The medical expenses for spinal cord injuries can be extensive. Depending on the intensity of the damage, you can be forced to spend anywhere between $350,000 and $1.1 million in the first year after your accident. In the years following, while the expenses drop, they remain substantial. You may have to spend between $40,000 and $185,000 every year. Depending on the age that you were injured, it is estimated that you will have spent at least $1 million throughout your life dealing with this debilitating injury.