Many injuries lead to emergency medical costs and lost wages. The person who is injured is rushed to the hospital and receives care, which can be prohibitively expensive for severe injuries. They miss work while they recover, so they may need to seek compensation for lost wages, even though they can eventually return to work once their condition has improved.
With spinal cord injuries, however, the injury often lasts for life. Some improvement may be seen, depending on the nature of that specific injury, but something like paraplegia or incomplete motor function could leave a person with a lifelong disability.
How expensive will it be?
Every situation is unique. The expense will depend on the necessary medical care that the individual receives. If they cannot return to work, they may deserve compensation for a lost or reduced earning capacity, which will depend on that person’s career and projected earnings. That could be very different for an elementary school teacher, for instance, as opposed to a brain surgeon.
That being said, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation has produced estimated costs. For instance, paraplegia will typically cost over $500,000 in the first year and over $68,000 for every subsequent year that the person lives with the injury. If they are 25 years old at the time, that could make their lifetime costs in the range of $2.3 million.
This is just one example, however. If you have suffered injuries, it is important to work with your medical team and explore all of your options to seek appropriate compensation for medical bills, lost wages and more.