A life care plan documents every service a catastrophically injured person will require over their lifetime: physician care, therapy, medication, equipment and its replacement cycles, attendant care, home modification, and transportation. Each item specifies frequency, duration, and unit cost.
It is prepared by a certified life care planner, usually a nurse or rehabilitation professional, working from the medical record and treating provider recommendations.
Alternative Names:
Life Care Planning, Future Care Plan
Why it Matters?
In catastrophic injury cases the life care plan is usually the largest damages component, and it is built from assumptions rather than incurred costs. Productive defense critique targets whether each service was actually recommended by a treating provider, whether frequency and replacement cycles are supportable, whether costs reflect regional rather than national pricing, and whether items duplicate one another. Attacking the plan is more effective than attacking the economist who prices it.
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Frequently asked questions
Who prepares a life care plan?
What are the most productive lines of attack?
