Life expectancy is an important issue in cases of serious personal injury. This book explains how to calculate life expectancy, and how to avoid common mistakes and misunderstandings. Basic concepts are illustrated with data from studies involving a wide range of conditions, including alcoholism, cerebral palsy, colon cancer, diabetes, and spinal cord injury (tetraplegia). There are also case studies of three of the major topics in life expectancy -- cerebral palsy; traumatic brain injury; and tetraplegia. The chapters are user-friendly, with extensive use of visual aids such as graphs and tables. The subject of epidemiology is at the heart of the methods that are discussed, and additional reading sources are suggested for those readers who would like to learn more about this important area of modern medicine.