The spinal cord, a pathway between the brain and body, is a vital component in virtually every aspect of daily life. Unfortunately, it is also easily damaged in many types of accidents. That being the case, any type of spinal cord injury (SCI) can have a devastating effect on victims for the rest of their lives.
Sadly, there is no way to truly repay SCI victims for the long-term or permanent changes to their lives. However, when clients sustain SCI due to the negligence of other individuals, a good Charlotte spinal cord injury attorney will recognize that the ability to accurately predict future costs is just as important as proving liability. This is what life care planning is all about.
Victims Can Pursue a Range of Expenses Related to Their Injuries
Personal injury cases focus on pursuing all expenses that injury victims incur. These costs extend well beyond basic medical care, including physical therapy, nursing care, and even the costs of hiring someone to care for the home and meet other responsibilities during recovery.
Whether a claim is settled in or out of court, lawyers can forecast the future costs relatively easily for typical claims. However, clients in Charlotte and elsewhere in North Carolina should work with spinal cord injury attorneys who have special resources to accurately predict expenses for long-term or permanent injuries.
Long-term Care for SCI Victims is Expensive
Spinal Cord Injury Facts and Figures at a Glance, published by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, cites the following alarming statistics pertaining to SCI-related health care and living expenses:
- In the first year, average living expenses range from $340,787 to $1,044,197.
- Each subsequent year’s expenses range from $41,393 to $181,328.
- Lifetime costs for an individual injured at age 50 range from $1,092,521 to $2,546,294.
- Lifetime costs for a person injured at age 25 range from $1,547,858 to $4,633,137.
With every situation being unique, no case can be resolved based on these general estimates. Any insurance company, judge, or jury requires the financial backup to prove every dollar of anticipated expenses.
Effective Life Care Plans Document Future Expenses
Whether the compensation is determined by insurance claims adjusters, judges or jurors, they require well-documented, convincing details to decide the value of a life settlement or award. Well-constructed life care plans must look at every aspect of a victim’s future life, such as (but certainly not limited to) the following:
- All expenses related to anticipated medical care and treatment needs
- Medication and supply costs
- The costs of hiring nursing and home care personnel
- Costs related to home renovations to accommodate special needs
Producing this kind of detailed information requires lawyers to use respected medical resources that can back up every number.
Even a Detailed Life Care Plan is Just One Part of Comprehensive Legal Support
Understand that an effective spinal cord injury claim includes other types of expenses — most notably, the costs of lost income opportunities due to disability. A Charlotte spinal cord injury attorney at Brown Moore and Associates, PLLC can assess all losses sustained by our clients. We will guide you through every step of the legal process so you can focus on your physical recovery.
Call us at 800-948-0577 or use our convenient online contact form to learn more about our comprehensive legal services.
