Life care planning retention in a wrongful death matter is scoped to the survival period, the dependent who lost a caregiver, or both. The planner reconstructs and values the care actually delivered between injury and death and, where applicable, projects replacement care for the dependent in the same format as any other life care plan. Counsel's economic expert carries the earnings and present-value work.
Checklist
Confirm whether the engagement covers survival-period care, dependent replacement care, or both
Gather hospital, hospice, home health, pharmacy, and billing records for the survival period
Document the care family members provided and the hours involved
Identify the dependent's diagnoses, treating providers, and current care arrangements
Coordinate with the economist on how the plan feeds the present-value calculation
Questions to ask the expert
How do you confirm that survival-period care was related to the injury and medically appropriate?
How do you value care that family members provided?
How do you project replacement care for a dependent with a disability?
How do you present the plan so the economist can discount it?
Timeline
30-60 days from retention to report when the care and billing records are complete.
Required documents
Death certificate and the records surrounding the survival period
Hospital, hospice, and home health records
Billing and pharmacy records
Records describing the dependent's condition and care needs
Family caregiving log or description of daily care
Common pitfalls
Omitting family-provided care from the survival-period reconstruction
Including treatment for conditions unrelated to the injury
Leaving the dependent's projected life expectancy undocumented
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.