Nashville Neck & Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
Fighting for the Seriously Injured Since 1977
Serious accidents can result in a range of orthopedic injuries, but those involving the neck, back and spinal cord are among the most concerning. Not only can these injuries cause tremendous pain and limit a person’s ability to work, earn wages, and enjoy various activities, they also pose the potential for devastating and lifelong consequences.
When serious injuries and their resulting consequences arise from accidents that could have been prevented, victims may have the right to hold at-fault parties accountable. Our award-winning attorneys at Kinnard Law can help explore your options to pursue a monetary recovery of your damages.
Why Choose Kinnard Law?
- We’ve recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for victims
- We leverage over 150 years of combined experience
- Our attorneys have been named among The Best Lawyers in America®
- We’re led by two Certified Civil Trial Specialists (Randall Kinnard)
Kinnard Law has earned a reputation for fighting on behalf of victims across Tennessee, Kentucky, and the surrounding region. Caring and compassionate, our attorneys work closely with medical and industry experts to strengthen our clients’ claims, and take every measure possible to maximize their chances for success.
To discuss a case involving a neck or spinal cord injury with one of our Nashville attorneys, call us for a FREE consultation.
Levels & Classification of Spinal Cord Injury
At Kinnard Law, we take the time to listen to our clients.
With the help of medical experts, we can assess the severity of our clients’ catastrophic injuries, how they have impacted their lives, and what their medical prognoses suggest about any future needs and treatment they’ll require in the future. This information allows us to assist clients in seeking an appropriate level of compensation.
Understanding How the Spine Is Divided
The spinal cord is protected by vertebrae, and those bone rings are organized with the spinal nerves into several different segments. Injuries to the different sections can result in different losses of function, depending on which part of the spine is injured. In medical texts, the spinal cord is divided into five levels:
- Cervical: The 7 vertebrae that make up the neck area. Injuries to this area of the spinal cord can result in loss of function in the arms, legs, and chest, and can affect body functions from breathing to bladder control.
- Thoracic: The 12 vertebrae that make up the chest area. Injuries to this area of the spinal cord can result in loss of function in the chest and legs, and can affect body functions including bowel movements and bladder control. Injuries to the upper thoracic area can also have an effect on someone’s ability to breathe properly.
- Lumbar: The 5 vertebrae that make up the area between the pelvis and chest. Injuries to this area of the spinal cord can result in loss of function in the legs and hips, and can affect body functions like bowel movements and bladder control.
- Sacral: The 5 vertebrae that make up the area between the pelvis and the end of the spine. Injuries to this area of the spinal cord can result in loss of function in the legs and hips and can affect body functions like bowel movements and bladder control.
- Coccygeal: The lowest level of the spinal cord controls sensation and pain felt on the skin of the lower back.
How Spinal Cord Injuries Are Classified
The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) publishes and updates the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI), a widely used classification system for documenting motor and sensory impairments following a spinal cord injury. This system grades the injured persons’ motor function below the level of injury in order to classify the severity of the spinal cord injury. The ISNCSCI classifications include:
- Grade A: No sensory or motor function below the level of injury.
- Grade B: No motor function below the level of injury, but some sensory function remains.
- Grade C: Half or more than half of the muscles below the level of injury are incapable of moving against gravity, but some if not all sensory function remains.
- Grade D: More than half of the muscles below the level of injury are capable of moving against gravity, and some if not all sensory function remains.
- Grade E: All muscles are capable of moving against gravity.
No matter the severity, a spinal injury is a life-changing event. If your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, you may be eligible to file a claim in order to cover your medical expenses, as well as compensation for all other damages you incur, including pain and suffering, mental anguish, lost earning capacity, and more.
At Kinnard Law, our spinal cord injury lawyers in Nashville, TN have the knowledge and experience necessary to fight for you in court and at the negotiation table.
Securing Compensation for a Spinal Cord Injury
Depending on where the damage is located, there can be a wide range of body motion restrictions and paralysis, including quadriplegia or tetraplegia. More severe injuries might require constant care for the rest of the individual's life. Our firm is intent on helping clients seek the compensation they need for needs that relate to:
- Surgery and physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Medications and medical devices
- Ongoing treatment or future expected surgeries
- Pain and suffering
- Future medical needs, including assistive care, treatment, and accommodations
Our firm represents clients with neck and back injuries caused by all types of traumatic accidents, such as car or truck accidents and falls, as well as spinal cord injuries caused by medical malpractice.
