Have you or a family member sustained a spinal cord injury? If the injury was caused because you were needlessly endangered by someone else, please call us – we can help. We have years of experience in representing clients who have had spinal cord injury – from small children to adults, paraplegics to ventilator-dependent quadriplegics – we understand the seriousness of your injury and will work for you in seeking justice and a quality of life post-accident.

Spinal Cord Injury Facts & Statistics

Spinal cord injuries are devastating and life-altering injuries, that affect both the person injured and his or her support system and family. Here are some surprising facts about spinal cord injuries:

Who Do Spinal Cord Injuries Affect in the United States?

• 250,000 Americans have spinal cord injuries
• 52% of spinal cord injured individuals are considered paraplegic and 47% quadriplegic.
• There are approximately 11,000 new injuries each year.
• 82% are male.
• 56% of injuries occur between the ages of 16 and 30.
• The average age of spinal cord injured person is 31.
• Spinal cord injuries are most commonly caused by:
  • Vehicular accidents 37%
  • Violence 28%
  • Falls 21%
  • Sports-related 6%
  • Other 8%
• The most rapidly increasing cause of injuries is due to violence; vehicular accident injuries are decreasing in number.
• 89% of all SCI individuals are discharged from hospitals to a private home, 4.3% are discharged to nursing homes.
• Only 52% of SCI individuals are covered by private health insurance at time of injury.

What Do Spinal Cord Injuries Really Cost?

• Length of initial hospitalization following injury in acute care units: 15 days
• Average stay in rehabilitation unit: 44 days
• Initial hospitalization costs following injury: $140,000
• Average first year expenses for a SCI injury (all groups): $198,000
• First year expenses for paraplegics: $152,000
• First year expenses for quadriplegics: $417,000
• Average lifetime costs for paraplegics, age of injury 25: $428,000
• Average lifetime costs for quadriplegics, age of injury 25: $1.35 million
• Percentage of SCI individuals who are covered by private health insurance at time of injury 52%
• Percentage of SCI individuals unemployed eight years after injury 63%. (Note: unemployment rate when this article was written was 4.7%)

Source: The University of Alabama National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center – March 2002