How Our San Diego Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Uses Life Care Plans to Prove Future Damages in Personal Injury Cases

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and spinal cord injuries are among the most devastating outcomes of serious accidents. The physical, emotional, and financial consequences often last a lifetime. If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury due to someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your current and future medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

As an experienced San Diego catastrophic injury lawyer, Mark C. Blane understands the importance of securing full compensation for clients facing a lifetime of challenges after a personal injury accident. A comprehensive life care plan is one critical tool we’ll use to fight for the damages you’re entitled to under California law. Here, we explore what life care plans include and how they help ensure you have the resources you need for ongoing care and support if you or a family member has suffered a catastrophic TBI or spinal cord injury.

What Are the Causes of Life-Altering Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries? 

An individual’s negligence often causes devastating TBIs and spinal cord injuries in a personal injury accident. Our catastrophic injury lawyer finds that these life-altering injuries often result from:

• Car accidents
• Truck crashes
• Motorcycle wrecks 
• Bicycle accidents 
• Pedestrian accidents
• Dog attacks
• Child injury accidents

What Life-Long Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury Could You Suffer After a Personal Injury Accident?

TBIs are caused by a jolt to the head or an object penetrating the skull. You might not experience any symptoms for days or weeks after your accident. However, you could suffer devastating, wide-ranging effects that dramatically change your life. Symptoms can include:

• Cognitive impairments affecting memory, attention, and decision-making
• Personality changes and mood disorders
• Sensory processing issues
• Speech and language difficulties
• Mobility limitations
• Chronic pain

You may no longer be able to work and care for your daily needs. The lifetime costs of living with a severe TBI can easily reach millions of dollars. 

How Could a Spinal Cord Injury Impact Your Life?

Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are among the most devastating types of catastrophic injuries. When the spinal cord is damaged, it disrupts communication between the brain and body, leading to many physical, emotional, and social challenges that can last a lifetime.

The severity and location of the injury along the spinal column determine the extent of paralysis and other symptoms. SCIs are generally classified as:

• Tetraplegia (quadriplegia): Paralysis affecting all four limbs and the torso
• Paraplegia: Paralysis affecting the legs and lower body

Depending on whether the injury is complete or incomplete, you may experience varying degrees of sensory and motor function loss below the level of injury.

Common long-term symptoms and limitations associated with paralysis that you could experience include:

• Loss of mobility and sensation
• Impaired bladder and bowel control
• Sexual dysfunction
• Chronic pain
• Muscle spasms and contractures
• Pressure sores
• Respiratory complications
• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
• Depression and anxiety

If you become paralyzed, you may need extensive modifications to your home, vehicle, and daily routines. You will also require ongoing medical care, rehabilitation, and daily assistance to maintain your health and independence. 

According to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, you could incur $1,064,716 in medical and living expenses during the first year of a high tetraplegia injury and at least $184,891 in subsequent years. This is why it is essential that you receive the maximum future compensation from the negligent party and their insurance company to cover your long-term medical and other needs.

How Will a Life Care Plan Help Ensure You Can Receive the Future Medical Care You Need?

You and your family can find it challenging to cope with a TBI or spinal cord injury after a personal injury accident.  One way our catastrophic injury lawyer will ensure that you receive the full value of your personal injury claim is to work with experts to create a life plan for you.

A life care plan is a detailed document that outlines all the medical and non-medical services you’ll need due to your injury. It serves as a roadmap for ensuring you receive all necessary care and can maintain the highest possible quality of life.

The life care planning process involves a thorough assessment of your current and future needs by a team of medical, rehabilitation, and financial experts. This interdisciplinary team typically includes:

• Physicians and specialists
• Nurses
• Therapists (physical, occupational, speech)
• Psychologists
• Case managers
• Economists

Together, they consider factors such as:

• Diagnosis and prognosis
• Recommended treatments and therapies
• Medication requirements
• Medical equipment and supplies
• Home modifications for accessibility
• In-home care or facility placement
• Transportation needs
• Educational and vocational accommodations

In addition, your team will regularly update the plan to reflect changes in your condition, medical treatment, and economic needs.

How Our Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Will Use a Life Care Plan to Prove Your Damages 

A life care plan is essential evidence that we’ll use to pursue the maximum recovery in your settlement. It will help us prove the extensive challenges and expenses you will face. Here are ways our dedicated catastrophic injury lawyer will use a life plan to convince the insurance company to pay you the compensation you need and deserve.

#1: Calculating Economic Damages

The life care plan provides a solid foundation for calculating economic damages, encompassing all the direct financial losses associated with the injury. These may include:

• Past and future medical bills
• Lost wages and earning capacity
• Costs of ongoing care and therapy
• Expenses for adaptive equipment and home modifications

The life care plan itemizes these costs and projects them over your life expectancy, helping ensure that the compensation sought is sufficient to meet your long-term financial needs.

#2: Demonstrating Non-Economic Losses

In addition to economic damages, you could experience significant non-economic losses, such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium (for spouses)

While these intangible losses can be more challenging to quantify, the life care plan can help illustrate the profound ways in which the injury has impacted your quality of life and support your claims for non-economic damages. 

#3: Strengthening Settlement Negotiations

Armed with a comprehensive life care plan, our catastrophic injury lawyer can more effectively negotiate with the insurance company and their defense counsel. The plan provides concrete evidence of your needs and the associated costs, making it harder for them to minimize or dispute the damages we seek. 

#4: Educating Judges and Juries

If your case goes to trial, the life care plan can be a powerful tool for educating judges and juries about the profound impact of your TBI or spinal cord injury. Through expert testimony and visual aids, our lawyer will walk them through the plan, highlighting the extensive care and support you will require for the rest of your life. This will help the jury understand the importance of awarding the full damages we’re seeking for you.

Let the Law Offices of Mark C. Blane, APC, Secure Your Future After a Catastrophic Injury

If you or someone you love has suffered a catastrophic injury due to another party's negligence, it is crucial to work with our attorney, who understands the long-term financial and emotional challenges you face. As a San Diego catastrophic injury lawyer with over 20 years of experience, Mark C. Blane will help create a comprehensive life care plan that he’ll use to seek the full compensation and justice you deserve. He’s here to listen, guide, and fight for you every step of the way.