You have the right to seek damages for any injuries you suffer in an accident caused by someone else. These damages may include the cost of your medical treatment and any other expenses because of the accident. Cost of medical treatments, lost wages, and damage to property, constitute past expenses. These are easy to calculate if you keep a record of the money you have spent after suffering injuries in an accident.
However, many injuries need prolonged care that may continue even after the litigation is over. In that scenario, you must list both the past as well as future expenses.
Establishing the Need for Future Medical Expenses in an Injury Claim
The injuries you suffered in an accident may call for treatments that continue long after the litigation ends. It is easy to calculate and demand compensation for medical bills already paid by you during your treatment. However, you need a different approach to seek or receive compensation for future medical costs.
To claim damages for future medical costs you may need to prove that your injuries require long-term medical care. These future expenses may include essential and justifiable health care costs to treat the injuries caused by someone’s negligence.
Recovering damages for future medical expenses cannot be an exercise based on speculation. It requires written testimonies from your physicians and healthcare providers, stating that your injuries need long-term medical care. There also need to be sufficient details to enable a rough estimate of the cost of future care.
Defendants and insurance companies may challenge future medical claims because of the speculation inherent to such claims. You, as a plaintiff, should be able to prove the necessity of a future course of treatment. You will also need to present a feasible estimation of the probable medical and other costs.
Our personal injury attorneys in Virginia can help you build up a case to seek compensation for future expenses resulting from your accident if there is sufficient proof that your injuries require extended medical treatment.
How to Determine the Future Medical Expenses
Some of the future medical costs for treatment of personal injuries resulting from an accident are related to:
- Tests and diagnostic scans
- Medication prescribed by the physicians
- Hospital costs
- Follow-up and reconstructive surgeries
- Follow-up visits with health care providers
- Physical rehabilitation and therapies
- Caregivers for in-house care
- Home alteration for in-house care
- Medical equipment and apparatus
Apart from the types of treatments, there are several other factors to keep in mind while calculating compensation for future expenses in a personal injury case. The plaintiff’s health at the time of the accident is one such marker.
Also, any pre-existing condition has chances of being aggravated because of the injuries. Knowing the extent and the exact nature of the injuries as well as the level of recovery at the present stage is also important. Plaintiff’s age and life expectancy play a big role in estimating the future medical costs.
The cost of medical treatment borne till now, and the amount of assistance and healthcare the plaintiff will need in the near future can also help the attorneys arrive at an estimate of compensation they need to seek for their client.
Established Ways of Determining Future Medical Expenses
Trying to evaluate and come up with an estimate for a future expense is not easy. Determining the type of treatment needed in the future and its probable cost in the future, is a complicated process.
Because of the complications in determining the amount of compensation in such cases, it is advisable to work with an experienced personal injury attorney. A personal injury attorney will, typically, calculate the future medical expenses with one of these two established ways:
Total Lifestyle
This approach is generally applied to cases where the victim suffers severe life-altering injuries and cannot continue living independently. Severe brain or spinal cord damage leading to paralysis fall under this category.
Such cases need testimonies of doctors and health care providers with expertise in specialized areas of medicine and health care.
Additional Expenses
This approach needs your attorney to look at only the precise costs relating to your injuries. They may seek compensation for current and future medical bills, future surgeries, medical equipment, and other related expenses.
Though these injuries will require substantial treatment in the future, they are not so debilitating as to threaten the entire future lifestyle of the victim.
How Medical Experts Can Help
The testimony of physicians and health care experts is crucial for your attorney to be able to seek and win maximum damages. The doctors who are treating you may be called upon to provide details of your injuries, your ongoing treatment, and your future medical needs. Experts in fields such as life-care planning, can come up with an estimate of the expenses keeping inflation in mind.
Talk to an Experienced Virginia Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries in an accident caused by another driver, contact our expert Virginia personal injury attorneys. The attorneys at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp understand the physical and financial disruption these types of injuries can cause for victims and their families.
Our attorneys will fight for maximum compensation for your injuries involving long-term medical care. Call (833) 997-1774 or contact our Virginia personal injury lawyers online and schedule a free and confidential consultation today.
References:
https://www.hsinjurylaw.com/library/suffering-a-cervical-spine-injury-in-a-virginia-accident.cfm
https://www.hsinjurylaw.com/library/questions-to-ask-when-choosing-an-attorney.cfm