Costs of Paralysis Over a Lifetime

The pain and suffering that result from paralysis are horrendous. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury, you are no doubt aware of the physical and emotional strain that comes with it. Spinal cord damage that cannot be repaired causes life-altering consequences. You will have to learn and master a whole new way of functioning.

The Financial Costs of Lifetime Paralysis

There are also the financial costs. Added to the physical and psychological burden of your condition is the financial baggage of a lifetime of extensive and expensive treatment. Here are some recent statistics that provide a sense of the cost of a lifetime of paralysis:

• First year expenses for paraplegia — $480,000
• First year expenses for quadriplegia — $985,000
• Lifetime expenses for paraplegia, from age 25 – $2.1 million
• Lifetime expenses for quadriplegia, from age 25 – $4.3 million

These are conservative estimates. And you may develop particular complications that can drive the cost even higher. Then there is the loss you will suffer in wages and productivity. To be sure, many people who suffer paralysis go on to do remarkable things. Living an active life is still possible with some forms of paralysis. You might even be able to continue working in your profession if it requires you only to think and write—the latter is possible with the use of special software and devices if you are unable to use your hands and fingers.

It nevertheless takes time to adjust to your new situation; and you will have to spend a great deal of money to purchase the equipment needed to help you interact effectively and productively with others.

Why You Should Make a Claim or File a Lawsuit

That is why making a claim or filing a lawsuit against those responsible for your condition is so necessary. Recklessness, negligence, carelessness, indifference to the life, health, and safety of others—these are all behaviors that can lead to accident and injury. If it is clear that the accident that left you paralyzed is due to the malfeasance of another, then you should file suit—especially if the culprit was a corporate entity or some other well-resourced entity.

Large organizations often pursue profit at the expense of human lives. They are willing to take risks with other people’s health in order to make themselves and their associates wealthier. They must be held accountable. They must be made to pay for the consequences of their negligence.

Your Fight for Justice

The costs that you will have to bear for the rest of your life cannot all be met with money. But the dollars, the capital, the strictly financial aspect of your burden can be satisfied by a just settlement. Hiring the right injury lawyer can help you get such a settlement. A lawyer can bring the facts and circumstances of your case to light and can bring the weight of the law to bear in filing suit against those who are responsible for your injury.

What you are asking for is justice. What you deserve is nothing more or less than a financial settlement that is commensurate with the lifetime of costs that you will have to deal with. The Milwaukee personal injury lawyers at Cannon & Dunphy can work to help you seek the justice you seek.

Call us today for a free consultation.