Why is it so hard to calculate the cost of a spinal cord injury?

The attorneys at our Reno, Nevada, law office recognize acutely how important it is to make sure that a victim of a spinal cord injury gets compensation for all of his losses and expenses.

Not getting full compensation for spinal cord injuries can, after all, mean that a victim years or even decades down the road finds herself in a big financial pinch because of paralysis or a related condition that she did not cause. This is one reason why going with a less experienced personal injury lawyer, or one who is a little too quick to settle cases, can ultimately leave a victim in a lurch.

While this blog has often repeated that the lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury is very high, actually estimating the exact cost is hard for a variety of reasons. For one, since spinal cord injuries are permanent, figuring out the cost means accounting for years or even decades in to the future in terms of lost income and ongoing medical and rehabilitative care. This in itself is a difficult financial calculation.

Moreover, the exact cost depends on a number of specific factors. For one, the severity and extent of the injury must be taken in to account, as does the level of education and general background of the victim. Work experience and salary history, including fringe benefits and the likes, are also important to take in to account.

Getting fair compensation after a spinal cord injury is more than a matter of proving who is responsible. Insurance companies and others may try to minimize their losses by offering a settlement that does not come close to covering a person’s long-term losses, and someone without experience may mistake such an offer as a gesture of generosity. Our office has the know-how and resources to defend against this.