After suffering a spinal cord injury, it can be a very trying and difficult time. The victim will have to come to terms with what has happened in both physical and emotional terms. Not only will medical care need to be determined for the future but there may need to be legal remedies to be discussed. This is why a spinal cord injury attorney in Des Moines, IA should be contacted before plans are formulated.
Raw Numbers
On an annual basis, 11,000 Americans will suffer a spinal cord injury. All across the country, almost 200,000 people live with a debilitating long-term injury resulting from spinal cord damage. While spinal cord injuries can certainly be fatal, they are usually not. Unfortunately, 52% of spinal cord injury survivors will become paraplegic, and nearly 47% will become quadriplegic. These are the disturbing numbers which society must live with. Males are far more likely to suffer from spinal cord injury, and African Americans are more susceptible to spinal cord injuries than European Americans.
Costs of the Injury
Just over half of all persons who suffer a spinal cord injury are covered by private health insurance at the time the injury takes place. If the injury is the fault of someone or something else, then it would be wise to contact a spinal cord injury attorney in Des Moines, IA. In the first year alone, the costs a paraplegic will incur will exceed $150,000. The costs that a quadriplegic will bear in the future will easily exceed $400,000.
Life Expectancy
Unfortunately, the life expectancy of spinal cord injury victims is somewhat lower than those who have not suffered such injuries. In the event of such an injury, the mortality rates are at their highest during the first year. They gradually drop in the preceding years. The most common causes of secondary fatal complications come from renal failure, septicemia, and pneumonia.
Visit lldd.net if somebody or their loved ones has suffered a spinal cord injury. An attorney may be able to help with any filing of cases against the person who is thought to be at fault. Let a professional cut through the bureaucracy and red tape involved in getting justice.
