If a car accident has resulted in serious and sustained injuries, you deserve to be paid for any lingering effects of your injuries that could remain in the future — after your settlement or court judgment is complete. Future medical treatment costs are typically addressed as part of the overall compensation sought by an injured party. The compensation will come from the at-fault party or their insurance company. To learn more about this important aspect of your car accident case, read below.
Points to Consider
Discuss these issues with your personal injury lawyer.
- Medical Evaluation: After a car accident, the injured party should seek prompt medical attention to assess their injuries and receive appropriate treatment. This contact with medical personnel helps establish the extent of the injuries and provides a basis for estimating future medical needs.
- Documentation of Medical Expenses: It's important to maintain thorough documentation of all medical expenses related to car accidents, including bills, receipts, and records of treatments, therapies, medications, and medical equipment. This documentation serves as evidence to support the claim for future medical costs. Your personal injury lawyer will be using your documentation to form the demand for compensation from the other side.
- Expert Testimony: In some cases, expert testimony from medical professionals may be necessary to evaluate long-term medical needs and estimate the associated costs. Experts can provide insight into the expected course of treatment and the need for surgeries, therapies, medications, assistive devices, and ongoing care. It's not uncommon for medical and economic experts to weigh in with expert advice.
- Projections and Present Value Calculations: To determine the appropriate compensation for future medical treatment costs, projections are made based on the injured party's medical condition, prognosis, and recommended treatments. These projections consider factors such as the expected frequency and duration of treatments, potential surgeries, rehabilitation, therapy sessions, and ongoing medical care. Present value calculations may be used to account for the time value of money, as future medical expenses are often discounted to their current value.
- Negotiation or Litigation: In the car accident case, the injured party's attorney will negotiate with the at-fault party's insurance company or pursue litigation to seek fair compensation for future medical treatment costs. The goal is to obtain a settlement or court judgment that adequately covers the projected costs of necessary medical care.
Reach out to a law firm like Stawicki Anderson & Sinclair for more information about this topic.
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