A lot of car accidents result in nothing more than some property damage and a few bumps in bruises. Others, though, leave victims with catastrophic injuries. Amongst these catastrophic injuries are those that affect the spinal cord. Tragically, those who suffer harm to the spinal cord have their lives upended. Their oftentimes left with severe physical limitations that forever change how they live their day-to-day lives. If you or a loved one is in this position now, then you know all too well the challenges that spinal cord injury victims face. Making matters worse are the enormous costs associated with treating these injuries.
The costs of treating a spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injuries can fall anywhere on a spectrum of severity. None of them are minor, and all of them can reshape how a victim lives. All of them can be devastatingly costly to treat, too. Any type of incomplete motor function, for example, can cost more than $300,000 to treat in the first year alone with an additional $40,000 each subsequent year. That can add up to lifetime costs of more than $1 million.
Those with more severe spinal cord injuries face an even harsher financial reality. Take, for example, those who suffer from high tetraplegia. In the first year of treatment, these victims can face more than $1 million in costs. Each subsequent year of treatment nears $200,000, creating lifetime costs of up to nearly $5 million.
While these numbers are nothing short of staggering, the stark reality is that these are figures for merely medical care and rehabilitation. They don’t take into account other damages such as lost wages, lost earnings capacity, and pain and suffering. In other words, the true losses suffered by spinal cord injury victims are often much greater than those figures mentioned above.
What does this mean for you?
If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury at the hands of a negligent driver, then you need to be as proactive as possible in seeking accountability and compensation. This probably means taking legal action, which might sound daunting. However, skilled legal professionals stand ready to help you fight for what you deserve so that you can obtain the treatment you need to further your recovery as much as possible.
