The initial and ongoing financial costs associated with spinal cord injuries are enormous. After an accident, loss of income is to be clearly expected and many SCI victims suffer lifelong disabilities that prevent their return to the workforce. In fact, according to NSCISC, only 11.6 percent of people can return to work within a year of experiencing a spinal cord injury. Both a loss of wages and loss of future earning capacity are factors in most cases.
Medical costs can top $1.1 million in the first year alone, and then nearly $200,000 a year after that. After an accident, victims must often spend time in expensive rehabilitation centers, learning how to adjust to the impairments of their injury. There are further costs upon leaving the facility, including:
Accommodation equipment, such as ramps for the house and vehicles
Medical supplies or devices like wheelchairs
In-home assistance (often full-time)
Physical therapy
Since many of these are recurring lifetime expenses, one can imagine the total overall cost of a SCI for the victim and their family. Standard insurance may not cover all of them, which is why legal recourse is necessary.