Spinal cord injuries often result in significant medical bills and long-term disabilities for victims. If a person sustained a spinal cord injury as a result of the negligent or intentional actions of another party, they should be able to recover compensation for their losses. The total amount of compensation available in these situations will vary depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding each particular spinal cord injury case. Here, we want to discuss the factors that can affect average settlements for a spinal cord injury in Arizona.
There are around 296,000 individuals living with spinal cord injuries in the United States. These injuries occur in a wide variety of ways, but are most commonly due to vehicle accidents, falls, violent acts, sports injuries, and medical mistakes. In order to truly understand the costs of these injuries, we have to examine both economic losses as well as non-economic damages.
The most overwhelming cost associated with spinal cord injuries revolves around medical care. When we look at information available from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), we see that the first year of medical care alone can range anywhere from approximately $380,000 to more than $1 million, depending on the level of severity (quadriplegia, paraplegia, partial paralysis). Additionally, a spinal cord injury victim can expect medical costs ranging from around $46,000 to more than $200,000 for every subsequent year following their injury.
However, these are certainly not the only economic costs spinal cord injury victims and their families should expect. Individuals who sustain these injuries may not be able to work again, or they may have to take jobs that offer lesser pay. These lost wages can significantly impact a person’s finances. Additionally, it is not uncommon for family members to have to leave their jobs or take fewer hours so they can become caregivers for the spinal cord injury victim.
We cannot look at the total costs of a spinal cord injury without examining non-economic (or general) damages. These are the losses that do not come with direct bills or receipts and are more immeasurable but are nonetheless critically important. Non-economic damages refer to emotional and psychological trauma suffered by the spinal cord injury victims and their close family members. This can include, but is not limited to, the following:
The total costs associated with the spinal cord injury will vary depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding each particular incident. Overall compensation from an at-fault party could range anywhere from a few $100,000 to well over $1 million.
If you or somebody you care about has sustained a spinal cord injury caused by the actions of another party, we encourage you to reach out to an attorney as soon as possible. A skilled Phoenix personal injury lawyer will fully examine every aspect of your claim and help you recover total compensation for your losses. They will uncover the evidence needed to prove liability and vigorously negotiate with aggressive insurance carriers and at-fault parties. Spinal cord injury victims and their families need to have an advocate by their side who understands the true costs of these injuries.
