Catastrophic injuries, normally either traumatic head injuries or spinal injuries, can lead to lasting complications and disabilities. These injuries are severe enough that they may impact a person’s financial situation for life. They could no longer be able to work, and they may have to alter many aspects of their life to adapt to a new disability.
The expenses related to catastrophic injuries are some of the most challenging issues that come up as patients focus on healing and moving forward with their lives.
How much does it cost to live with a catastrophic injury?
Someone with a severe traumatic brain injury can expect to spend around $4 million over the course of their lifetime to care for their injury. This may include expenses such as medical care, surgery, changes to their home to make it handicap accessible, lost wages and more.
The cost of living with a spinal cord injury varies based on the diagnosis. Someone with high tetraplegia can expect to spend over $4 million in their lifetime if they are 25 at the time of the injury. At the age of 50, that cost drops to around $2.6 million. On the other hand, those with incomplete motor function at any level can expect to spend around $1.5 million if they’re injured at 25 compared to $1.1 million if they’re injured at 50. These values don’t include losses from being unable to work or the loss of fringe benefits.
Your claim matters after you suffer a catastrophic injury
As you can tell from this information, a serious, catastrophic injury is extremely costly to care for. For many victims, insurance coverage will kick in to help cover at least some of those expenses.
In the case that you are injured by another party, it is important to hold them accountable for their actions. You can seek compensation by showing your diagnosis and how your injuries have affected your life and will continue to affect your life well into the future. Your attorney will help you seek as much compensation as possible, so that your medical care and other financial needs can be met.