Call to Request a FREE Consultation
An injury to your spinal cord, no matter how slight, can change your life forever. At Kinnard Law, we have cultivated a record of success fighting for victims of catastrophic injuries, and we are available to discuss your potential case and how we can help. To speak with an attorney during a FREE consultation, contact us today.
Contact us today for a free consultation: (615) 933-2893.

Verdicts & Settlements
Unmatched Dedication Has Led to Record-Setting Victories-
Personal Injury - Erin Andrews Lawsuit Against Hotel $55 Million
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Medical Malpractice - 62 Year Old Woman $22.2 Million
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Medical Malpractice - Largest Verdict in Weakley County History $15.2 Million
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Medical Malpractice - Davidson County $6.5 Million
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Wrongful Death of 22 Month Old $5 Million
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Golf Cart Accident $4.4 Million
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Medical Malpractice - 24 Year Old College Student $4 Million
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Wrongful Death - Tractor-Trailer Wreck $3.25 Million
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Wrongful Death - 16 Year Old Boy $3 Million
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Auto Accident - Rutherford County $3 Million

Client Testimonials
Helping the Injured Obtain Justice
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Integrity, above and beyond
“From a choice in the Yellow Pages to Success. This Law Firm has proven itself as absolutely professional, goal oriented, kind and compassionate in the past several years during my case. Mutual trust ...”
- H.W. -
In the hardest two years of my life, you provided the utmost trust, comfort, and support.
“Thank you Randy, Jennifer, and Cynthia so much for not only helping me get through what has been the hardest time of my life, but for always providing grace, trust, and a sense of comfort for what ...”
- T.H. -
We are very grateful.
“Our case was not easy. Many law firms would not be willing to get involved with a case this complicated and time-consuming. What Kinnard Law achieved on account of conquering numerous hurdles was ...”
- E.I. -
Great staff.
“I had the pleasure of working with a few different Kinnard Law lawyers after a personal injury. The process in its entirety took a couple years - which is longer than I anticipated, but also news to ...”
- J. -
100% Best Lawyers Around
“You have all been so kind and loving to our family! We appreciate all the hard work and dedication you all put in for our case.”
- J.S.
Awards & Accolades
Highly Respected in the Legal Community-
Randall Kinnard is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, a prestigious invite-only group comprised of the top 100 plaintiffs’ trial lawyers in the United States.
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Randall Kinnard (since 1993),
Mary Ellen Morris (since 2017),
and Jennifer Eberle (since 2022)
have all been recognized for their legal skill and achievements. -
The firm has received the prestigious “Best Law Firms” rating in the practice areas of Medical Malpractice Law, Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation and Health Care Litigation.
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Attorney Randall Kinnard is a member of ABOTA, a nationwide organization of lawyers who care passionately about the trial system in the United States.
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Randall Kinnard is an inducted member of the ACTL, one of North America’s premier trial organizations comprised of less than 1% of all lawyers in each state.
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Randall Kinnard is a member of the invitation-only International Academy of Trial Lawyers, which is limited to 500 trial lawyers in the United States.
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Randall Kinnard is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invite-only honorary society comprised of less than .5% of all U.S. lawyers.
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Attorney Randall Kinnard was named the 2019 Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs ‘Lawyer of the Year’ in Nashville, TN.
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Randall Kinnard has been voted to TN Super Lawyers®. This organization recognizes the top 5% of attorneys in their practice area.
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Randall Kinnard and Mary Ellen Morris have received the highest rating for legal excellence by Martindale-Hubbell.
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Our attorneys have been voted by their peers to the "Top 40 under 40" Trial Lawyers list, as awarded by The National Trial Lawyers organization.
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Our firm’s trial attorneys have been recognized among the state’s leading legal minds, and named by Business TN Magazine to its coveted “150 Best Lawyers in Tennessee” list.
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Our attorneys have been named as 2023 “Best of the Bar” by Nashville Business Journal.
