The people involved in an Illinois collision can incur many different types of injuries. Some people break bones or develop brain injuries. Others could potentially hurt their necks, backs or spinal cords. A spinal cord injury has the potential to cause life-altering consequences, making it one of the most catastrophic injuries possible in a collision.
Spinal cord injuries can be very different from one case to the next. The location of the injury and whether it completely severs the spinal cord or not can influence what consequences people have after the crash. Regardless of the severity or location of a spinal cord injury, affected individuals can anticipate a lifetime of financial complications.
Lifetime medical expenses
Obviously, someone with damage to their spinal cord requires immediate trauma care. In the first year after developing a spinal cord injury, the injured party may have massive medical expenses. They could also have ongoing expenses for the rest of their life. When injuries are lower on the spine or incomplete, they cost less in general. Still, they can create major medical expenses. Even incomplete spinal cord injuries can have lifetime medical expenses of $1,113,990 or more. Complete injuries and injuries higher on the spine can cause substantially more medical costs.
Lost earning potential
Workers in many professions may struggle to continue doing the same work after a spinal cord injury. Especially if someone is in a blue-collar industry, it may not be possible for them to continue the same line of employment after a traumatic spinal cord injury. Even those in less physically-demanding professions may find that physical limitations and regular medical needs may prevent them from developing their career as they had previously intended. People may also have expenses related to their inability to perform household services and the need to make their living arrangements and transportation more accessible.
Oftentimes, car insurance alone isn’t enough to reimburse someone for the potentially catastrophic expenses inspired by a spinal cord injury. Filing a personal injury lawsuit against at-fault parties can help those with catastrophic injuries secure appropriate compensation for the expenses incurred because of their injuries.