Injuries to the head and spine are among the most debilitating and costly that a person can suffer. They’re also much more prevalent than you might think, affecting millions of Americans each year.
Common causes of both traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) are preventable accidents such as motor vehicle accidents, falls, workplace incidents, sports accidents and violence. TBI and SCI victims who are injured by somebody else’s carelessness or recklessness may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost income and other losses through a lawsuit. Such damages may, in fact, be the difference between living a healthy and fulfilling life post-injury and struggling with medical bankruptcy.
If you or somebody close to you has experienced a head or spine injury, an experienced Denver catastrophic injury attorney at Andrus Wagstaff, PC can help you put together a plan that takes into account not only the losses you’ve suffered to date, but also future losses, which compromise the largest portion of catastrophic injury losses.
You may have already received an injury settlement offer from an insurance company for your TBI or SCI. Bear in mind, however, that such offers, even if they seem high, may not fully account for the lifelong costs of catastrophic injury.
Catastrophic Injury Costs
A traumatic brain or spinal cord injury can easily lead to lifelong costs in the millions of dollars. Depending on the extent of injury, the victim of SCI or TBI may require not only initial hospitalization and care, but also:
• Rehabilitation
• Medical equipment, medication and devices
• A personal caregiver
• Home and vehicle modifications
The costs of living with SCI, according to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, range from approximately $350,000 – $1,000,000 in the first year alone, and run $40,000 – $175,000 in each subsequent year. Over a lifetime, SCI costs can easily exceed $3-4 million.
Traumatic brain injury costs are harder to pinpoint but based on a National Institute of Health (NIH) estimate range from $775,000 to $2.5 million (adjusted for inflation).
A catastrophic injury can have a catastrophic effect on personal finances, even among families who have medical insurance. A 2013 data analysis found that health care-related costs were the leading cause of U.S. bankruptcies. It’s estimated that 56 million adults, or more than 20 percent of the U.S. population, struggle with healthcare costs annually.
Legal Representation and Life Care Plans
Future health care costs are often the largest component of economic damages in personal injury cases, and this is particularly true in catastrophic personal injury cases. It’s also reasonable to account for non-economic damage such as loss of quality of life when considering a catastrophic injury victim’s future, as well as other economic losses such as impaired earning capacity and the loss of work-related benefits.
These losses and others are included in what’s known as a life care plan. After carefully considering your injuries and circumstances, and by working with physicians, vocational rehabilitation experts and other experts, the legal team at Andrus Wagstaff PC will come up with a life care plan that quantifies all of the losses you are expected to incur as somebody living with a brain or spine injury. Your life care plan will be meticulously documented for presentation to defense attorneys and the court.
Protect Your Future. Speak With a Denver Catastrophic Personal Injury Lawyer.
It can be tempting to accept an insurance company settlement offer early on in a catastrophic injury case. But as the information presented herein shows, even $1 million or $2 million dollars would likely fall short of the amount needed to live with TBI, SCI or another catastrophic injury.
Don’t take chances with your future well-being. Speak with Andrus Wagstaff PC and learn the true value of your case.
Call 866-534-4989 or contact us online to schedule a free case review. With offices in Lakewood, Colorado and Oakland, California we serve injured clients nationwide.
