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What are the long-term costs of a spinal cord injury?

female patient in physical therapy for spinal injury

A serious motor vehicle accident can easily lead to catastrophic injuries, including spinal cord injuries. A spinal cord injury victim in Covington may simply want to focus on recovery, but it is likely their life will never be the same, both physically and unfortunately financially. In addition to the initial hundreds of thousands in medical expenses they will spend in first year of their injury, there are expenses they will have to cope with throughout their life.

How much will spinal cord injury victims spend annually?

How much a spinal cord injury victim will spend in care after the first year of the injury depends on the type of injury they suffered.

  • A person with a high tetraplegia injury will spend approximately $184,000 in care each year after the first year following the accident.
  • Those with a low tetraplegia injury will spend approximately $113,000 in care each year after the first year following the accident.
  • A person with paraplegia will spend approximately $69,000 in care each year after the first year following the accident.
  • Finally, those with incomplete motor function will spend approximately $42,000 after the first year following the accident.

What are some other costs associated with spinal cord injuries?

Medical and care expenses are not the only expenses a spinal cord injury victim will face. Spinal cord injury survivors may be unable to work for a year or more, if they are able to return to the workplace at all. This leads to lost wages and the loss of earning potential. For some people, the loss in earning potential over the course of their lifetime can reach $1 million or more, even if a person was not a high-income earner.

Coping with the expenses of a spinal cord injury

Those suffering from a spinal cord injury in a car crash that was not their fault deserve to focus on recovery without having to worry about their finances. However, as medical bills build up and with no way to pay them, money worries will soon come to the forefront. For this reason, many spinal cord injury victims choose to take legal action against the person responsible for their injuries. A personal injury claim can provide a person with the compensation they need to move forward, as well as hold the responsible party accountable.

 

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