Important Details Regarding Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries are the worst types of spinal injuries people experience in accidents — and because the costs associated with such injuries are astronomical, it’s important to discuss options for pursuing financial compensation.
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) released a report in 2013 that updated details about spinal cord injury (SCI), including:
- Every year there are 12,000 new SCI cases.
- Individuals primarily affected by SCI are young adults between the ages of 16 and 30.
- Most SCI victims are male (80.7 percent).
Estimated lifetime costs for the most severe type of SCI (high tetraplegia, which is paralysis from the neck down) are:
- $1,044,197 for the first year
- $181,328 for each subsequent year
- For a victim injured at 25 years of age: $4,633,137 in total lifetime costs
- For a victim injured at 50 years of age: $2,546,294 in total lifetime costs
SCI lowers the life expectancy of accident victims substantially, depending on how severe the injury is. The leading cause of death for individuals with SCI used to be renal failure, but technological advances have changed this dramatically. The most prevalent cause of SCI is motor vehicle crashes, which comprise 36.5 percent of reported SCI cases. The second most common cause is falls (28.5 percent). Violence is the third most common cause of SCI (14.3 percent).
When another party is to blame for a motor vehicle crash — or unsafe property hazards cause the fall or violent actions cause your injury — you can take legal action to recover damages. By consulting a spinal injury lawyer in New York, you can learn about your rights to pursue a lawsuit.
Rich & Rich, P.C.has extensive experience handling accident and injury cases. In fact, representing injury victims is the primary focus of our practice. Call 646.736.3999 to discuss your injury in a free consultation.