Individuals who suffer spinal cord injuries due to another party’s negligence may recover several types of damages. Understanding what compensation is available helps you recognize the true value of your claim. It ensures you don’t accept an inadequate settlement. Spinal cord injury compensation can include both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages compensate you for quantifiable financial losses resulting from your injury. These include all medical expenses related to your injury. This covers emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and ongoing medical treatment. As your condition evolves, you may require assistive devices. These include wheelchairs, specialized beds, bathroom equipment, and communication devices. Home modifications are also recoverable. These include wheelchair ramps, accessible bathrooms, and elevator installations. Economic damages further include lost wages from the time of your injury through your recovery period. They also include diminished earning capacity if your injury prevents you from returning to your previous occupation.
Non-economic damages compensate you for subjective losses that don’t have a specific dollar amount. These include pain and suffering—the physical pain and emotional anguish you experience as a result of your injury. Loss of consortium refers to the impact your injury has on your relationships with family members. This includes loss of companionship, intimacy, and the ability to participate in family activities. Emotional distress damages account for anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma resulting from your injury. Loss of enjoyment of life recognizes that your injury has permanently altered your ability to engage in activities you previously enjoyed.
Punitive damages may be available in cases involving gross negligence, reckless conduct, or intentional wrongdoing. These damages punish the defendant and deter similar conduct in the future. While not available in all cases, punitive damages can significantly increase your total recovery when the defendant’s conduct was particularly egregious. Catastrophic injury settlements often include punitive damages when negligence is severe.
Our firm has recovered substantial settlements and verdicts in catastrophic injury cases. In one construction site negligence case, we secured a $5.25 million settlement for a client with shoulder and knee injuries. The client required multiple surgeries. In another case involving a crane strike that caused spinal and shoulder injuries, we obtained a $1.2 million settlement. These results demonstrate our ability to secure significant compensation for clients with severe, life-altering injuries. Our case results speak to our commitment to maximizing client recovery.
Calculating Lifetime Medical Costs for Spinal Cord Injuries
The lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury is substantial. According to medical research published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the first-year medical expenses for a spinal cord injury can range from approximately $550,000 to $1.37 million or more. The severity and location of the injury determine the exact cost. Paraplegia typically costs $550,000-$687,000 in the first year. High-level quadriplegia (C1-C4) can exceed $1.1 million to $1.37 million. Subsequent years typically involve $40,000 to $180,000 in annual medical expenses. Over a 40-year lifespan following the injury, total costs can easily exceed $2 million to $5 million or more.
These costs include not only direct medical care but also home care attendants, modifications to living spaces, specialized transportation, and equipment replacement. Our attorneys work with life care planners and medical experts. We calculate these costs accurately. We present them persuasively to insurance companies and juries. Understanding spinal cord injury damages requires expertise in both medical and financial analysis.
