the Fifth Circuit Solicitor's Office.

Matt is a proud husband, father of two, and a long-time resident of Richland County, South Carolina.

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Get Started Today

When spinal cord injuries occur in Columbia, victims are rushed to Prisma Health Richland or airlifted to specialized trauma centers while responsible parties' insurance teams are already investigating how to minimize liability.

These cases require immediate action—before insurance adjusters pressure you into settlements that seem large but represent pennies on the dollar compared to actual lifetime needs, before evidence disappears from accident scenes, and before your legal rights expire. Matt McGuire has recovered tens of millions for catastrophically injured Columbia residents. Call McGuire Law now.

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Columbia Office

2001 Assembly Street, Suite 102-B
Columbia, SC 29201

(888) 499-5738

Contact McGuire Law Today

Matt McGuire has represented catastrophically injured Columbia residents for over 30 years, recovering tens of millions in compensation for spinal cord injury victims and their families. Call (888) 499-5738 immediately from the hospital, not months later after insurance companies have established narratives minimizing liability.

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." — Helen Keller