Life Care Planning Expert for Rhode Island Attorneys

Future Medical Costs Rehabilitation Planning Catastrophic Injury Expert

As a life care planning expert serving Rhode Island and New England, I provide comprehensive future care assessments and medical cost projections for attorneys handling catastrophic injury, medical malpractice, and birth injury cases. My evidence-based life care plans integrate medical recommendations with economic analysis to quantify lifetime care needs.

What Is Life Care Planning?

Life care planning is a specialized practice that combines medical knowledge, rehabilitation expertise, and economic analysis to develop comprehensive roadmaps for individuals with catastrophic injuries or chronic medical conditions. As a certified life care planner, I assess current and future medical needs, rehabilitation requirements, assistive technology, home modifications, and care coordination to create detailed plans that ensure optimal outcomes while quantifying associated costs for litigation purposes.

My life care plans serve as both clinical care guides and litigation tools, providing attorneys with thoroughly researched, medically sound, and economically quantified projections of future care needs. This dual purpose ensures that settlement awards and verdicts adequately address the complex, long-term needs of catastrophically injured individuals throughout Rhode Island and New England.

When Is Life Care Planning Needed?

Life care planning services are essential in cases involving significant ongoing medical and rehabilitation needs:

  • Traumatic Brain Injury: Comprehensive planning for cognitive rehabilitation, behavioral management, and long-term care
  • Spinal Cord Injury: Lifetime medical care, equipment, home modifications, and attendant care needs
  • Birth Injuries: Developmental services, special education, therapy, and transition to adult services
  • Severe Burns: Reconstructive surgeries, scar management, psychological support, and functional restoration
  • Amputations: Prosthetic needs, rehabilitation, psychological adjustment, and lifetime equipment replacement
  • Medical Malpractice: Ongoing care necessitated by surgical errors, misdiagnosis, or delayed treatment

Rhode Island attorneys rely on my life care planning expertise to ensure their clients receive appropriate compensation for both immediate and future care needs.

How Our Life Care Plans Support Your Case

As your life care planning expert, I develop comprehensive, defensible plans that address all aspects of future care while providing clear economic foundations for damage calculations.

Medical Care Components

  • Physician Services: Primary care, specialists, consultations, and ongoing medical management
  • Diagnostic Testing: Laboratory work, imaging studies, and specialized assessments
  • Medications: Prescription drugs, administration supplies, and monitoring requirements
  • Hospitalizations: Anticipated admissions, surgeries, and emergency care needs
  • Therapeutic Interventions: Physical, occupational, speech, and psychological therapies

Rehabilitation and Support Services

  • Inpatient Rehabilitation: Acute and subacute rehabilitation facility needs
  • Outpatient Therapies: Ongoing therapy schedules and specialized programs
  • Cognitive Rehabilitation: Brain injury specific interventions and compensatory strategies
  • Vocational Services: Work hardening, job coaching, and supported employment
  • Case Management: Care coordination and advocacy services

Equipment and Environmental Modifications

  • Durable Medical Equipment: Wheelchairs, hospital beds, and mobility devices
  • Assistive Technology: Communication devices, computer access, and environmental controls
  • Vehicle Modifications: Wheelchair lifts, hand controls, and specialized transportation
  • Home Modifications: Accessibility renovations, bathroom modifications, and ramps
  • Consumable Supplies: Catheters, wound care supplies, and disposable items

Personal Care and Support

  • Attendant Care: 24-hour care, skilled nursing, and personal care assistance
  • Respite Care: Family caregiver relief and support services
  • Transportation: Medical appointments, therapy sessions, and community access
  • Recreational Therapy: Adaptive sports, leisure activities, and quality of life enhancement
  • Educational Support: Special education services, tutoring, and adaptive learning

Why Attorneys Choose Us

Rhode Island and New England attorneys choose Skerritt Economics for life care planning because:

  • Integrated Expertise: Combined medical knowledge, rehabilitation experience, and economic analysis
  • Evidence-Based Plans: All recommendations supported by peer-reviewed literature and clinical guidelines
  • Cost Accuracy: Local provider research and verified pricing for all plan components
  • Clear Presentation: Plans organized for easy understanding by judges, juries, and mediators
  • Collaborative Approach: Work closely with treating physicians and rehabilitation teams
  • Litigation Experience: Court-tested methodology that withstands rigorous legal scrutiny

Special Life Care Planning Considerations

Pediatric Cases

Children with catastrophic injuries require specialized planning for:

  • Growth and development considerations
  • Educational needs and special services
  • Transition planning to adult services
  • Family support and training
  • Equipment replacement with growth

Aging with Disability

Long-term disability planning must address:

  • Accelerated aging effects
  • Secondary condition development
  • Increased care needs over time
  • Caregiver aging and replacement
  • Facility care transitions

Technology and Innovation

Future care considerations include:

