If you have suffered a serious injury such as a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, you and your family will have to face a lifetime of additional expenses and challenges to daily living. A life care plan can be an invaluable tool for identifying and assessing these challenges and costs, so that you can plan, prepare and be ready for these challenges as they arise. A life care plan can also be critical in proving your damages to an insurance company during settlement negotiations, or to jury at trial, to ensure that you are compensated for all of the costs associated with your injury.
Think of a life care plan as a roadmap for your future living needs. It should cover all the major areas in which you may need assistance, including:
Healthcare – periodic doctor visits, including tests and labs; procedures to deal with common complications, such as maintaining medical devices or treating infections; and medications
Housing – modifications to make the home more accessible; chair lifts and beds; special housing or nursing facilities; home healthcare, caregiver, or respite care for a family member caregiver
Mobility/Transportation – manual or motorized wheelchairs; modified vehicles or vans
Psychosocial – psychological or psychiatric care or counseling to adapt to changes or for future crisis management
Rehabilitation – occupational therapy, speech therapy, or other forms of therapy depending upon your disability
Necessary equipment and supplies throughout your lifetime, including repair and replacement and consumables
A life care plan can be developed by a life care planner, a certified case manager, a physiatrist, or other professional responsible for managing yor overall care and welfare. Consulting other experts such as occupational therapists, counselors and psychologists, and economists, may be helpful in drafting a comprehensive plan. Will you benefit from a life care plan? Your attorney will let you know if one is beneficial in maximizing your financial recovery, and your physician or other health care provider should be able to help determine whether such a plan should be developed for your case management and future needs. Contact the Law Offices of Steven L. Martin if you have any questions or need legal assistance concerning a serious personal injury.