When an accident occurs because of a person’s negligence, any victim may be entitled to financial compensation. If you were hurt and are dealing with a personal injury case, you may wonder whether future medical expenses can be included in your damages. If your injury is expected to last past the resolution of your case or even the rest of your life, you can be compensated for your anticipated costs. Speak with a Bergen County injury lawyer and read on for more information and legal representation.
What Are Future Medical Expenses?
Future medical expenses, in terms of personal injury law, are any medical costs that a victim has not yet incurred but will in the months and years following the conclusion of an injury case. Depending on the type and severity of the accident, the injury may be long-lasting or even permanent. Just because the case is resolved does not mean that the victim should bear the sole responsibility of paying for the medical costs they incur as time goes on.
Future medical costs can include the following and more.
- Ongoing treatment
- Surgeries
- Hospital visits
- Doctor appointments
- Medication
- Modifications to the house or car to accommodate disability
- Testing
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Counseling
The above and more will all add up over the years and could put the victim into debt. It is crucial that these costs are considered during a personal injury case.
Do Future Medical Expenses Get Considered in a Personal Injury Case?
Yes, future medical expenses are an important part of a personal injury case. Without calculating the future costs a victim will incur, they will be left to cover the expenses on their own. When a person is injured due to another individual’s negligence it is not fair for them to bear the burden of funding their medical costs.
If appropriately calculated, future medical expenses can be added to a victim’s total compensation at the end of a personal injury case.
How Are Future Medical Expenses Calculated?
Although it is impossible to know for sure the amount of medical costs a person will accrue in the future, the number can be estimated with relative accuracy. The first step in adding up a person’s future medical expenses is creating a care plan.
The care plan details the individual’s needs including ongoing treatments, modifications to their home, and more. The doctor and other medical professionals can contribute to this plan and outline exactly how the individual’s healing process will go and the changes they need to make in their life.
Once a clear outline of the care plan has been made, numeric values can be assigned to each portion. Accurate costs can be calculated with the help of experienced medical professionals as well as economic experts. Financial planners, analysts, economists, and more can assess the value of each line item and how it may change in the years to come.
