No matter what your job is, there is a risk of injury. For some occupations, those injuries may deeply impact your life for weeks, months or even the rest of your life.
If you suffer a spinal cord injury on the job, it may help knowing the average costs of surgery and long-term recovery when getting workers’ compensation.
Average costs
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, the average yearly expenses of an SCI depend on its severity. Severity includes motor functional loss at any level, paraplegia and tetraplegia. Their costs differ between first year and subsequent year costs.
Average first year costs range from $375,000 for motor functional loss and go all the way up to nearly $1.15 million for a high tetraplegia injury.
Average subsequent year costs range between $45,000 up to nearly $200,000.
These costs do not include the indirect costs like what you might lose as a result of not being able to work throughout the recovery. The NSCISC estimates these indirect costs average another $77,000 per year.
Care and compensation
These costs may seem steep or even intimidating, especially when the injury in question leaves you unable to work. But with SCI symptoms like pain, weakness, loss of movement or even paralysis, you need treatment to overcome them.
If your company provides workers’ compensation for these SCIs, you have options. Not only do these benefits to assist with your care and recovery, you may also engage in job training if your injuries leave you unable to return to your current position.
If you find it difficult to receive the full benefit of your loss, there may be other options available for a workers’ compensation case.
