Life Care Plans for Birth-Injured Infants

If you have a child who suffered an injury at birth, you understand the high care costs you need to keep him or her comfortable. Birth injuries can happen during labor and delivery or due to medical malpractice during the pregnancy. Depending on the birth injury, your child may suffer from cognitive and physical disabilities. You may need to provide special accommodations in your home, purchase mobility equipment, and invest in multiple medical treatments, such as physical therapy, speech therapy, medications, and regular doctor’s appointments.

These costs can add up significantly over the course of a child’s lifetime. If you are filing a birth injury lawsuit to cover these expenses, it can be difficult to calculate future costs. A birth injury attorney in Seattle can help you determine what you’ll need going forward. Drafting a life care plan can help you determine what the financial costs for the medical, educational, and miscellaneous expenses will be for the rest of your child’s life.

What Is a Life Care Plan?

A life care plan is a legal document that you draft in conjunction with a number of medical professionals and financial specialists. Together, you and your team will decide what types of treatments your child will require over the course of his or her life to live the most comfortable and healthy life possible. During the process of drafting this document, you and the experts will determine the estimated costs for your child’s needs. These needs will include rehabilitation, medical, and educational expenses.

In addition, the financial experts on the life care plan team will predict the rate of inflation associated with these costs over time. As a result, you will receive an accurate estimate for your child’s associated costs and needs over time, so you and your family do not face additional financial hardships while raising your child. In most cases, you will take your life care plan to your birth injury attorney to ensure that the individuals responsible for your child’s injuries pay for those injuries and long-term damages.

One thing to remember about the life care plan is that it is not only an exact calculation of your child’s care needs. This document also defines the cost that the person responsible for your child’s injuries placed on your family. The primary responsibility of the life care plan is to ensure that your child receives the care he or she needs over the course of his or her life.

What Do You Have to Include in a Life Care Plan?

When you create the life care plan, you and your team will need to plan for certain specific costs to treat your child. These items will include both infant and child-related expenses, as well as care into adulthood. You include medical, educational, and rehabilitative costs in the life care plan. You and your team may want to include the following costs in your child’s life care plan.

  • Educational expenses for your child, including specialized schools and higher education costs
  • Adaptive equipment, mobility technology, and toys your child may need to move comfortably
  • In-home caretaker expenses
  • Applicable therapies, such as occupational, speech, and physical therapies
  • A list of potential medical procedures your child may need throughout his or her life
  • Modifications to your home, such as ramps, handrails, and stairlifts
  • Transportation costs for you and your child
  • A list of the physicians and medical professionals that take care of your child

In addition, you can include costs for you and your spouse in your life care plan, such as respite care, lost wages, and any other special modifications. You will also include additional information such as lifelong goals for your child. For example, you may include special education milestones, physical therapy milestones, and general developmental milestones over the course of his or her life.

Your personal injury lawyer will have the resources necessary to connect you with life care plan professionals. With your Seattle injury attorney’s assistance, you and your team can begin building this crucial plan. If you have not yet contacted a Seattle birth injury lawyer, contact the Washington Injury Law team today.