How Many Happen?
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, there are around 17,000 new spinal cord injury (SCI) cases a year.
In the United States, there are around 282,000 people living with spinal cord injuries.
How Do They Happen?
According to the Mayo Clinic, spinal cord injuries “stem from a sudden, traumatic blow to your spine that fractures, dislocates, crushes or compresses one or more of your vertebrae.”
Vehicle accidents, physical assaults, workplace accidents, gun and knife wounds, and sports injuries are all major causes of spinal cord injuries.
The cost of spinal cord injuries varies depending on the damage and area affected. The following is from the NSCISC and gives the first-year cost of injuries:
- High Tetraplegia – $1 million
- Low Tetraplegia – $769,000
- Paraplegia – $518,000
- Incomplete Motor Function – $347,000
No matter how severe the injury, the cost is usually more than what the average American can afford. Without help from insurance, they could be impossible to pay for.
And insurance may not cover all of the costs.
The cost of care past the first year remains high. About 30 percent of people with a SCI are re-hospitalized one or more times a year, each year, following their accident. This means even more money.
Hidden Costs
Those are just the medical costs. They do not include things such as travel, lost income for you and family members, meals while at the hospital or away from home for treatment, new vehicles to accommodate a wheelchair, and any home adjustments needed.
Also not factored in is the emotional damage a spinal cord injury victim and their family goes through. These injuries can alter the way you have lived your life and may be permanent. Those who suffer from spinal cord injuries may need to seek mental health treatment.
What Are Your Options?
A spinal cord injury caused by someone else’s negligence shouldn’t mean you and your family have to go broke. Yes, these injuries are expensive, but the Dante Law Firm wants to work with you to get the compensation you need. From medical expenses to lost income, we will work tirelessly on your case. You can contact us by clicking here or calling 305-949-2526 for a free consultation. Let us work for you so you and your family can get back to living.
When you start your day, we know you don’t plan on an accident happening. Unfortunately, sometimes they do. At the Dante Law Firm, we know that a spinal cord injury can have devastating consequences – not just for the person who experienced it, but also for their families.
(954) 365-0000
(954) 365-0000