What are the costs of living with a spinal cord injury?

The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center reports that one of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries are car accidents. Spinal cord injuries can be incredibly costly, both in medical care and other expenses.

Medical expenses

A person with a high tetraplegia injury can spend approximately $1 million in medical expenses the first year of their injury. A person with a low tetraplegia injury can spend approximately $769,000 in medical expenses in the first year of their injury. A person with a paraplegia injury can spend approximately $518,000 in medical expenses in the first year of their injury. Finally, a person with an injury causing incomplete motor function at any level can spend approximately $347,000 in medical expenses in the first year of their injury.

Travel expenses

It is easy to understand how a serious spinal cord injury can lead to costly medical bills. However, there are travel expenses associated with spinal cord injuries that you may not expect. For example, you may need to travel for treatment, paying for transportation, hotels and food along the way.

Lost earning potential

In addition, if you suffer a spinal cord injury you may be unable to work leading to lost wages and earning potential. For example, of those who suffer a spinal cord injury, less than 12% of them are working one year after the injury. Of those who suffer a spinal cord injury, only around 35% are working 20 years later. The loss of earning potential is one of the costliest aspects of suffering a spinal cord injury.

Living with a spinal cord injury is not easy

It is difficult to live with a spinal cord injury, not just physically but financially as well. When your spinal cord injury is caused by a negligent or reckless driver, it makes living with the injury even worse, because had due care been taken the crash causing the injury may never had occurred. For this reason, many of those in Albuquerque who suffer spinal cord injuries in a motor vehicle accident choose to seek compensation for the many damages they suffered.