Spinal cord injuries are very expensive injuries that can easily eat away at a person’s life savings. The average cost of a spinal cord injury depends on the level and severity of the injury. Higher-level injuries are usually more costly than lower-level injuries.
The average annual care for a person with incomplete motor function at any level of injury is around $347,484 in the first year. Each year after is around $42,206. The lifetime cost would be a little over $1.5 million for a 25-year-old patient or $1.1 million for a 50-year-old patient.
A person who is a paraplegic is likely to spend an average of $518,904 in the first year and $68,739 each year after. That means that the average lifetime cost of a person with paraplegia is a little over $2.3 million for a 25-year-old patient or $1.5 million for a 50-year-old patient.
A person who has a low tetraplegia injury will spend an average of $769,351 in the first year and an average of $113,423 each year after. The average lifetime cost is a little over $3.5 million for a 25-year-old patient or $2.1 million for a 50-year-old patient.
A high tetraplegia injury is likely to cost a little over $1 million in the first year and $184,891 each year after. The average lifetime cost is a bit over $4.7 million for a 25-year-old patient or just under $2.6 million for a 50-year-old patient.
As you can see, the cost of a spinal cord injury is very high and can lead to financial ruin. Patients who were injured in an accident caused by the negligent actions of another person might choose to seek compensation to help cover some of the costs of care.