Life Care Planning in Medical Malpractice Claims

Life care planning is a prediction of the medical and medically related needs and costs of an individual with a catastrophic condition for the remainder of the individual’s life. A life care planner will work with treating physicians and examine past medical records to examine a case and recommend services, treatments, and equipment for the patient, all in an effort to project that patient’s needs and costs of future care.

Factors such as aging and life expectancy are taken into consideration, as is the patient’s support system. The overarching goals of a life care plan are to ease the burden of the patient’s illness or injury, foster quality of life, and address possible complications before they happen.

Life expectancy plays a large role in life care plans and their use. After all, a life care plan is intended to predict medical (and other) costs for a patient for the remainder of his or her life.

Once a life care plan is completed—often after examining the patient and his or her support system—it can then be used as evidence of the patient’s projected needs.

In medical malpractice cases, attorneys, insurance companies and physicians will often utilize a life care planner to research and develop a life care plan for patients with catastrophic injuries or illnesses such as spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, severe trauma, and brain injury. The life care plan is then used during the litigation process.

Archuleta, Alsaffar & Higginbotham handles all types of military medical malpractice cases arising from Military and VA Veterans Administration medical care, including birth injuries, surgical mistakes, misdiagnosis and failure to diagnose cases. If you believe you or someone close to you has been injured by Veterans Administration malpractice or Military Medical Malpractice, contact a military medical malpractice lawyer at Archuleta, Alsaffar & Higginbotham today at 1-800-798-9529 or visit www.govtclaim.com for a free consultation.