Work-related spinal cord injuries may impact all areas of your life, from your ability to earn a living to your ability to move about without assistance. In addition to the physical toll spinal cord injuries take, they take a substantial financial one, too, with the final costs associated with your injury varying based on its severity and your age, among other variables.

How do most work-related spinal cord injuries in Arizona occur, and how much might it cost you to treat yours?

Common spinal cord injury causes and types

Work-related spinal cord injuries are often the result of high-impact car crashes. However, they also often result from falls, construction accidents and similar on-the-job events. Per ChristopherReeve.org, spinal cord injuries fall into one of four groups: incomplete tetraplegia, complete tetraplegia, incomplete paraplegia and complete paraplegia.

Average costs associated with treating spinal cord injuries

Your age at the time of your accident should give you a better sense of the estimated lifetime costs of a spinal cord injury. If you experience high tetraplegia at 25 years old, you are looking at paying roughly $4,724,181 for a lifetime of care. If you experience the same thing at age 50, you are looking at closer to $2,596,329 for a lifetime of care.

With a low tetraplegia spinal cord injury experienced at age 25, you should expect to pay about $3,451,781 for a lifetime of care. If you experience the same injury at age 50, plan on paying closer to $2,123,154 for a lifetime of care. The costs associated with paraplegia or incomplete motor function following a spinal cord injury are lower than those associated with tetraplegia. However, they are still well over $1 million for a lifetime of care.