Spinal cord injuries currently affect about 250,000 to 400,000 individuals in the U.S. More than 40% of spinal cord injuries result from motor vehicle accidents, but there are other causes. As many as 7,800 new spinal cord injuries occur in the U.S. each year.
The average annual cost of health care and living expenses for a person with a spinal cord injury ranges from the tens of thousands to more than a million dollars, and more than a million for lifetime expenses.
September is National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month.
A spinal cord injury can lead to litigation, and awards or settlements often are very large. Attorneys, physicians, insurers, employers, and other potential parties to litigation need to understand the types of lawsuits and other liability issues that may arise in connection with spinal cord injury litigation.