Serious injuries often result in sizable medical expenses that will continue to accumulate after the trial is over. Typical expenses include follow up appointments, future surgeries, future medical care, pharmaceuticals and supplies, replacement of medical devices, and rehabilitation services. It is important to have an expert create a credible life care plan that details future expenses for the jury so that these costs are included in the award.
A life care plan is a document that carefully details all of the future care a client will need and explains how much it will cost. It should be created by an expert who has background and training to understand the medical components of your case. Such experts may include doctors, life care planners, certified nurses and rehabilitation counselors.
A life care plan is an incredible opportunity to build the credibility of your case. A juror is much more likely to award future expenses if he understands why they are needed. By crafting a credible life care plan the plaintiff can explain why expenses will be incurred and justify these costs. However, your life care plan must be credible or you could also destroy the credibility of the claim. Your entire case may be put in jeopardy by bolstering future expenses that are unlikely to occur or are greatly exaggerated. Accordingly, your expert should be prepared to defend every aspect of the plan as reasonable otherwise the jury may suspect foul play. It is my opinion that life care plans should be conservative, erring on the side of caution, so not to create a spell of doubt over a case.
By taking the time to create a detailed and justifiable life care plan you can enhance your case by supporting your underlying claim and building credibility.
