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The Lifelong Costs of Paralysis

It’s clear that if an accident caused by someone else’s negligence leaves you paralyzed, it’s a devastating event, but you may not recognize exactly how extensive the financial, physical, and emotional implications can be. A paralysis injury can permanently alter the course of your future in the time it takes for the accident to occur, and can leave you facing nearly incalculable damages. If someone else’s negligence leaves you or someone you love paralyzed, you need the skilled legal guidance of an experienced Bay Area catastrophic injury attorney on your side.  

Paralysis Injuries

The long-term financial consequences of living with a serious spinal cord injury (SCI), such as paralysis, which leaves the victim unable to control his or her bodily motions in the affected area, are immense. The severity of the injury and the age of the victim play determinative roles in these calculations. Paralysis injuries are categorized as either incomplete (some feeling retained in the affected area) or complete (complete loss of muscle control in the affected area) and as either tetraplegia, which is also known as quadriplegia (paralysis in all four limbs and the torso), and paraplegia (paralysis in the legs and torso). This level of physical devastation can be difficult to comprehend. 

According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation (referencing statistics from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center), the most common neurological categories of SCIs include:  

  • Incomplete Tetraplegia at 45 percent
  • Incomplete Paraplegia at 21 percent
  • Complete Paraplegia at 20 percent
  • Complete Tetraplegia at 14 percent

Fewer than one percent of those affected by these forms of paralysis reach a complete neurological recovery during their hospital stays.

Paralysis and Projected Yearly Expenses

While it’s exceedingly difficult to account for every variable when it comes to calculating the average yearly cost – and the projected lifelong cost – of the following categories of SCIs, estimates include:

  • For high-level tetraplegia (tending to need nearly constant assistance and care in daily living practices), the first-year costs about $1,064,716, and each subsequent year typically tallies at about $184,891.
  • For low-level tetraplegia (tending to live independently), the first year of costs generally averages at about $769,351, and each subsequent year costs about $113,423. 
  • Paraplegia typically costs about $518,904 the first year and requires about $68,739 thereafter. 
  • For SCIs that lead to incomplete motor function, the first year of treatment averages at about $347,484 and leads to about $42,206 for each subsequent year.

It’s important to note that the actual costs experienced vary considerably in relation to one’s level of neurological impairment, one’s level of education, and one’s employment history. Further, none of the estimates provided account for indirect expenses – such as lost wages, decreases in employment benefits, and/or decreases in personal productivity.  

You Need an Experienced Bay Area Catastrophic Injury Attorney in Your Corner

The lifelong medical cost, alone, of a paralyzing injury can total millions of dollars – and this fails to factor in your lost wages and your emotional and physical pain and suffering. If someone else’s negligence leaves you paralyzed, the catastrophic injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Scott Righthand, proudly serving the Bay Area, are well prepared to harness their considerable experience, resources, and skill in their quest to help you achieve your most-favorable claim resolution. Your case is important, so please don’t hesitate to schedule a free consultation by contacting us today.

Should You Go to the…
Posted on: September 18th, 2020

Date Of Posting

26 August,2020

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