Sometimes it is easy to take our good health for granted. However, accidents happen every day in New Jersey that could lead to serious injuries such as spinal cord injuries. Whether it is sustained in a car crash, falling on a slippery floor or due to a sporting accident, a spinal cord injury can affect a person’s health and well-being for the rest of their life. According to data from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, a person with a spinal cord injury can expect to incur a million dollars or more in expenses over the course of their lifetime.
The amount of lifetime expenses incurred depends on the type of spinal cord injury. If a person suffers high tetraplegia at age 25, they can expect to incur around $4.7 million in expenses or almost $2.6 million in expenses at age 50. A person with low tetraplegia at age 25 can expect to incur approximately $3.5 million in expenses or just over $2.1 million in expenses at age 50.
Even less serious spinal cord injuries can be costly. A person age 25 with paraplegia may incur around $2.3 million in expenses or approximately $1.5 million in expenses at age 50. Finally, a person age 25 with any level of incomplete motor function may incur just over $1.5 million in expenses or around $1.1 million in expenses at 50.
These expenses can be incredibly difficult to deal with, especially if a person’s spinal cord injury prevents them from working. Sometimes all a person with a spinal cord injury can do is learn how to adapt to their new life with their injury. If their injury was caused by another person’s negligence, it may be possible to hold that person liable for the expenses the victim suffered. While no amount of money can undo the damage a spinal cord injury inflicts on a person, a personal injury claim can go a long way to helping a person cope with the aftermath of their injury.