Many calculators are built to generate a broad range based on categories (injury level, age, treatment intensity). That can be useful, but it can also mislead—especially when the early story is incomplete.
In SCI cases, insurers frequently focus on:
- Timing and documentation (did symptoms and imaging get recorded promptly?)
- Causation (how doctors link your current neurological condition to the incident)
- Functional impact (what you can’t do now—and what you may not be able to do later)
- Future needs (whether there’s credible support for lifetime care, equipment, and home changes)
If your inputs are guesses—or if your records don’t clearly reflect the full severity—an AI-style number can swing too high or too low.


