The Cost of a Spinal Cord Injury

The following is a guest post from the personal injury lawyers at Console|Hollawell in New Jersey.

The cost of an injury is not limited to monetary concerns; there are many more ways life is affected by an accident. One of the most pricey injuries one could face is a spinal cord injury. With 15,000 to 20,000 Americans affected by spinal cord injuries each year, these injuries have a huge toll in this country.

What does spinal cord injury mean? A spinal cord wound is when there is trauma to the spine that disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body beyond the site. Individuals who sustain spinal cord harm not only suffer physically there is also the emotional impacts, the change of lifestyle, the economic hardships, and the effects on family and friends.

The Physical Costs

The physical effects of this type of injury could range from a loss of a function or partial paralysis, where the individual loses control of part of their body, to full paralysis or total loss of control of the body. This is not to be confused with a back injury. A spinal cord injury occurs when there is damage done to the spinal cord itself; it is possible to break your back without breaking the vertebrae and damaging the spine. There are also other possible effects such as loss of fertility for men, bladder and bowl problems, low blood pressure, and chronic pain.

The Emotional Costs

There is no sure emotional reaction that someone will have, it will vary from person to person, but some of these reactions are common. Most individuals who have sustained a spinal cord injury will suffer from depression. Often times they will feel hopeless and will be fearful. Sometimes they will be in denial of their injury. They may have worries about how they will live their life, if or when they can work again, what kind of financial cost the injury will have on their life, who will help them perform daily tasks, how will it affect their family, and more.

The Financial Costs

A study showed that the lifetime cost for a quadriplegic who was injured at the age of 25 will be about $1,350,000. Spinal cord injury specialists can be quite costly, and being unable to work furthers the hardships this injury causes.

The Costs on Quality of Life

A spinal cord injury can result in paralysis that will derail and alter someone’s whole life. They may not ever go back to work, they may not be able to perform simple daily tasks on their own, they may need permanent and constant medical care—all of this affects the quality of their life. These very concerns also affect the friends and family who will support and help the victim through these struggles.

If you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury as the result of someone else’s negligence you deserve to be compensated. The emotional, physical, and economic impacts on your life should not be suffered in silence. Speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer in New Jersey today to discuss your legal rights and options.

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