An accident caused by someone else’s negligence typically sends you to the hospital with injuries. The hospital sends bills whether you stay briefly or for an extended period. Not only are these expensive bills, but they don’t seem to stop coming. Many times, an injury that is the result of an accident can cause the victim to require medical attention well into the future. If you’re filing a personal injury lawsuit for this reason, it’s essential to know how long you must take legal action—waiting too long could mean losing your right to compensation. Keeping records of all your medical costs is essential. Otherwise, you might get short-changed. In Georgia, injury victims can seek compensation for past and ongoing medical expenses, including rehabilitation. Finding the right personal injury attorney can maximize your compensation, especially when securing coverage for future medical expenses personal injury cases often involve.
What Are Future Medical Expenses in a Personal Injury Case?
After an injury, a victim will likely face ongoing medical expenses on their road to recovery. Some of the injuries that are often severe enough to warrant expected future medical costs are brain trauma, spinal damage, and broken bones with lasting effects. Historically, these injuries require long-term medical attention. The expected costs for that medical attention are considered future medical expenses in a personal injury claim, and that’s where understanding how a lawyer can help you becomes so essential, especially when navigating complex financial projections and negotiations.
Georgia law allows personal injury victims to seek damages for these costs. The victim must be able to prove that these costs are not just possible but likely. Your doctor can demonstrate this through detailed care plans, so following their treatments and keeping every appointment is crucial. These care plans include projected medical bills essential to your claim. Without them, you could face years of out-of-pocket expenses for medical treatment caused by someone else’s negligence, which is why it’s essential to ask, What are you owed in future medical expenses, and make sure those costs are fully accounted for in your claim.
Examples of Future Medical Expenses
Any treatment your doctor tells you is part of your potential future medical costs counts towards future medical expenses as long as it pertains to your injury. However, you might be wondering what that could look like. Some common examples of necessary future medical costs in a personal injury settlement are:
- Ongoing Rehabilitation Costs – Physical, occupational, or speech therapy are all types of rehabilitation that continue after the initial medical treatment.
- Future Surgery After Accident – Many injuries can’t be completely resolved in a single medical visit or surgery. Sometimes, surgeries are required years after the initial accident.
- Chronic Pain Treatment Costs – Some injuries require injections, medications, or alternative therapies for continued recovery. If these costs are part of your care plan, they can be part of your claim.
- Home Health Care Needs – Severe injuries can result in the need for a nurse or home aide to help you around the house. This is considered a medical cost associated with your injury claim.
- Traumatic Brain Injury Care – A victim with a severe TBI can require a lifetime of monitoring, medications, and special services. The negligent party can compensate for these lifetime medical costs.
- Orthopedic Follow-Up Care – When an accident leads to broken bones, joint injuries, or back problems, repeated evaluations and medical treatments can become necessary, creating future medical expenses.
- Disability Treatment – Accidents that lead to injuries severe enough to cause long-term disabilities like paralysis can require high future medical costs, including psychological care.
- Future Hospitalization – Sometimes, complications or progressive symptoms can arise, leading to recurring hospital stays.
Discuss the possibility with your doctor and legal team if your injuries require any of these. Having as much documentation as possible early in your case helps ensure coverage later.
When Are Future Medical Expenses Included in a Claim?
Not every case will have future medical costs associated with it. To receive this extra compensation, you must meet a few standards:
- Proof of Ongoing Needs – Your doctor or a medical expert must confirm that you’ll likely need ongoing care.
- Detailed Medical Cost Estimate – The care plan you receive should include the type, frequency, and duration of the treatment needed and its cost.
- Connection to the Injury – It must be clear that your ongoing needs are related to the injury you are suing for and not a pre-existing condition.
It’s important to note that Georgia courts want to see credible and objective evidence. This often means bringing in expert witnesses, like a life care planner or rehabilitation specialist. These experts can project the cost and justify it to the courts. Having the proper legal representation on your side is critical. The right attorney will connect you with expert witnesses who can show the court how much your recovery will likely cost.
Please read more about personal injury lawyers in Georgia: Switching Personal Injury Lawyers in Georgia
How Future Medical Costs Affect Your Compensation
Future medical costs typically increase your settlement by quite a bit. When they are correctly calculated, they can provide the financial support you need to recover.
Insurance companies will try to fight these claims. They may try to state that future care is unnecessary because you’re already complete in your recovery. In court, you will need to be prepared to present a case that accounts for:
- Projected medical bills
- Inflation and healthcare costs
- Life expectancy
From rehabilitation to long-term care and pain management, medical costs can add up quickly. That’s why it’s critical for your financial health to have an attorney who can calculate your expenses correctly the first time and compellingly present your case.
Plan Now to Avoid Paying Later
Once your claim is settled, you can’t ask for more compensation. That’s why you don’t want to underestimate what your recovery will cost you in the years ahead. Future doctor visits, rehabilitation, and home health care can become regular parts of your life. With the right legal strategy, you can secure compensation that protects you financially and allows you to focus on your recovery without the stress of money.
At Chris Hudson Law Group, we work closely with medical experts to calculate your expected future medical costs and add them to your lawsuit. Whether you need future surgery or long-term care, we’re here to help you fight for the compensation you need to pay for it. Our team is here to help you understand your rights and take the first step toward securing the necessary benefits. Contact us at (706) 863-6600 today for a free consultation for your personal injury case in Georgia, and let us help you plan for your recovery.