A previous post on this blog discussed what sort of accidents most commonly cause spinal cord injuries. Although car accidents were at the top of this list, other common accidents, like slips and falls and sporting injuries, also were more likely to lead to spinal damage.
A Northeast Wisconsin resident need not be a doctor or other type of expert to recognize that the toll of a spinal cord injury is a hefty one. Most spinal cord injuries end with a victim suffering paralysis at least to some extent. Even those who are lucky enough to escape paralysis still will face challenges that will require medical care and living adjustments.
Over one’s lifetime, the actual financial cost of a spinal cord injury can run in to the millions. These figures represent out-of-pocket costs and do not include the cost of lost income and career opportunities, much less non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
By way of example, even assuming that one is 50 years old and suffers a spinal cord injury that does not involve paralysis, he or she will over the remainder of his or her life incur over $1.1 million in medical and hospital bills, rehabilitation expenses and other expenses related to necessary lifestyle adjustments. The costs go up as injuries get more severe, with a younger 25-year-old who gets paralyzed from the neck down paying over $4.7 million in out of pocket expenses.
When a spinal cord injury is not the fault of the victim, then it is only fair that those who are responsible for the injury help shoulder the burden. This is one purpose of a victim’s filing a civil personal injury lawsuit with the help of a Northeast Wisconsin law firm handling catastrophic injuries claims.