Homer Simpson racked up $143 million in medical bills over the years

We’re not exactly sure when The Simpsons stopped being a satirical depiction of small town living and transitioned into bleakly unachievable American Dream (we’re guessing somewhere between Conan leaving the show and the election of George W. Bush), but man oh man does that sad realization apparently ring true for a lot of us these days. The latest bit of proof of The Simpsons as tragedy? By some estimates, Homer Simpson would have shelled out about $143 million in medical fees for injuries sustained over the course of the show’s 33-seasons-and-counting.

Researchers for the injury attorneys at DTLA Law Group analyzed 50 of the most well-known misfortunes to befall Homer over the past three decades, spanning “multiple broken bones, head injuries, animal attacks and food poisoning.” “The estimated total cost of injuries is $10,107,798, based on 50 episodes of the TV Show,” explains the law firm. “If this were an average medical bill, the total could equate to a staggering $141M over the course of the [series].” That’s 443-times more than the average American’s medical bills.

Now, to be fair, this is a completely fictional, consequence-free animated world we’re talking about here. Obviously a cartoon character predisposed to misfortune will rack up absurd financial numbers like that. And yet, DTLA Law Group also notes five of the most expensive individualized injuries they observed on the show:

• Brain damage: $1,525,500
• Paralysis: $508,904
• Radiation exposure: $150,000
• Skull Fracture: $100,000
• Loss of Consciousness: $80,000

Not to be morbid, but we’d be lying if we said that these injuries are impossible for us. Enduring even one of the maladies without the proper insurance would financially ruin most people, so we’re not sure what this speaks more to: the enduring appeal of Homer Simpson yelping a trademark “D’oh!” or the broken healthcare system we all endure on a daily basis.

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