A catastrophic injury can instantly change someone’s life in multiple ways.
Beyond the pain and trauma, there are overwhelming financial and logistical challenges. Medical bills start piling up, work becomes impossible, and future care needs can stretch for decades.
At Crosley Law, we often hear clients ask:
- “How do I know what my future care will cost?”
- “Will my settlement cover what I need five, 10, or 20 years from now?”
That’s where a life care plan comes in. If you’ve been seriously injured, a life care plan could be one of the most important factors in your personal injury case.
Let’s discuss what a life care plan is, how it’s created, and why it can make or break your financial future after an injury.
What is a life care plan?
A life care plan is a detailed document that outlines all the current and future medical needs and related costs for someone who has suffered a serious, long-term injury.
This is not a rough guess. Life care planning is based on expert evaluation, medical records, and real-world pricing. The goal is to map out the full scope of what you’ll need to live as independently, safely, and comfortably as possible after a life-changing injury.
In personal injury cases, life care plans serve as critical evidence. They help prove the long-term impact of an injury and justify the amount of compensation being requested.
Think of it this way: A car wreck may have left you with a spinal cord injury that requires surgery today. But what about next year’s rehab? Or the specialized van you’ll need in five years? Or the caregiver to help you shower and dress in 10 years?
A life care plan can account for all of it.
RELATED: Recovering medical expenses in your Texas personal injury case
Who prepares a life care plan?
Life care plans are typically created by professionals known as certified life care planners. These individuals often have backgrounds in nursing, rehabilitation, or case management, and they’re trained to:
- Evaluate a person’s medical condition and prognosis
- Work with doctors and specialists
- Research and calculate the costs of care and services
- Write comprehensive, court-ready reports
At Crosley Law, we go a step further and work with physician life care planners. While standard certified life care planners do not necessarily need to be practicing physicians, we believe having an MD with direct experience can be far more persuasive in legal cases.
What does a life care plan include?
A good life care plan is incredibly detailed. It typically includes:
- Medical treatment such as future surgeries, doctor visits, and follow-up care
- Medications including prescription and over-the-counter drugs needed for symptom control or prevention
- Rehabilitation including physical, occupational, speech, or psychological therapy
- Home modifications such as wheelchair ramps, widened doorways, and bathroom alterations.
- Medical equipment including wheelchairs, walkers, prosthetics, and breathing machines
- Transportation via specialized vehicles or transportation services
- In-home care from nurses, aides, or personal care assistants
- Vocational training or job coaching if returning to work is possible
- End-of-life care through Hospice or long-term residential care, when applicable
Each of these items is projected out over the expected lifetime of the individual and assigned a cost based on current and anticipated future prices. The total amount can reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
RELATED: Understanding lost wages and loss of earning capacity after a serious injury
Why a life care plan is so important in catastrophic injury cases
When people think of a personal injury settlement, they often imagine being reimbursed for current medical bills, some lost wages, and maybe a bit for pain and suffering.
But in serious injury cases, that’s not nearly enough.
Let’s say you’ve had a brain injury or spinal cord damage. Your bills for the past few months might total $150,000. But what about your care next year? And the year after that? What about when you’re 50, 60, or 70?
Without a life care plan, the insurance company will fight to undervalue your case. They’ll claim that your treatment is nearly done or that you’re exaggerating your future needs. A life care plan helps shut that down. It shows the full picture and provides hard evidence of what you’ll really need going forward.
It also gives juries something tangible to work with if your case goes to trial. When jurors read a life care plan, they better understand the human cost of a catastrophic injury in a way that medical records alone can’t show.
How are future care costs calculated?
Future costs are estimated based on a combination of:
- Current medical prices
- Inflation rates
- Life expectancy
- The progression of the medical condition
- Regional pricing and availability of services
Life care planners often work alongside economists, who take the raw data and use accepted financial modeling to project how much money the injured person will need to pay for all those services in the future.
This is especially important when your case involves a lump-sum settlement. Once you settle, you can’t go back and ask for more if your care ends up costing more than expected. A well-prepared life care plan gives you the best shot at covering everything you’ll need, both now and in the years to come.
What can affect the validity of a life care plan?
Not all life care plans are created equal. Insurance companies often hire their own experts to dispute the plan or minimize its costs. They might argue:
- The injuries aren’t as severe as claimed
- Some care items are “unnecessary”
- The person’s condition will improve more than expected
- Costs have been inflated
At Crosley Law, we’re ready for those arguments. Our legal team works closely with life care planning experts who use industry standards, rely on medical literature, and can explain their findings clearly and credibly in court. When we present a life care plan, it’s backed by evidence and expert support.
Crosley law helps clients plan for the road ahead
We’ve worked with many clients whose lives were changed in an instant—by a trucking accident, a fall, a vehicle rollover, or some other form of negligence. In cases involving traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, amputations, or other catastrophic outcomes, we know how vital it is to plan for what comes next.
Tom Crosley and our legal team have decades of experience helping clients recover not just for their past pain, but for their future needs. We fight to make sure insurance companies and at-fault parties are held accountable for the full impact of your injuries.
CLIENT STORY: A life-changing settlement after a catastrophic crane accident: Matt D.’s story
If you’ve suffered a serious injury, we’re here for you
If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury, don’t settle for less than what your future demands. Reach out to Crosley Law today. We’ll connect you with the right experts, build a strong case backed by facts, and help ensure your life care needs are fully and fairly covered.
Call us at (210) 529-3000 or fill out our contact form to schedule your free consultation.
The information in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For personalized guidance, speak to a qualified attorney.
