It goes without saying that the nature of spinal cord injury is such that the amount of damages that may be recovered against a party responsible for causing such injury is substantial. The average out-of-pocket cost of coping with a spinal cord injury in the first year can be as high as $741,000 for the most severe injuries. For each year after that, the average cost is approximately $132,000. The figures below do not include any indirect damages such as lost in wages, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment of life, and mental anguish, which averaged $60,000 in 2006. All of these damages continue throughout the life of a victim.
| Average Yearly Expenses (in dollars) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Severity of Injury | First Year | Subsequent Years |
| High Tetraplegia (C1-C4) | $741,425 | $132,807 |
| Low Tetraplegia (C5-C8) | $478,782 | $54,400 |
| Paraplegia | $270,913 | $27,568 |
| Incomplete Motor Function at any Level | $218,504 | $15,313 |
| Estimated Lifetime Costs by Age at Injury | ||
| Severity of Injury | 25 years old | 50 years old |
| High Tetraplegia (C1-C4) | $2,924,513 | $1,721,677 |
| Low Tetraplegia (C5-C8) | $1,653,607 | $1,047,189 |
| Paraplegia | $977,142 | $666,473 |
| Incomplete Motor Function at any Level | $651,827 | $472,392 |