If you have been injured in a serious accident and have had surgery or are facing the prospect of surgery, you should strongly consider speaking to an attorney about setting up a claim. Injuries that require surgery are life altering and expensive. You might be surprised about how much money insurance companies are willing to pay to resolve these claims.

I use this case that I settled in 2019 as an example. I had a woman contact me who was detailing cars at a business. It had rained and the business left the garage doors open during the storm. The rain was strong enough that it blew inside on the garage floor. She slipped and fell on the rain water and had to have surgery on her knee. She waited months before contacting me because she never intended to file a claim. In fact, her friend had to convince her to call me in the first place. Once I was retained, I set up a claim and settled it within a few months for $330,000. She was able to get enough money out of the settlement that her husband was able to retire. She was extremely grateful. I use this example because there are many accidents that people may qualify for compensation that they don’t even realize. I encourage everyone to simply contact an attorney to see if there is the possibility of a claim.

What Are the Surgery Statistics After an Accident?

According to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, traumatic injuries account for 150,000 deaths and over 3 million injuries per year. It is the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 45. The cost of these injuries is also staggering. The total lifetime cost of healthcare and lost productivity due to traumatic injuries in the US is over 670 billion. Of this cost, 37% are from fall related injuries and 21% from vehicle accidents. From these injuries from falls, the average cost of a hospital bill is between $30,000-$40,000 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 5% of slip and falls someone breaks a bone. And, approximately 1 million people go to the emergency room each year for a slip and fall injury. Thus, based on these few statistics, it is clear that injuries to Americans is a costly and painful problem in our country.

Common Injuries that Require Surgery

This is not an exclusive list, but is a sample of cases that we have handled in our personal injury practice that require surgery after injury.

• Knee Injuries – this is perhaps the most common type of injury that requires surgery after a slip and fall accident or even car accident. The average surgical cost for a knee replacement is $50,000. This figure does not include the months of physical therapy and rehabilitation following the procedure.
• Spinal Cord/Neck and Back Injuries – injuries requiring surgery to the back and neck are more commonly caused in auto accidents than any other type. Spinal fractures and severe disc herniations require significant medical treatment. A surgery to this area of the body can easily exceed $150,000. The recovery from back and neck surgeries can be long, expensive and painful. Examples of these injuries are spinal cord injuries, herniated discs, compression fractures, or spondylolisthesis (condition when the vertebral body is caused to be misaligned). The symptoms of a spinal injury to the back or neck are severe pain, reduced strength, issues with balance, loss of feeling, muscle spasms, loss of bowel or bladder control, or in extreme cases, paralysis.
• Broken Bones/Fractured Bones – broken or fractured bones are also quite common in personal injury accidents. Fortunately, most do not require surgery. However, in the more serious cases, surgery must be performed. For example, the average cost for a surgery for a broken arm is $16,000. The average bill to repair a hip fracture is $40,000.
• Internal Injuries – internal injuries are more commonly found during high impact collisions, like auto accidents. The type of surgery depends on the injury, but costs can be astronomical. These are life-threatening injuries and must be dealt with seriously.
• Lacerations – lacerations from auto accidents are common, but most do not require surgery. We see many more lacerations from accidents at businesses. Although lacerations are painful, most are treated with stitches, bandages and antibiotics. If the lacerations are deep enough to cause damage to ligaments, veins, arteries or tendons, more invasive surgery is necessary. I have had great success in handling laceration claims because of the pain and scarring.
• Brain/Head Injuries – injuries to the head and brain are the most dangerous that we encounter in the personal injury field. While concussions are common in falls, the majority of head and brain injuries are from auto, truck, and motorcycle accidents. The biggest danger is the existence of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It is estimated that even a mild head injury will result in $85,000 of medical costs, while a severe head or brain injury can reach $3 million in medical costs.

TBIs often occur from rear end collisions. Possible symptoms of a TBI are issues with memory, seizures, slurred speech, problems with focus, ringing in the ears, mood swings, heachaches, or blurred vision. These brain injuries are not easy to correct and require time, medication, or even brain exercises for recovery.

Contact an Accident Injury Attorney

At St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas, we specialize in serious accidents. We understand the toll that an accident can place on a family. We are dedicated to protecting you and your family financially. While we hope that you have not been injured and do not require surgery, the reality is that accidents do happen. We have handled countless injury claims that have resulted in large settlements for our clients. If you have been injured in an accident and would like to discuss the possibility of bringing a claim, please contact us for a free consultation.