If you suffer a spinal cord injury, it is likely to lead to significant emergency costs. These could range into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and some injuries could even lead to more than $1 million in costs during the first year alone. These costs include emergency surgery, transportation, hospital stays, physical therapy and much more.
When seeking compensation, these immediate costs are often the basis for the claim. But it is also important to consider the long-term costs to ensure that no money is left on the table. How is the spinal cord injury going to cost you money moving forward, and do you deserve compensation for those future damages?
Reduced earning capacity
One example is when the injury leads to a reduced earning capacity. Someone may have had a lucrative career, but there was a significant physical component to the job. After their SCI, they can no longer continue that career, so they are losing income for every year that they expected to work.
Another example is simply the long-term cost of medical services. A person may need follow-up surgeries, in-home care, years of work with a physical therapist and much more.
Age can play a significant role here. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation estimates that a 50-year-old who suffers from high tetraplegia could have more than $2.5 million in lifetime costs. But a 25-year-old with the same injury could be looking at more than $4.7 million.
Seeking full compensation
It is very important to consider all of these long-term costs when determining what compensation is due. Be sure you know what legal options you have to seek full compensation for all damages.