A life care planner contributes to a wrongful death matter in two situations: when the decedent survived for a period during which substantial care was delivered, and when the decedent was the caregiver for a dependent whose needs now have to be met by paid services. Identify which applies before retention.
Checklist
Determine whether there was a survival period and gather the care and billing records for it
Identify any dependent whose daily care the decedent provided
Document the household composition and the care arrangements in place before death
Confirm how the jurisdiction treats survival-period care and family-provided care
Questions to ask the expert
How do you reconstruct the care delivered between injury and death?
How do you document and value care that family members provided?
How do you project replacement care for a dependent the decedent looked after?
Timeline
1-3 weeks before retention.
Required documents
Hospital, hospice, and home health records for any survival period
Billing records
Records describing the dependent's condition and care
Common pitfalls
Overlooking family-provided care during the survival period
Failing to identify a dependent who lost a caregiver
Is a life care planner needed when death was immediate?
Only when the decedent was caring for a dependent with ongoing needs. Otherwise the damages case is handled by counsel's economic expert without a plan.
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.