January 15, 2019 | By Polito & Harrington LLC
What Is the Average Cost of a Spinal Cord Injury?
Spinal cord injuries can leave victims with devastating complications. Even in milder cases, victims can struggle with issues like limited mobility and chronic pain for the rest of their lives. In the most serious cases, victims can be completely paralyzed below the site of their injury with little hope of recovery. Considering the severity of these injuries, it should come as no surprise that a spinal cord injury can result in significant economic and non-economic losses over the course of victims’ lives.
Some of the specific expenses associated with spinal cord injuries often include the following:
- Spinal surgery
- Intensive care unit care
- Rehabilitation, including speech, occupational, and physical therapy, as well as counseling
- Mobility aids and medical equipment
- Long-term care
- Pharmaceutical costs
The lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury can vary widely and tends to be in direct proportion to the severity of the initial injury. According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the average lifetime costs for a 25-year old with high tetraplegia are $4,724,181, while the average lifetime costs for a 25-year old with incomplete motor function are $1,113,990.
As this data makes clear, even on the lower end, the costs of living with a spinal cord injury can be astronomical. Fortunately for victims, when their spinal cord injuries are the result of someone else’s negligence, Connecticut law allows them to recover compensation for all of their accident-related losses. Typical damages sought in spinal cord injury cases include medical expenses, lost income, lost quality of life, and physical and emotional pain and suffering.
Spinal Cord Injury Victims Should Always Retain an Attorney
Everyone that has suffered a spinal cord injury should retain an experienced lawyer, even if an insurance company has indicated that it is willing to settle your case. It’s critical that spinal cord injury victims obtain compensation for all of their losses, including those that they are going to incur in the future, which can be difficult to establish without the assistance of an experienced lawyer. In addition, insurance companies are actively trying to settle cases for as little as possible, and are not above taking advantage of spinal cord injury victims who do not have legal counsel. Some of the things that insurance companies may do to minimize payouts include:
- Making unreasonably low initial offers
- Misrepresenting victims’ legal rights
- Requesting overbroad medical record authorizations
- Pressuring victims to provide a recorded statement in an effort to get them to admit fault
By retaining a skilled lawyer, you can protect your legal rights and ensure that your case is brought to the most favorable outcome possible.
The attorneys of Polito & Harrington understand how devastating spinal cord injuries can be and are dedicated to helping victims obtain the compensation they deserve. We will review the facts of your case at no cost to you and will never collect legal fees unless we get you compensation for your losses. To schedule a free case evaluation with a personal injury lawyer, call our office today at (860) 447-3300 or contact us online.