In some cases, when you are injured due to another person’s negligence, those injuries may be permanent, or they are expected to recover fully after your claim is resolved. When this happens, you must calculate your future medical expenses to ensure you recoup the total cost of your financial losses. Fortunately, in a personal injury case, you are entitled to compensation for your past, current, and future medical expenses. If you have been injured in an accident due to negligence, contact a proficient Morris County Personal Injury Attorney who can help you seek reasonable compensation for your future medical expenses.
How can I determine future medical expenses in a personal injury case in New Jersey?
In a personal injury case, you are entitled to seek monetary compensation for your economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are tangible losses a victim has incurred or will incur because of their injuries. Essentially, economic damages are calculable out-of-pocket losses. Economic damages may include medical bills, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and other injury-related, easily calculated financial losses. Non-economic damages are not tangible losses. They are more subjective than economic damages. They may include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, loss of consortium, or other non-calculable losses.
When seeking reimbursement for economic damages, it usually is easy to prove these losses as you have objective documentation. However, seeking compensation for future medical expenses becomes more complicated. As mentioned above, specific injuries require lifetime medical care. Therefore, when you seek future medical expenses, you seek compensation for the costs you are expected to incur for your medical care after resolving your personal injury claim. The following include but are not limited to the most common types of future medical care a victim may seek in a personal injury case:
- Hospitalizations
- Diagnostic testing
- Prescription medications
- Surgery
- Rehabilitative therapy
- Follow-up care
- Mental health treatments
- Household nursing services
- Assistive or adaptive devices
- Transportation to medical appointments
- Home modifications (if needed)
The above-listed are just some of the future medical care you may require due to your injuries.
How are they calculated?
Unfortunately, medical care in New Jersey is not affordable for many people. That said, it is imperative to calculate your future medical expenses accurately to ensure you are not burdened with paying for someone else’s negligent actions. To accurately estimate your future medical costs, you must first retain the legal services of a skilled Morris County personal injury attorney who can help you calculate the value of your claim and work with expert witnesses to determine your future medical costs regarding your condition. In most cases, the total lifestyle approach will be used. This approach means you will create a life care plan with your healthcare provider to determine your future need for medical care over your life expectancy due to your injuries. In other cases, the additional expense method may be used, which calculates your future medical expenses when you face temporary medical losses but will eventually recover.
If you face significant future medical expenses, contact a determined Morris County personal injury attorney from Lutz Injury Law today. Our firm is prepared to help you secure the fair compensation you deserve for your future medical costs.