Motor vehicle accidents in Louisiana risk a variety of injuries like whiplash and broken bones, but few have as long-lasting impacts as spinal cord injuries. You may have immediate surgery, months of recovery and a paralyzed future to adapt to after sustaining one.
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, vehicular crashes represent the leading cause of these injuries at nearly 39% of all annual cases. Knowing what to expect in the aftermath may help you prepare for the timelines and costs ahead of you.
General severity of SCIs
An SCI is when one of your vertebrae is partially or fully broken, referred to as an incomplete or complete SCI respectively. The higher up on your spinal cord, the more widespread the effects. A thoracic injury may result in paraplegia. This is the partial or full paralysis of your lower half. A cervical spinal injury may cause tetraplegia and impact all four limbs or your whole body. Partial damage may result in some loss of sensation or motor control.
General costs of SCIs
The more severe an SCI, the higher costs the NSCISC anticipates. Motor function loss averages around $375,000 in the first year and $45,000 in subsequent years. High tetraplegia injuries average as high as $1.14 million in the first year with subsequent years averaging around $200,000.
This physical paralysis and financial burden is a lot to take in all at once but there are options for recovering the compensation you need including damages cases against negligent parties or insurance claim cases to pursue the coverage that suits your situation.
