Any accident that causes a spinal cord injury is one that was very serious. Whether this tragic accident occurred at work, in your vehicle, or in another location, you might have recourse. It is imperative that you think carefully about what you do after the accident. Of course, your top priority is seeking medical care.
Often, you will face a long road with your healing. Some spinal cord injuries produce permanent results that mean you have to learn how to live with a new idea of what a normal life is going to be like.
What factors affect the cost of living with a spinal cord injury?
Many factors impact the cost of living after you suffer a spinal cord injury. The location of the injury is one factor. The severity of the injury is another. Typically, higher level injuries are more costly than lower level injuries. Your age also has an impact on the amount you will spend on medical care over the course of your lifetime.
What are some examples of various lifetime care costs?
A high cervical spine injury, which is consider a C1 to C4 injury, is associated with lifetime care costs of $4,724,181 for a 25-year-old patient or $2,596,329 for a 50-year-old patient. A person who has an injury that leads to incomplete motor function, regardless of the level of injury, can expect lifetime care costs of $1,578,274 for a 25-year-old person or $1,113,990 for a 50-year-old patient.
What about annual expense estimations?
A high cervical spinal injury that leads to tetraplegia is likely to cost $1,064,716 in the first year and an estimated $184,891 each year after. A spinal cord injury that causes paraplegia has a much lower estimate. It will cost an estimated $518,904 in the first year and around $68,739 in subsequent years.
What costs should I think about besides medical care?
Other costs of living with a spinal cord injury are also present. You have to think about how not being able to work will affect your income since many spinal cord injury patients can’t hold a job due to the limitations caused by their injuries and the extensive medical care necessary after the accident. You also have to think about the costs associated with mobility issues and your need to have help with daily activities.
Do I have any options to recover money after the accident?
You might opt to seek compensation through a civil lawsuit. You would have to determine who is liable for the accident so that you can name them in the lawsuit. You also need to determine what damages you need to seek.
Source: Nov. 30, -0001