If you have suffered a spinal cord injury, you may be suffering chronic pain and struggling to adapt to life with new limitations. If this injury was caused by the negligence or recklessness of another, it can be particularly devastating. Spinal cord injuries can be physically and financially catastrophic and can have long-lasting impacts. When negotiating settlements with insurance companies after an accident, victims often don’t realize the full extent of the treatment and rehabilitation that they will require to recover and the heavy price tag that it will carry. They may also not realize the extreme impact that the injury will have on their life, such as not being able to drive or return to work. Retaining a lawyer as soon as possible after a spinal cord accident can keep you from accepting a low-ball settlement that will not adequately compensate you for the trauma in your life and the total medical expenses that you will have to incur in coping or recovering.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries
12,500 people suffer spinal cord injuries every year. If you are one of them, you may be struggling to adapt to life. Nearly half of all spinal cord injuries are caused by car accidents. However, the second leading cause of spinal cord accidents is falls. Slip-and-fall accidents can be particularly harmful to the elderly. However, individuals of any age may suffer a spinal cord injury as the result of the fall, particularly if it is a fall from a higher level, such as a ladder or rooftop. Other causes of spinal cord injuries include violence, sports injuries, and medical errors.
The Cost of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can be difficult to treat and often require specialists, multiple surgeries, and extensive rehabilitation and therapy. The mental and emotional impact that these injuries can have on a person should also be included in assessing costs, as counselling is also likely to be necessary. Depending on the severity of the injury, it is possible that the first year of treatment and care alone for a serious spinal cord injury will cost between $350,000 and $1 million. After the first year, each year after that may cost an average of $49,000 to $184,000. These expenses are massive and few people would be prepared to handle them on their own. Particularly when we consider that the victims of such injuries are likely no longer able to work and their loved ones may also not be able to work full-time due to the care that they require.
Schedule a Consultation with a Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one have suffered a spinal cord injury, the best thing that you can do is hire an attorney to help you navigate the insurance process and fight to get you the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to. Schedule a free initial consultation with the personal injury attorneys at the O’Donnell Law Offices serving clients in Kingston, Wilkes Barre, Hazleton and Pittston at 570-821-5717 or online today. There is no fee or costs until we win your case.