Injuring your spine in an accident means life will never be the same again. You probably know that, but you might not understand to what extent.
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) offers some statistics to help you understand why adequate compensation will be crucial if you injure your spine in an accident.
Spinal injuries require significant medical treatment
The NSCIC found that, on average, you will spend 42 days in the hospital, 11 of these for initial treatment and a further 31 in rehabilitation. That is a month and a half off work straight away.
On top of that, you will likely need to attend day sessions of rehabilitation or therapy for months or even years to come, again requiring you to take time off work. That is if you still can work.
Depending on which part of your spine is damaged, returning to your old job or any job may not be possible. Some or all of your body may be paralyzed. Even if your ability to move about is mainly intact, your brain may not function as well as before.
Spinal damage shortens your life
The injury will leave you more susceptible to many other diseases, which may require additional treatment or time in hospital. One of those times, it may end up being fatal. Pneumonia and septicemia are the two most likely problems that end in death, but they are far from the only ones.
To summarize — your spinal injury will not only make your life much more challenging, but it may shorten it. Not only will you incur considerable medical expenses, but the damage will diminish your ability to earn money. Getting full compensation is the least you deserve. As obvious as that sounds, you may still need to fight hard to get it.
