After a car crash or similar incident, those involved could potentially sustain significant injuries. In some cases, they may need help covering the expenses generated by their injuries. Insurance can help cover some of the expenses associated with serious injuries.
Injured people may also choose to take legal action if they have astronomical expenses or if the other party does not have adequate insurance coverage. The more serious an injury is, the more likely it is that the expenses generated are more than insurance can cover.
Spinal cord injuries are among the most expensive acquired medical conditions. People may lose income because of their injuries. They may have to pay to modify their homes. They can also expect to incur significant medical expenses. The cost to treat spinal cord injuries is often well beyond what insurance can cover.
Injury details influence costs
The lifetime medical care expenses for spinal cord injuries range from around $1.1 million to more than $4.7 million. Factors including the age of the person, the placement of the injury on the body and the severity of the injury influence lifetime care costs.
Incomplete spinal cord injuries may cause motor function impairment and other challenging symptoms. While incomplete injuries do not cause total paralysis in most cases, they still require extensive initial trauma care followed by ongoing care needs for the rest of the individual’s life.
Incomplete injuries tend to have the lowest care costs. Still, they generate over $300,000 in costs in the first year after the injury and more than $42,000 in additional annual care costs for the rest of the person’s life.
Complete spinal cord injuries can generate even larger expenses. The need for assistive technology and the expense of ongoing medical support to prevent complications associated with paralysis or tetraplegia contribute to the staggering care costs associated with complete spinal cord injuries.
Those with paraplegia or injuries that only affect their lower extremities typically have an average of $2.1 and $3.4 million in lifetime care costs. Those who develop tetraplegia or paralysis that affects the upper extremities as well can’t expect an average of between $2.5 and $4.7 million in lifetime medical costs.
Having a realistic idea of the expenses associated with a spinal cord injury can help people limit their economic losses after getting hurt. Those who have help estimating their losses and exploring their options for compensation can work to hold other people accountable for injuring them and causing major expenses.
