After a spinal cord injury diagnosis, you may have a lot of questions. You may wonder what your future will be like and how you’ll pay your medical bills and the future costs associated with your injury. 
Identifying Future Costs
It’s fairly easy to calculate the immediate costs of a spinal cord injury. You have medical bills, the income you’ve lost since your accident, and receipts for other expenses that can be used as evidence in a personal injury case. However, as you look toward, you may be uncertain about your future costs.
Living with a spinal cord injury is expensive and may include some or all of the following costs:
- Hospitalizations
- Surgeries
- Medical equipment such as ventilators and wheelchairs
- Doctor visits
- Medications
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech and language therapy
- Mental health counseling
- Travel for medical care, which could include airfare, parking, rental cars, and hotels
- Lost wages - sometimes for up to 20 years after the injury
- Home and car modifications
- Pain and suffering
Medical costs are different for each patient depending on their unique injury. However, according to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the estimated lifetime costs of living with a spinal cord injury are as follows (cited for 2014):
- $4,724,181 for a 25-year-old with high tetraplegia
- $2,596,329 for a 50-year-old with high tetraplegia
- $3,451,781 for a 25-year-old with low tetraplegia
- $2,123,154 for a 50-year-old with low tetraplegia
- $2,310,104 for a 25-year-old with paraplegia
- $1,516,052 for a 50-year-old with paraplegia
- $1,578,274 for a 25-year-old with incomplete motor function
- $1,113,990 for a 50-year-old with incomplete motor function
These numbers only reflect average healthcare and living expenses. The Foundation estimates an additional average $71,961 per year for indirect expenses such as lost income. Thus, it’s essential to accurately identify your costs, so you can pursue a fair recovery for your spinal cord injury.
Protect Your Spinal Cord Injury Recovery
Attorney Coy H. Browning will take all of the necessary steps to assess the value of your claim and pursue a fair and just recovery if someone else’s negligence caused your spinal cord injury. You can pursue this recovery without financial risk because the Browning Law Firm only charges legal fees if we win your case. To learn more, please contact our Florida spinal cord injury law firm today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
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