Your age significantly impacts the cost of a spinal cord injury

There are many factors that can influence the cost of a spinal cord injury suffered on the job. For instance, what level was the injury? A low tetraplegia between the C5 and C8 vertebrae tends to have lower medical costs than a high tetraplegia between the C1 and the C4 vertebrae. Additionally, the level of a spinal cord injury often determines where there is a loss of sensitivity or motor skills, so it plays a major role in how this injury will affect someone’s life.

However, one of the most critical things to consider when looking at the long-term costs is how old the injured party is at the time. If you are a relatively young worker, your estimated lifetime costs are going to be much higher, and you need to know how to seek full workers’ compensation benefits.

25 versus 50 years old

For an example of how this works, consider the estimated costs put forth by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. If a worker suffers from a high tetraplegia at 50 years old, their estimated lifetime costs are just over $2.5 million. However, if the same worker was 25 years old at the time of their injury, their estimated lifetime costs would be over $4.7 million.

Not only will both workers require the same type of emergency treatment and aftercare, but a significant part of the cost could be a reduced earning capacity or the need for long-term medical care and assistance. If someone is 25 and needs lifetime care, they have far more costs to cover.

Workers who have been seriously injured must know about all of their legal rights and options.