If you suffer a spinal cord injury, it may have been someone else’s fault. For instance, perhaps you were involved in a car accident caused by another driver or a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property. You want to seek financial compensation for the costs that you are going to face.
But how much is the spinal cord injury really going to cost? It depends on many factors, including the type of injury that you have.
Per the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, for instance, a high tetraplegia can lead to over $1 million of costs in the first year and over $184,000 for every year after that. A low tetraplegia, on the other hand, could incur costs of over $769,000 in the first year and over $113,000 for every subsequent year. The level of the injury makes a big difference, as does the severity and the type of treatment that is necessary.
Age also plays a role
Another key aspect to consider is your age. A spinal cord injury is a long-term injury that often lasts for the rest of a person’s life. As such, the costs are higher if these injuries are suffered at a younger age.
To use a high tetraplegia as an example again, the Foundation estimates that the lifetime costs will be around $2,596,000 if the person is 50 years old at the time of their injury. But if they are just 25 years old and suffer the exact same injury, costs could be over $4,724,000.
These are estimates, of course, but they do show how the costs can go up significantly. It is critical that you understand all of your rights to seek financial compensation since these costs can be so high.