Georgia Injury Law Blog
Uninsured or under-insured patients, who have suffered spinal cord injuries due to auto accident or other traumatic events, may be much more likely to be taken off life support.
A recent study measured the impact of insurance coverage on the survival and recovery of persons after a spinal cord injury. The study focused on more than 8,400 American adults who had suffered a spinal cord injury, and found that uninsured or under-insured patients were much more likely to be taken off life support much earlier than those with insurance.
Spinal cord injuries are often caused in auto accidents, trucking accidents and motorcycle accidents. These are not just devastating personal injuries with long-term consequences, but are also extremely expensive personal injuries to treat. The costs involved in treating spinal cord injuries can range between $95,000 to well above $1,000,000, depending on the complexity or level of the injury. Spinal cord injuries very often can result in paralysis, which in turn, can lead to a number of other effects on a person’s health.
The researchers focused on a group of 8,400 patients, who were all above the age of 16 years at the time of suffering the head trauma that resulted in their hospitalization. The majority of these patients were male. The study found that approximately 49% of patients without health insurance were taken off life support over the study period, compared to those who had private medical insurance. They also had staggering fatality rates after the personal injury, with uninsured patients being approximately 98% more likely to die from their injuries over the study period.
For people who were on Medicare and other types of public insurance, the rates fell somewhere between the rates for those with private insurance and no insurance at all. Overall, persons who had private medical insurance were much more likely to have better recovery prospects, compared to those with no insurance or public insurance. They benefited from longer stays in the hospital, and were also much less likely to suffer complications in the hospital.
According to the researchers, the study’s findings point to a clear disparity in outcomes for persons who have suffered a spinal injury based on the type of insurance that the person has at the time of the personal Injury. Other studies on the treatment of spinal injuries and other catastrophic injuries have also pointed to the need for better decision -making protocols before taking persons off life support, and underscore that very often persons after these personal injuries may be taken off life support much earlier than would have been recommended for the patient.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered serious injuries like spinal injuries injuries in auto accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages including medical costs, lost income and other forms of damages. Talk to a car accident lawyer at our firm and discuss your case. Initial consultations are free.