Find a spinal cord injury lawyer in Houston: care, costs and the first deadlines
Houston has two adult Level I trauma hospitals, Ben Taub and Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center. A suit over a spinal cord injury must generally be filed within 2 years. If a city, county or other public body is involved, written notice can be due much sooner, and Houston's is 90 days.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (30)
Where do people with spinal cord injuries get care in Houston?
Harris Health says Ben Taub is one of only two adult Level I trauma hospitals in Houston. The other is Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center. For rehab, TIRR Memorial Hermann has been part of the federal Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems since 1972.
Texas also runs a rehabilitation program for people with traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries, including inpatient rehab. Ask the hospital social worker about it before you leave.
TxDOT counted 1,465 seriously injured people in Houston crashes in 2025. Not every one is a spinal injury, but it shows how often this kind of call comes in.
How much does a spinal cord injury cost over a lifetime?
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center publishes estimates by injury level. These are national averages, not a promise of what any claim is worth, and they do not include Houston prices.
| Injury level | First year | Each later year | Lifetime if injured at 25 | Lifetime if injured at 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paraplegia | $705,131 | $93,409 | $3,139,165 | $2,060,139 |
| High tetraplegia (C1 to C4) | $1,446,827 | $251,246 | $6,419,617 | $3,528,112 |
Money lost to missing work is separate. The same center puts indirect costs at $97,787 a year in 2025 dollars. Only 18 percent of people with these injuries are employed at year one.
What deadlines apply to a spinal cord injury claim in Houston?
- City of Houston: verified written notice to the mayor and city council within 90 days.
- Harris County requires written notice in 180 days, addressed to Commissioners Court, 1001 Preston.
- METRO: signed form within 180 days.
- Other Texas public bodies: generally 6 months.
- Private defendants: generally 2 years to sue.
Missing Houston's notice excuses the city from any liability. City liability is capped at $250,000 per person, and other local governments at $100,000.
How do I get my hospital records and bills in Houston?
Harris Health says clear and complete requests are sent within 15 business days, and you should include a photo ID copy. Memorial Hermann's Release of Information Department handles its records.
Ask whether a hospital lien was filed. It needs the patient to be admitted within 72 hours. The bills that count are the amounts paid or owed, which can differ from the amount first charged. A sworn billing affidavit can prove bills were reasonable, but it does not prove the injury was caused by the defendant.
Can I get disability benefits while my Houston claim is pending?
Maybe. Social Security disability is for conditions that have lasted or are expected to last a year, and there is a five-month waiting period. A claim is not a reason to wait on benefits.
About 29 percent of people with spinal cord injuries are rehospitalized each year, so plan for repeat costs when you add up the claim.
Questions
How is lost income proved in a Houston spinal cord case?
In a Houston case, you show lost earning capacity after income tax, not before.
What if the injury came from a Houston city vehicle?
You must give written notice within 90 days. The letter goes to the City Secretary's Office at P.O. Box 1562, Houston, TX 77251-1562.
Does the time to sue pause if someone cannot act for themselves?
Texas pauses time for a legal disability that exists when the claim arises.
Spinal cord injury or paralysis in Houston? See if you are owed money.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (30)
- Harris Health, About Us, checked 2026-11-09. “one of only two adult Level I trauma hospitals in Houston”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “duly verified, within 90 days after the same has been sustained”
- Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “HARRIS HEALTH BEN TAUB HOSPITAL 4/1/2028 Q HOUSTON 77030”
- Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER 5/1/2028 Q HOUSTON 77030”
- Tex. Prop. Code § 55.002, checked 2026-11-09. “For the lien to attach, the individual must be admitted to a hospital not later than 72 hours after the accident.”
- Harris County, Claim Filing Procedures, checked 2026-11-08. “Written notice of your claim must be mailed or delivered in person within 180 days of the occurrence to: Harris County Commissioners Court 1001 Preston, Room 610 Houston, Texas 77002”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 18.091, checked 2026-11-09. “must be presented in the form of a net loss after reduction for income tax payments or unpaid tax liability”
- Social Security Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “there is a five-month waiting period”
- Memorial Hermann, Texas Model Spinal Cord Injury System, checked 2026-11-09. “TIRR Memorial Hermann has been a part of the SCI Model Systems for over 45 years, from 1972 to present.”
- Texas Health and Human Services, Find Help through HHS, checked 2026-11-09. “This program is for people who have traumatic brain and/or spinal cord injuries.”
- TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries Cities and Towns, checked 2026-11-08. “HOUSTON 273 293 1,249 1,465 5,173 7,285 12,649 19,059 38,296 112,109 2,677 19,011 60,317”
- National SCI Statistical Center, checked 2026-11-09. “Paraplegia AIS ABC $705,131 $93,409 $3,139,165 $2,060,139”
- National SCI Statistical Center, checked 2026-11-09. “High Tetraplegia (C1–C4) AIS ABC $1,446,827 $251,246 $6,419,617 $3,528,112”
- National SCI Statistical Center, checked 2026-11-09. “indirect costs averaged $97,787 per year in 2025 dollars”
- National SCI Statistical Center, checked 2026-11-09. “Since 2015, 18% of persons with tSCI are employed at year 1”
- METRO, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “within 180 days of the incident by anyone desiring to make a claim against METRO”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
- City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall exonerate, excuse and exempt the city from any liability whatsoever”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.023, checked 2026-11-09. “Liability of a municipality under this chapter is limited to money damages in a maximum amount of $250,000 for each person”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.023, checked 2026-11-09. “liability of a unit of local government under this chapter is limited to money damages in a maximum amount of $100,000 for each person”
- Harris Health, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “helps us send your records within 15 business days”
- Memorial Hermann, Request Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “The Memorial Hermann Release of Information Department processes requests for protected health information.”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.0105, checked 2026-11-09. “recovery of medical or health care expenses incurred is limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 18.001, checked 2026-11-09. “is sufficient evidence to support a finding of fact by judge or jury that the amount charged was reasonable or that the service was necessary”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 18.001, checked 2026-11-09. “The affidavit is not evidence of and does not support a finding of the causation element”
- Social Security Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year (12 consecutive months) or to result in death”
- National SCI Statistical Center, checked 2026-11-09. “Since 2015, about 29% of persons with tSCI are re-hospitalized at”
- City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “City Secretary's Office City of Houston Post Office Box 1562 Houston, Texas 77251-1562”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-09. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”