For many people with spinal cord injuries, their condition is the result of an unexpected traumatic incident. A car crash, falling equipment near a construction site or a slip at the top of a staircase results in damage to the spinal cord.
Learning that you have a spinal cord injury is often a shock. Adjusting your daily life to the limitations imposed by an injury can also be a challenge. What can you expect after your diagnosis with a spinal cord injury?
A long road to personal recovery
Whether you have an incomplete spinal cord injury that may respond to surgery followed by physical therapy or a complete spinal cord injury that will cause permanent symptoms, you will require ongoing medical care. The chances are good that you will require at least several days of inpatient care, if not substantially more.
The placement of the injury on your spine and whether it fully severed the spinal cord or not will influence how much it cost to receive emergency medical care and then ongoing support for the rest of your life. From surgeries to physical therapy and pain management you may require numerous different kinds of medical support following a spinal cord injury. Increased medical support requirements will probably be a lifelong issue.
Changes to your life and work
From moving to a first-floor apartment that is wheelchair-accessible to changing professions, there are numerous ways in which your life may shift noticeably following a spinal cord injury. You may require a specialized vehicle for your wheelchair or so that you can drive despite no longer being able to use the brake and gas pedals. How you perform your job may need to change if you hope to stay in the same profession, and you may have to change careers depending on the kind of work you do.
Unfortunately, the financial impact of a spinal cord injury will often be many times higher than the maximum policy limit for motor vehicle insurance or premises liability coverage. Individuals with spinal cord injuries often need to look at more than just an insurance claim to cover their costs after a wreck. Identifying how a spinal cord injury may affect your life can help you set more realistic goals when requesting compensation for your injury.
