Before retaining a life care planner in a birth injury matter, confirm that the child's neurological injury has been characterized well enough for the treating team to describe long-term needs. The plan will usually be the largest damages component, so early documentation of baseline function matters.
Checklist
Confirm the diagnosis and mechanism from the delivery and NICU records
Determine whether a neurodevelopmental evaluation has been completed or scheduled
Identify current therapies, equipment, feeding method, and seizure control
Estimate the scope of the plan from the child's functional profile before committing to the full expert complement
Questions to ask the expert
Do you have pediatric life care planning experience with this type of injury?
How do you handle life expectancy for a child with this functional profile?
How do you coordinate with the developmental pediatrician and neurologist?
Timeline
2-4 weeks between initial consideration and retention, sooner if an early neurodevelopmental evaluation is scheduled.
Required documents
Labor and delivery, NICU, and pediatric records
Neurodevelopmental, therapy, and early intervention evaluations
Current equipment, medication, and feeding documentation
Common pitfalls
Retaining a planner without pediatric experience
Waiting until the child is older and losing the baseline picture
Is a pediatric life care plan different from an adult plan?
Yes. It projects needs by developmental stage, replaces equipment with growth, and addresses the transition to adult services, and it must explain its life expectancy basis carefully.
Contact our team to discuss how KW Life Care Planning can support your case with certified life care planning expertise. Request a Consultation or call (201) 343-0700.