for filing a personal injury claim. A personal injury claim can help you recover damages for your injuries and related losses. One of the most common types of economic damages that plaintiffs pursue in personal injury cases is compensation for medical expenses.
Medical Expenses in a Personal Injury Claim
While that may seem fairly straightforward, there are actually different types of medical expenses that you can pursue damages for – past expenses and future medical expenses. Past medical expenses refers to monies you currently owe. These are expenses you have already been billed for, including those you have filed with your insurance. This may include an ambulance ride immediately following your injury, hospitalization, immediate care, surgery, medications, or laboratory costs.
Future medical expenses are not as straightforward because you don’t actually owe the money yet. Instead, it is an estimate based on your injuries and the care that is required, or will continue to be necessary, after your personal injury case resolves. Put together by the The Embry Law Firm, let’s take a closer look at future medical expenses.
What are Future Medical Expenses?
Future medical expenses are a type of damages that can be claimed in cases where you have a serious injury or a long-term or chronic condition that is caused by the accident. In order to recover future medical expenses, you must be able to prove that you will need ongoing care. This is most often done by creating a care plan with your healthcare team, which can show the court the nature and extent of your injuries, and what sort of ongoing or long-term care you will need. This may require:
- A thorough review of your medical records.
- Expert witnesses who can testify to your injuries and medical needs.
- Evidence that you sought proper treatment immediately following the injury.
- Evidence to show how the present value of your medical expenses may be adjusted due to inflation in the future.
What Future Medical Expenses are Covered by a Personal Injury Claim?
Once you establish that your injuries do warrant long-term care, you can pursue recovery for a variety of anticipated costs, including:
- Home medical care
- Skilled nursing care
- Diagnostic testing
- Medical equipment
- Home modifications
- The cost of future surgeries
- Physical or occupational therapy costs
- Co-pays for medical visits and prescriptions
- Reasonable and necessary expenses that you will incur as a result of your injury
- Special damages, which could include things like the cost of a family member caring for you .
- Pain and suffering, which includes chronic physical pain as well as emotional or mental pain caused by the accident or your injuries.
As mentioned before, it is sometimes more complex pursuing future medical expenses because you have to prove that you will owe the money in the future. It is possible to recover these damages, however, it just takes more time and preparation before your case is negotiated or tried.
Working with a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You Recover
If you are injured, your medical expenses likely are the bulk of your financial costs. That makes it all the more important for you to recover these damages. Your family’s financial stability may very well depend on it. Because of the complexities involved in proving future medical expenses, it is best to work with a personal injury lawyer.
Working with a personal injury lawyer helps ensure that your case has every opportunity for success. From the start, a lawyer will help you build a strong foundation and then the details that follow. If you are offered a settlement amount that is too low or does not include considerations like future medical expenses, a lawyer can also negotiate on your behalf. This is a valuable tool for recovering the compensation you need and deserve.
