The Costs of a Spinal Cord Injury
How much will a spinal cord injury cost my family?
Spinal cord injuries can come with immense financial costs. Depending on the severity and location of the injury, spinal cord injury victims may experience varying degrees of paralysis, numbness and tingling, restricted movement, and more. Treating and coping with a spinal cord injury may cost far more than the average family can afford on a yearly basis. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation offers an in-depth look at the true costs of a spinal cord injury.
Average Yearly Costs of a Spinal Cord Injury
Costs associated with a spinal cord injury will vary according to the type of injury, level of impairment, and the education and employment history of the accident victim. The most common types of spinal cord injuries include tetraplegia, which is a partial or total loss of function of all four limbs and the torso, and paraplegia, which involves complete or partial paralysis of the legs and lower extremities. The estimates below do not include costs associated with loss of wages or fringe benefits, which can be considerable.
- High tetraplegia: Estimated cost of $1,064,716 the first year and $184,891 each subsequent year;
- Low tetraplegia: Estimated cost of $769,351 the first year and $113,423 each subsequent year;
- Paraplegia: Estimated cost of $518,904 the first year and $68,739 each subsequent year;
- Incomplete motor function of any level: Estimated cost of $347,484 the first year and $42,206 each subsequent year.
Using these figures, the lifetime costs of even an incomplete spinal cord injury will easily reach into the millions. More severe spinal cord injuries can cost the accident victim upwards of four million in their lifetime.
In addition to financial costs and lost wage expenses, spinal cord injuries may result in considerable mental and emotional anguish. Spinal cord injury victims often experience the daily frustration of being unable to complete tasks that were previously simple. They may suffer from anxiety, depression, helplessness, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Spinal cord injury victims should never be forced to bear the brunt of these immense costs alone. If your spinal cord injury may have involved negligence on the part of another person or entity, contact the Georgia personal injury lawyers at Randall F. Rogers by calling (770) 590-0300 to schedule your free consultation today.
Posted in: Spinal Cord Injury