Paralysis can have a profound impact on the lives of accident victims in Louisiana, affecting their independence and presenting numerous physical, financial, and emotional challenges. Among these difficulties, long-term treatment costs, therapy, and rehabilitation can weigh heavily on the minds of patients and their loved ones.
Due to the extensive care required to treat paralysis, long-term medical costs for permanent paralysis can range in the thousands or even millions of dollars. Paying such medical bills out of pocket can be challenging for many victims. When combined with the loss of income during time off work or due to job loss and other paralysis-related expenses, patients can experience significant financial hardship.
If you were paralyzed in an accident, it’s crucial to seek immediate medical treatment to mitigate the severe impacts of paralysis. Your doctor will run tests to determine what led to your injury and offer advice regarding the treatment and management options available, depending on the nature and severity of your injury.
Causes of Paralysis
Approximately 5,357,970 people in the U.S., or around 1.7% of the U.S. population, live with some form of paralysis. Paralysis occurs when you are unable to move parts or all of your body voluntarily. It is a nervous system problem that can be temporary or permanent. Symptoms of paralysis include:
- Inability to make voluntary muscle movements in a part or all of your face or body
- Stiffness in your face or body, coupled with twitches or muscle spasms
- Numbness and pain in your face or body
- Weakness or floppiness in your face or body
Paralysis can be gradual or start suddenly. This condition can also come and go.
Paralysis can also be a symptom of other underlying conditions that affect nerves and muscles. Common causes of paralysis include:
- Stroke: This condition is the leading cause of paralysis (33.7%) in the U.S.
- Spinal cord injury (SCI): This follows as the second leading cause of paralysis, accounting for 27.3% of all cases.
- Multiple sclerosis: This condition can damage an individual’s central nervous system, disrupting communication between the brain and body parts.
- Cerebral palsy: This movement disorder can affect one’s ability to move and maintain posture and balance.
- Head injury: Cranial nerve damage can lead to the paralysis of facial muscles.
When it comes to personal injury cases, spinal cord injuries are the main cause of paralysis. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), there are approximately 54 cases of trauma SCIs per one million people in the U.S., which equals 18,000 new cases every year. An estimated 305,000 people living in the U.S. have traumatic SCIs. Factors that can contribute to spinal cord paralysis include:
- Car accidents
- Truck wrecks
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Defective products
- Medical malpractice
NSCISC cites vehicular accidents (37.5%) as the leading cause of traumatic SCIs, followed closely by falls at 31.7%. NSCISC also reports that motor vehicle crashes accounted for 3,490 traumatic SCIs between 2010 and 2022, while falls accounted for 2,859 traumatic SCIs during the same period.
Long-Term Costs of Paralysis
According to the latest data by NSCISC published in 2024, the long-term costs of treating and managing paralysis stemming from traumatic SCIs are steep. The data, gathered since 2015, reveals the average yearly expenses associated with paralysis as a result of SCIs as follows:
- The first year after sustaining a traumatic SCI:
- High tetraplegia (C1–C4): Approximately $1,369,755
- Low tetraplegia (C5-C8): Approximately $989,768
- Paraplegia: Approximately $667,569
- Incomplete motor function at any level: Approximately $447,037
- Each subsequent year of living with an SCI:
- High tetraplegia (C1–C4): Approximately $237,862
- Low tetraplegia (C5-C8): Approximately $145,918
- Paraplegia: Approximately $88,433
- Incomplete motor function at any level: Approximately $54,298
Assuming a 25-year-old with an average lifespan is paralyzed due to a traumatic SCI, their total paralysis-related lifetime expenses will be:
- High tetraplegia (C1–C4): Approximately $6,077,646
- Low tetraplegia (C5-C8): Approximately $4,440,708
- Paraplegia: Approximately $2,971,942
- Incomplete motor function at any level: Approximately $2,030,446
For a 50-year-old who suffers from a traumatic SCI, their total long-term paralysis costs will be:
- High tetraplegia (C1–C4): Approximately $3,340,171
- Low tetraplegia (C5-C8): Approximately $2,731,432
- Paraplegia: Approximately $1,950,396
- Incomplete motor function at any level: Approximately $1,433,145
The above lifetime medical costs for paralysis include expenses such as:
- Emergency care
- Spinal surgery
- Hospitalization
- Long-term rehabilitation, such as speech therapy, mental health counseling, physical therapy, and occupational therapy
- Prescription medications
- Medical equipment
It’s important to note that these long-term costs of paralysis only include medical and living expenses. They don’t factor in financial losses such as loss of income, fringe benefits, lost earning capacity, and other damages you sustain. Your long-term financial losses depend on your pre-injury history, education, and neurological impairment.
Other Costs Related to Paralysis Care
The expenses related to paralysis after an accident go beyond the medical bills for trauma care and hospital stays. Other paralysis-related costs include:
Home Modifications
Paralysis victims may require wheelchair accessibility modifications such as widened doorways, ramps, stairlifts, and roll-in showers. While these alterations in the patient’s environment guarantee safety and accessibility, they can also pose significant financial burdens.
Wage Loss and Loss of Earning Power
Many paralysis survivors in Louisiana never work again, and those who do are usually forced to undergo occupational therapy or change careers. The former prepares survivors to return to their day-to-day lives in conjunction with adaptive equipment to help them be as independent as possible.
Long-Term Health Issues
If you are paralyzed after an accident, you risk developing secondary health issues such as respiratory problems, pressure sores, osteoporosis, and urinary tract infections. Managing these complications requires continuous medical care, which further impacts the long-term costs of paralysis.
Compensation for Victims of Paralysis in Louisiana
While the cost of paralysis treatment after an accident can seem overwhelming, injured victims have various options for compensation. If another party’s actions led to your paralysis, consult an experienced lawyer to discuss your legal options. You have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. A spinal cord injury attorney can help you recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and disability accommodations.
