Most Connecticut residents probably know that a spinal cord injury is a very serious affair.
For example, many noteworthy athletes and celebrities who suffer these injuries make no secret of their physical and emotional struggles with conditions like paralysis and other debilitating complications from spinal cord injuries.
Nevertheless, it is easy to underestimate the financial fallout from these types of injuries.
All spinal cord injuries are expensive; some more so than others
The overall cost of a spinal cord injury, in terms of medical expenses and the cost of ongoing personal care, depends on the age of the victim and the severity of the injury.
However, even the least serious type of injury, where a victim can still move but has some decreased motor function, will cost over $1 million over the lifetime of a victim.
The cost of more serious injuries is astronomical. For example, someone in her twenties who suffers paralysis from the neck down after an injury will require close to $4.75 million to treat the injury of her lifetime.
It is important to remember that these numbers are for out-of-pocket expenses alone; they do not include lost wages or non-economic costs, like emotional distress or pain and suffering.
Many spinal cord injuries are preventable
Unfortunately, many spinal cord injuries are completely preventable. Car accidents account for over half of these injuries. Many of these accidents, in turn, happen because of the negligence of a driver.
Additionally, over 3 out of 10 spinal cord injuries happen because of falling. While of course falls can simply be the result of an accident, dangerous work conditions, poorly maintained property and other errors or oversights often contribute to the.
When someone else is responsible for his accident, a victim of a spinal cord injury has every right to demand compensation and may need to do so in order to stay afloat financially.
