Securing Compensation for Future Medical Expenses in Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury is one of those things no one likes to think about. It is an unfair and traumatizing experience that many Americans go through. But with compensation through a personal injury lawsuit, victims can breathe a sigh of relief. 

Still, ask yourself this: What medical costs will compensation cover? The immediate ones? How about future medical expenses? 

The trial may last six months, even if you have a good firm like OnderLaw, but your treatment plan may continue for years afterward, especially if you sustained serious injuries like severe burns. Will the compensation cover these expenses? Read on to find out. 

Why Future Medical Expenses Should Concern You

Let’s take an example of a workplace incident where an innocent worker suffered third-degree burns due to chemical spillage or even a fire. Common wisdom dictates that the treatment will take months or even years as the body naturally needs time to repair the skin cells. 

In such a scenario, the immediate treatment may focus on pain management, wound cleaning, and fluid replacement. The following months may involve preparation for skin grafting and other surgeries. Post-surgical care may require frequent medical visits up to the first year. Finally, long-term rehabilitation and scar management can take years. 

So, who takes care of these bills after the trial is concluded? The court can direct the at-fault party to settle your future medical expenses. But you have to offer a compelling case supported by hard evidence. 

How To Calculate Future Medical Expenses

“I need compensation for future medical expenses because my wounds are severe and they may need treatment in multiple stages,” is what you would say if life were a fairy tale where everything was plain as day. 

But it just doesn’t work that way. 

You must convince the court that you need future medical expe

nses through testimonies from expert witnesses. They must tell the court in good faith and under penalty of perjury the treatments that you will need and how much they will cost. 

But how?  

One of the most popular paths to follow when calculating future medical expenses is a life care plan. It is ideal for victims who have suffered permanent impairments due to personal injury. Here is how it works: In a life care plan, experts determine the victim’s future expenses based on their current condition. 

Once done, they will assign a monetary value to these requirements, which is presented to the court. But sometimes, victims can simply list the procedures their doctor thinks they will need and their costs. In such cases, it is best to have the doctor testify as an expert witness. 

Why You Need an Attorney

If you haven’t figured it out by this point, securing compensation for future medical expenses by yourself is an exercise in futility. 

“For your claim to prove successful, you must hire expert witnesses in various fields like medicine and even law enforcement,” says Attorney Jim Onder of OnderLaw. Their informed opinion may sway the court in your favor. That said, the witnesses you need may include doctors, life care plan experts, vocational rehabilitation experts, and other professionals. 

Look at it this way: As a regular individual, figuring out which expert witness you need and how to hire them can be challenging. And that’s why you need help from an attorney who has previously handled cases like yours. They may have hired an expert witness for their past clients, giving them the experience needed to handle these situations with skill. As they always say, time is a wonderful teacher.  

Your lawyer will look for ideal expert witnesses, interview them, and prepare them for the stand. 

Who Will Pay the Expert Witnesses?

You already have the medical expenses stressing you. Adding this bill may overwhelm your finances. However, if your attorney works on a contingency basis, you don’t have to worry. The lawyer’s firm will cover all the legal expenses and recover from your winnings should the claim be successful. 

So you see, working with an attorney when seeking compensation for future medical expenses is the best possible path forward.

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