A Life Care Plan generally consists of a narrative describing the medical history and the events leading to the need for a Life Care Plan and a section of costs related to the injury in today’s dollars. Because I am a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, my Life Care Plans may also include past lost wages and future loss of earning capacity. The Life Care Plan is a working document which may require periodic updating.

The cost of a Life Care Plan varies from a couple of thousand dollars up to eight or ten thousand dollars depending on the comprehensiveness of the case and need for trial testimony. The value of a Life Care Plan is immense, often making the difference between an unsatisfying low settlement or jury verdict to a more reasonable settlement or verdict. Most importantly, the Life Care Planner serves as an educator to the arbitration panel or jury. Once the implications of the injury can be understood, the triers of fact can make the most reasoned decisions.

Life Care Planners do not assume decision-making beyond the scope of our own professional discipline. We must be able to understand health care and rehabilitation needs, have personal clinical knowledge and practice, be able to identify resources for the individual, be consistent and objective, and be able to critically analyze and manage large volumes of information.

Once the Life Care Planner has reported costs, duration, and frequency of various items, an economist may provide costs reflecting inflation.