The impact of a motor vehicle crash can cause catastrophic injuries for the victims. One of the injuries that is possible is to the spinal cord. These traumas can cause repercussions that will change your life considerably. Motor vehicle crashes, including motorcycle wrecks, account for more than half of new spinal cord injury cases each year.

One thing that most people don’t realize is how expensive this type of injury can be. While there are many factors that can affect the cost, the location of the injury and the type of effects it has on the person also play a role.

What does the level of injury have to do with the cost?

The higher up the spinal cord the injury is, the more problems the person is likely to experience. The part of the body that’s affected by the spinal cord injury is always below the level of the injury. This means that both arms, both legs, and the trunk will be affected if the neck is injured. A cervical spine, or neck, injury is going to be more costly than a lumbar spine, or lower back, injury.

When you consider the overall lifetime costs, a younger person is going to be more costly to care for than an older person who has the same injury. This is because the younger person is more likely to live longer than the older person.

For individuals who’ve suffered a spinal cord injury, thinking about the cost of care is likely going to induce stress. Seeking compensation for the damages associated with the injury is possible if the wreck that led to it was the fault of another party. Time limits apply to these cases, so get started on your case as soon as possible after the crash.