Why car insurance fails those with spinal cord injuries

Vehicle collisions occur every day in North Carolina, and most of them just cause property damage. Some cause minor to moderate injuries. Unfortunately, a handful of crashes will result in serious injuries to the people in one or more of the vehicles involved. Some crashes even kill people.

Spinal cord injuries are among the most debilitating and life-altering injuries that someone can suffer in a car crash. Unfortunately, the more serious an injury is, the more likely the costs are to exceed the insurance coverage available.

North Carolina drivers don’t always have enough coverage for major injuries

Some people drive around without an active insurance policy on their vehicle. Even those who do have coverage may not have nearly enough if they cause a crash that leaves someone with permanent medical consequences.

The state only requires $30,000 worth of medical coverage for a crash with one person hurt and $60,000 in total for a crash where multiple people get hurt. That amount may fall woefully short of what you need during your recovery. It may not even cover your hospital bills for your emergency trauma care, let alone the lifetime impact of a spinal cord injury.

A spinal cord injury will cost you thousands of dollars a year for the rest of your life

Spinal cord injuries have many different degrees of severity. An incomplete injury, for example, may present an opportunity for recovery. A complete spinal cord injury severs the spinal cord and has no known cure at this time. The location of the spinal cord injury and its severity will directly impact how much it costs you.

You could incur over $1,000,000 in expenses and lost income in the first year after a spinal cord injury. You will likely also have ongoing costs that mean tens of thousands of dollars in financial consequences every year for the rest of your life.

Understanding the financial impact of a spinal cord injury and the limitations of car insurance can help you advocate for yourself after a crash leaves you with a spinal cord injury.