The spinal cord is one of the most important parts of the human body. As a part of the central nervous system, it serves as the link between the brain and the nerves in your body, allowing you to move and feel. The spinal cord and the bone structure that surrounds it are vital to living a normal, healthy life. When your spinal cord is injured in a car accident or fall caused by someone else, you need help.
Long-Term Costs You Will Pay After a Spinal Cord Injury
When filing your claim against the person responsible for your injury, you will need to determine how much financial damage he or she caused. To calculate this, most people simply think of their immediate medical bills. What are often forgotten are the long-term costs that must be paid by the victim.
As you prepare your case with your attorney, think about the costs that will stay with you for years to come. Here are the types of costs you should consider:
- Special accommodations. If you need a wheelchair or any type of special accommodations in your home, you will have to pay for it all. Wheelchairs are expensive. Renovating your home to accommodate the wheelchair is even more expensive. Think carefully about how these costs will affect you for the long-term.
- Medication. Spinal cord injuries can cause a tremendous amount of pain. Many people with these injuries need medication to manage the pain. This is often very expensive. Consider this expense when calculating your long-term costs.
- Counseling. Spinal cord injuries go beyond physical pain. Emotional and psychological ailments often arise as a result of a devastating spinal cord injury. If you suffer from PTSD, depression or any other type of psychological pain, you might need ongoing counseling. This can also dramatically increase your long-term expenses.
Though not commonly thought of, each of these costs can add up to big bucks.
How Your Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
Perhaps you never thought hiring a lawyer was a necessity, but as you start to calculate how expensive your injuries will be, you’re starting to reconsider.
Having a personal injury lawyer in Virginia helping you with your claim could get you a payment that will cover the full cost of your injury—not just the initial medical bills and hospitalization costs. By working with expert witnesses and calculating hidden costs such as these, your lawyer will help you get the maximum amount available to you in your claim.
Do you know someone suffering from a spinal cord injury? We encourage you to send him this article so that he can be educated while moving forward with his claim.