The economic cost of a spinal cord injury is astronomical. Over the course of their lives, victims of serious and catastrophic injuries to the spinal cord will likely incur millions of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses and losses.
These numbers do not even account for the non-economic losses a victim experiences, including pain and suffering and ongoing emotional struggles as they deal with their injuries.
Exactly how much a spinal cord injury will cost depends in part on the location and extent of the injury. For instance, someone who, luckily, experiences limited mobility but can still move around somewhat will incur about $350,000 in costs during the first year of her treatment and over $40,000 for every year thereafter. All in all, assuming that she is about 50 years old at the time of her injury, this person will lose over $1 million as a result of the injury.
For someone who experiences paralysis from the neck down, the costs are much higher. He will likely incur over $1 million in expenses during the first year after the injury and will spend almost $185,000 for every year thereafter due to ongoing medical and other needs. Assuming he is 25 at the time of the injury, his overall costs will be over $4.7 million.
Needless to say, a victim of a spinal cord injury needs all the financial help she can get. If it turns out her injury is the responsibility of a careless driver or another negligent party, then part of her financial plan should and likely will need to include filing a personal injury cause of action. Handling these sorts of legal claims can be very complicated, particularly since it is critical that the victim get all the compensation to which she is entitled.
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