  • Emerging treatment modalities
  • Advancing assistive technology
  • Telemedicine and remote monitoring
  • Robotic assistance devices
  • Regenerative medicine potential

Representative Case Examples

Traumatic Brain Injury - Motor Vehicle Accident

Issue: 28-year-old professional with severe TBI requiring 24-hour supervision and extensive cognitive rehabilitation

Plan Components: Neuropsychological testing schedule, cognitive rehabilitation program, behavioral management services, supported living arrangement, vocational rehabilitation, attendant care staffing

Result: $8.2 million life care plan supporting $12 million settlement

Birth Injury - Cerebral Palsy

Issue: Child with spastic quadriplegia due to birth hypoxia requiring lifetime care and support

Plan Components: Specialized pediatric care, therapy services (PT/OT/Speech), adaptive equipment progression, educational support, respite care, transition planning to adult services

Result: $6.5 million life care plan accounting for 70+ year life expectancy

Spinal Cord Injury - Construction Fall

Issue: 45-year-old with T6 complete injury requiring wheelchair mobility and personal care assistance

Plan Components: Urological management, skin integrity program, wheelchair and seating systems, home modifications, vehicle adaptations, part-time attendant care

Result: $4.8 million life care plan with detailed equipment replacement schedules

Cost Projection Methodology

Accurate cost projections are essential for life care plans. My methodology ensures defensible, market-based pricing:

Research and Verification

  • Provider Surveys: Direct contact with local healthcare providers for current pricing
  • Database Analysis: Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance fee schedules
  • Geographic Adjustments: Location-specific cost factors for Rhode Island and New England
  • Inflation Projections: Medical inflation rates by category of service
  • Utilization Patterns: Evidence-based frequency and duration of services

Economic Considerations

  • Present Value Calculations: Appropriate discount rates for future costs
  • Medical Inflation: Category-specific inflation factors
  • Technology Advancement: Cost implications of improving technology
  • Insurance Coordination: Public and private insurance benefit analysis
  • Tax Implications: Consideration of medical expense deductibility

Areas We Serve

As a Rhode Island-based life care planning expert, I provide services throughout New England:

  • Rhode Island: Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket, East Providence, and all RI counties
  • Massachusetts: Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and southeastern Massachusetts
  • Connecticut: Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, and statewide
  • New Hampshire: Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and southern NH

I maintain relationships with healthcare providers and facilities throughout the region to ensure accurate, location-specific cost projections.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in a comprehensive life care plan?

A comprehensive life care plan includes projected medical care, rehabilitation services, medications, durable medical equipment, home modifications, attendant care, transportation needs, and case management. Each component includes specific recommendations, frequency of service, duration, and associated costs based on current market rates in Rhode Island and New England.

How are future medical costs calculated in life care plans?

Life care planners research current costs through provider surveys, fee schedules, and database analysis. These base costs are then projected forward using appropriate medical inflation rates specific to each category of service. Present value calculations may be applied depending on the legal context and jurisdiction requirements.

How long does it take to complete a life care plan?

A comprehensive life care plan typically requires 4-6 weeks to complete, including medical record review, physician consultations, cost research, and report preparation. Preliminary cost estimates can be provided within 7-10 days for case evaluation purposes. Rush services are available for urgent litigation needs.

What medical records are needed for life care planning?

Life care planners need comprehensive medical records including hospital admissions, surgical reports, rehabilitation records, therapy evaluations, physician progress notes, diagnostic test results, and current medication lists. School records and vocational assessments are also important for pediatric and working-age individuals.

How do life care plans address future medical advances?

Life care plans include provisions for emerging treatments and technologies through regular plan updates, contingency funding for new therapies, and consideration of improving treatment outcomes. Plans are based on current standards of care while allowing flexibility for future medical advances that may benefit the individual.

Practice Area Applications

Our life care planning services support attorneys across multiple practice areas requiring future medical cost projections. With expertise in both clinical care planning and economic analysis, I provide integrated assessments that address all aspects of future care needs. Whether you need a life care plan for a birth injury case or comprehensive future cost projections for a traumatic brain injury victim, I deliver thorough, defensible plans that support maximum recovery for your clients.

Personal Injury & Catastrophic Cases

Comprehensive life care plans for traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and severe trauma cases.

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Medical Malpractice

Future care needs resulting from surgical errors, birth injuries, and delayed diagnosis.

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Products Liability

Long-term care requirements from defective products, pharmaceutical injuries, and toxic exposures.

Elder Care & Nursing Home

Care planning for neglect injuries, fall-related trauma, and medication errors in elderly populations.

Ready to Get Started?

Contact us for a consultation about your life care planning needs. As your life care planning expert in Rhode Island, I provide detailed, evidence-based plans that ensure your clients receive appropriate compensation for their future care needs. Learn more about our forensic economics services or vocational expert services for comprehensive damage analysis.

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