What Are the Long-Term Costs of a Spinal Injury?

Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) that manifest after accidents are considered catastrophic injuries — ones that result in permanent functional disability and prevent people from performing gainful work. SCIs can leave Louisiana accident victims with permanent medical and psychological issues, even after surgeries and therapy help them recover some mobility.

Every year, roughly 18,000 new cases of traumatic SCIs are recorded in the U.S. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), car accidents (37.5%), falls (31.7%), violence (15.4%), sports/recreation activities (8%), and medical or surgical complications (3.7%) are the common causes of spinal cord injuries.

The catastrophic nature of SCIs, coupled with chronic symptoms, means most accident victims can expect significant, long-term costs. Though most personal injury victims are aware of medical expenses related to SCIs, these costs are just the tip of the iceberg. Without understanding the long-term costs of your spinal cord injury, it can be tricky to recover compensation that covers all your expenses, including future medical bills.

Factors Influencing Spinal Cord Injury Costs

Various factors can significantly impact the cost of living with a SCI after an accident, including:

Age of the Victim

The younger you are when you sustain a spinal cord injury, the longer you’ll live with SCI-related expenses. Younger patients require continuous care and support for a longer period.

Location of the Injury

The location of the SCI significantly impacts the required treatments, adaptive equipment needs, and ongoing care. Generally, higher SCIs result in severe impairments, necessitating more comprehensive care and support.

Prognosis for Recovery

An injured victim’s prognosis for recovery also dramatically affects the long-term costs involved in treatment and care. Patients with promising prognoses incur lower costs and require fewer adaptive equipment or specialized treatments.

The Long-Term Costs of Spinal Cord Injuries

Most expenses linked to SCIs occur in the first year following the accident, be it a motor vehicle crash, workplace accident, or other accident. These costs vary depending on the severity of the spinal cord injury that one sustains and are categorized into:

• High tetraplegia: Affects one’s ability to move or feel from the neck down
• Low tetraplegia: Involves partial movement in the hands, elbows, or shoulders
• Paraplegia: Affects lower extremities, including the legs, trunk, and pelvic organs 
• Incomplete motor function: Motor function is preserved below the neurologic level

Average yearly expenses and the estimated lifetime costs directly linked to SCIs also vary based on the victim’s education, pre-injury employment history, and neurological impairment.

Here’s what accident victims should expect to spend every year after sustaining SCIs:

The above table doesn’t factor in indirect costs, which are roughly $92,578 per year.

Here’s a breakdown of the long-term costs of SCIs for different age groups:

Statista, on the other hand, estimates the lifetime costs of a 25-year-old patient suffering from paraplegia at roughly $2.85 million.

Common costs that drive these figures so high include:

Medical Expenses

Accident victims suffering from SCIs will likely face steep medical bills, with the injury’s severity and ensuing complications playing a significant role in influencing these costs. Common areas of expenditure include:

• Spinal surgery: This initial treatment after an accident should address the spine injury, stabilize it, and mitigate severe damage.
• Trauma care: This immediate medical intervention at the accident scene or trauma center involves ventilation, resuscitation, and other life-saving measures.
• Medication: After receiving treatment, prescription drugs are necessary to address SCI-related complications and side effects, such as blood pressure, chronic pain, and muscle spasticity.
• Rehabilitation: This is a long-term process that helps patients regain mobility, function, and independence through occupational, physical, speech, and psychotherapy.
• Long-term care: This encompasses the ongoing support required to address chronic SCI issues, such as bowel and bladder management, pain management, and wound care.

Other Long-Term SCI Costs To Consider

Unfortunately, medical expenses aren’t the only long-term costs associated with SCI. Accident victims need to take into account these potential expenses:

Home Modifications

SCI patients typically require modifications such as grab bars, wheelchair ramps, and roll-in showers to improve safety and foster independence. When you are making changes to your living environment, such projects can quickly become expensive.

Assistive Equipment

Injured victims can be permanently or temporarily confined to assistive or mobility equipment, such as wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and adapted vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the possible cost of new cars modified with adaptive equipment at $80,000. Maintenance costs of this equipment are also long term, meaning accident victims will occasionally have to repair or replace them, which can significantly increase SCI-related expenses.

Mental Health Issues

Living with spinal cord injuries can take a toll on a patient’s mental health, leading to issues such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You may require medication, ongoing therapies, or psychological support, all of which are SCI-related costs to consider.

Travel Expenses

SCIs may force patients to travel long distances to rehabilitation centers or to consult specialists for specialized treatment and care. As a result, travel costs can quickly add up, from gas expenses and plane tickets to hotel stays and meals. Other costs, such as parking fees and expenses at hospital vending machines during extended stays, take their toll as well.

Caregivers

Caregivers can help patients with everyday activities such as toileting and bathing.

Compensation for Long-Term Spinal Cord Injury Expenses in Louisiana

The long-term expenses of spinal cord injuries can add up to millions of dollars. This is why you need to consult a reliable spinal cord injury lawyer with years of experience handling personal injury cases, proven case results, and positive client feedback. An attorney can help you build a compelling case, pushing the at-fault party’s insurance company to offer a settlement that covers your SCI-related damages.