personal injury attorneyIf you or someone close to you is involved in a serious accident that results in traumatic and catastrophic injuries, your life may be turned upside down. We all have plans for our lives, which include fun and exciting things like, marriage, buying a home, having children, vacations or retirement. But, no one ever expects or prepares to deal with devastating and permanent injuries from an accident.

With the cost of health care these days, all your dreams and plans for life could be thrown out the window if you are seriously injured in an accident. With the help of an experienced Massachusetts personal injury attorney and a life care plan, however, you may be able to fulfil your dreams and lead the best life possible.

What is a Life Care Plan?

A life care plan is a comprehensive report that is used as evidence by plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits that involve traumatic and catastrophic injuries caused by someone else’s negligence.

The plan provides a thorough and detailed projection of future medical needs, costs and expenses the injured plaintiff will require, typically for the remainder of his or her life. It addresses reasonably anticipated medical requirements, such as the potential need for future surgeries, anticipated therapy needs and costs, expected diagnostic testing, prescription and nonprescription medications, and potential home care cost or facility costs. 

How is a Life Care Plan Used in Personal Injury Cases

In Massachusetts, when someone is injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, such as a motor vehicle accident, the injured party is entitled to fair compensation for the injuries suffered. Damages often include an amount of money to compensate the injured party for medical bills, lost wages or diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering. A settlement or jury award generally include compensation for the damages already sustained.

What is sometimes overlooked is harm or losses that are reasonably likely to be suffered in the future. A settlement or jury award should include damages reasonably likely to occur in the future. In personal injury lawsuits, to recover for reasonably foreseeable future medical needs and treatment, the plaintiff should offer expert testimony. This is where a life care planner comes in.

A life care planner is an expert that evaluates the plaintiff’s injuries, medical records and many other aspects of the injured person’s life and treatment in order to prepare a life care plan. The life care plan is used by experienced injury lawyers to establish accurate and foreseeable long term medical needs and requirements for the injuries suffered by the plaintiff in an accident. A life care plan and expert testimony will allow juries and insurance companies to better understand the long-term effects of catastrophic injuries and the related economic damages.

For example, where a child or adult sustains a catastrophic injury, a catastrophic life care plan is one of the key tools utilized in advocating and planning for a client’s future life. The costs are projected over the course of the individual’s lifetime based upon the individual’s unique needs as well as accepted professional standards of care. With the help of a life care plan, a settlement or a jury verdict can include the costs of future medical needs. This way, the plaintiff can recover compensation in his or her personal injury case to cover the future costs and expenses, so they can lead the best life possible and work toward fulfilling they life dreams.

Remember, in a personal injury lawsuit or claim, once a settlement is reached or a jury returns a verdict at trial, the case is over. You do not, generally, get a second chance to ask for additional compensation. So, make sure you get the compensation you are entitled to before you finalize your case.

A Massachusetts Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve

The Framingham personal injury attorneys at Mahaney & Pappas, LLP work with many experts, including life care planners, to establish the damages their clients have suffered in accidents caused by someone else. We do this to make sure our clients get the fair and reasonable financial compensation they deserve for their injuries.

If you have been seriously injured in an accident, you deserve to be fairly compensated for your injuries and damages. You shouldn’t settle for less.  To schedule your free case evaluation, feel free to call us at (508) 879-3500 or contact us online. We offer contingent fee agreements on accident cases, which means you don’t pay us anything unless and until we get you the money you deserve for your injuries.

Charles S. Pappas
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Massachusetts injury lawyer & workers' compensation attorney serving accident victims in Webster & Framingham.