When a traumatic brain injury (TBI) results from a car crash, a fall or some other serious accident, getting the victim to the hospital should be the focus. Once the victim’s health stabilizes, it will be time for loved ones and the victim to try to process what the future might look like. At that point, it is important to consider a life-care plan that supports the victim’s comfort and well-being.
Personal injury lawsuits are aimed at compensating victims and restoring them as much as possible to their state of health before the accident occurred. But although a traumatic brain injury victim may get a large amount of financial compensation from a case, he or she may never quite be able to return to normal health, either physically or emotionally.
Developing a life-care plan helps a family establish a realistic calculation of medical costs that the TBI victim may incur in the coming years. It also helps put the victim’s pain and suffering into concrete terms. As such, the life-care plan can be used, in an insurance claim or in litigation, to explain what will be needed to give the TBI victim as full a life as possible under the circumstances. This can translate into a fair compensation amount.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a comprehensive life-care plan for a brain injury victim should list the victim’s projected needs. The plan should include:
- A detailed explanation of the nature of the injury
- The impact of the injury on the victim’s physical and emotional abilities
- Health aids the victim will require, such as a wheelchair, assistive devices and other equipment
- Modifications that may need to be made to the victim’s home or vehicles to accommodate the disability
- A summary of all caregivers needed, especially if family members must leave their jobs to provide care
- Prescription and over-the-counter medication needed
- Other requirements, depending on the victim’s unique situation
Estimated costs of these necessary items should also be provided.
As a concerned family member of a TBI victim, you need not write a life-care plan on your own. Consult with medical, legal and financial professionals who can help you work out a plan best suited to providing the long-term care your loved one needs.
If someone you love has sustained a traumatic brain injury in Florida and you would like legal advice, turn to the trial attorneys at Frank Charles Miranda, P.A. Our Tampa firm is experienced in handling TBI injury lawsuits. Please call 813-902-3925 or contact us online to arrange a consultation.