Life Care Expenses After a Catastrophic Injury

Catastrophic injuries differ from run-of-the-mill injuries in several ways; one of the biggest differences is the need for continued care after a catastrophic injury. The effects of a catastrophic injury on a person’s life may be temporary or lifelong, and it is important that the likely duration of the injury be heavily considered when building a case. If you or a loved one suffered a catastrophic injury as the result of another party’s negligence, reach out to a personal injury attorney to discuss your option for physical and financial recovery—both now and in the future.

Potential damages in a catastrophic injury case may include:

• Past, present, and future medical bills
• Past, present, and future loss wages
• Impairment of earning capacity
• Loss of chosen profession
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of care and companionship
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Life care expenses

All or some of the above damages may be compensable depending on the injury case. If a catastrophic injury leads to someone’s death, funeral and burial expenses may be compensable in a wrongful death claim in addition to the damages above. Life care expenses can encompass a wide range of services necessary for a person to maintain the same quality of life they experienced before the accident, and will likely take an experienced personal injury attorney to identify.

Life care expenses can vary widely, but may include the following:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Recreational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Medication
• Ongoing medical care
• Mobility aids
• In-home care aids
• Home mobility renovations
• Predicted surgeries

Every catastrophic injury case is different, and the needs of one injury victim will vary widely from the next. This is why it’s important to reach out to an expert who can help evaluate the specific needs of an individual case to ensure that any likely or potential future expenses a person will experience due to their injury are compensated in advance.

Life care expenses can be hard to both identify and calculate alone.

It’s important to reach out to a personal injury attorney if you suspect your own or a loved one’s catastrophic injury will result in the need for life care expenses. These attorneys have access to the life care planning experts necessary to identify the likely life care expenses a person will need. This ensures that an injured person does not suddenly run out of funds for the care they need 10 or 15 years down the road; an unfortunately common occurrence with those who settle without first talking to an experienced personal injury attorney.

One of the best parts about hiring a personal injury attorney to evaluate, build, and file your claim is the lack of cost; these attorneys offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis. This means an injured person does not need to worry about paying for the attorney’s services or related fees unless they win their case, at which point the attorney would simply take a percentage of the winnings. This allows the injured person and their loved ones to focus on healing and recovery rather than worrying about one more bill to pay.

To learn more about life care expenses after a catastrophic injury or for help filing a claim, reach out to a personal injury attorney.