Living with a Back Injury: Understanding the Financial and Non-Financial Costs of Accident-Related Trauma

From vertebrae fractures to nerve damage resulting in paralysis, traumatic back injuries from serious accidents can have serious—and, in many cases, life-altering—consequences. If you suffered a back injury in a traumatic accident, you are likely facing significant financial and non-financial costs, and it will be important for you to recover financial compensation for these costs if possible. In this article, our Florida injury lawyers discuss common costs associated with traumatic back injuries—all of which are costs that accident victims may be entitled to recover.

10 Common Costs Associated with Traumatic Back Injuries

The specific costs associated with traumatic back and spinal cord injuries depend on various factors. If you have a claim for your accident, determining (and documenting) your specific financial and non-financial costs will be a key part of the recovery process.

Generally speaking, however, most accident victims’ costs will fall into the same broad categories. For accident victims who have suffered back injuries, these categories commonly include:

1. Medical Bills

Back and spinal cord injuries can lead to expensive medical bills, both in the immediate aftermath of an accident and well into the future. Accident victims who suffer paralysis and other permanent effects can continue to incur medical bills for the rest of their lives. These medical bills can far exceed what most individuals and families can afford to pay, and these costs alone can make filing an accident claim well worth it.

2. Rehabilitation and Therapy Bills

Many accident victims who suffer back and spinal cord trauma will need to undergo extensive rehabilitation and therapy as well. Recovering from a back injury can be a long-term process, and for accident victims who suffer permanent injuries, it may be necessary to continue seeing a therapist for the rest of their lives.

3. Medications

Many accident victims who suffer back and spinal cord trauma will need to take several types of medications on a long-term basis. These can include general pain medications, corticosteroids, medications for nerve pain and muscle spasms, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), among others. The costs of these medications can add significantly to the overall costs of accident victims’ injuries, making it important for accident victims to ensure that they include these costs in their claims for just compensation.

4. Medical Supplies and Devices

From wound care to catheters, and from braces to wheelchairs, accident victims who suffer traumatic back injuries may also need to pay for various types of medical supplies and medical devices. These can be more expensive than many people realize, and, for accident victims who have suffered permanent injuries, the lifetime cost of purchasing these items can be substantial. Even if you aren’t necessarily concerned about these costs in the short term, it is critical to make decisions about your accident claim with a long-term perspective.

5. Home and Vehicle Modifications

For accident victims who are paralyzed and who suffer other permanent physical limitations, it may be necessary to pay for home and vehicle modifications. These include modifications such as installing ramps and lifts, as well as modifying vehicles so that they can be driven purely by hand. When going through the initial stages of recovery, it will be important for accident victims to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their long-term needs, and then they should discuss these needs with their Florida injury lawyers when taking legal action.

6. Loss of Earnings

Along with out-of-pocket costs, traumatic back injuries can also lead to loss of earnings in many cases. While some individuals may be able to continue earning a living despite their back injuries, others may have no choice but to exit the workforce. Others may be able to work in a limited capacity, but even this can have a substantial impact on their lifetime earnings. Again, when making a decision about whether to take legal action, it is important to consider not only the losses you are currently facing but also the losses you will face in the future.

7. Permanent Scarring and Disfigurement

Accident-related trauma resulting in back injuries can also lead to permanent scarring and disfigurement. This includes scarring due to necessary surgical procedures and skeletal muscle atrophy due to paralysis. Accident victims who have claims for their back injuries are entitled to compensation for these non-financial costs above and beyond the costs of their medical treatment.

8. Chronic Pain and Suffering

Accident victims who have claims for their back injuries are also entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering. For many victims, the pain and suffering caused by their back injuries will last a lifetime. Here too, this is compensation above and beyond the costs of necessary medical care, including the costs of pain medications and therapy.

9. Emotional Distress and Trauma

Emotional distress and emotional trauma are common consequences of suffering a life-altering injury in a serious accident. These are also classified as non-financial costs for which financial compensation is available under Florida law. If you find yourself dealing with these consequences, you should be sure to get the treatment you need, and you should be sure to discuss your treatment needs with your lawyer.

10. Loss of Consortium, Companionship, and Enjoyment of Life

From living with chronic pain to living with the life-altering consequences of paralysis, traumatic back and spinal cord injuries can have many other non-financial consequences as well. For example, accident victims commonly experience loss of consortium, loss of companionship, and loss of enjoyment of life—and these are also losses for which financial compensation is often available.

Contact the Florida Injury Lawyers at Searcy Denney

If you, your spouse, or another close loved one has suffered a traumatic back or spinal cord injury in a serious accident, we strongly encourage you to contact us for more information. To discuss your legal rights with one of our experienced Florida injury lawyers in confidence, please call 800-780-8607 or request a free consultation online today.