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Damages in SCI Cases

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 InjuryFirst 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 Injury25 years old50 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


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