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Spinal cord injuries may cost millions of dollars

If you suffer a spinal cord injury in a collision or as a result of a medical error, then you should know that this is a condition that may impact you for the rest of your life. Many spinal cord injuries do have some recovery, but for the most part, injuries to the spinal cord are considered to be permanent.

The problem with having a lifelong condition like paralysis or organ dysfunction from a spinal cord injury is that it’s extremely costly to care for it. The cost of spinal cord injuries and your recovery and stabilization will depend on where the injury is located and how badly damaged the spinal cord is.

What is the average cost of a spinal cord injury?

The average cost of a spinal cord injury depends on where the injury is and how severe it is. However, someone with a high cervical injury can expect to spend $1,149,629 in just the first year after their injury. Someone with a mid-level injury may spend less at around $560,287.

There are usually long-term care costs as well, such as the cost of:

  • Physical therapy
  • Medications
  • Surgery to fuse the vertebrae together or stabilize the spine
  • Occupational therapy
  • Speech therapy, if affected
  • Psychotherapy

Most insurance companies do cover rehabilitative needs for a period of time, but people with spinal cord injuries may need rehabilitation support for longer than the coverage provided allows for. That means that you may need to pay out-of-pocket if you don’t have coverage from another source.

Don’t forget the extra necessities

When calculating the cost of long-term care, you can’t forget the extras like having a caregiver or using orthotics. Adaptive tools and care for secondary complications may impact your overall cost of living with a spinal cord injury.

What should you do after an accident causing a spinal injury?

It’s a good idea for you to seek out compensation from the at-fault party. Since the expense of living with a spinal cord injury is so high, you should fight for the compensation you’ll need to get all of the appropriate care you’ll need.

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