KW Life Care Planning prepares life care plans and medical cost projections for attorneys handling traumatic brain injury cases in Maine.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) matters involve a blow, jolt, or penetrating injury to the head that disrupts brain function. From a life care planning standpoint, TBI is distinctive because cognitive, behavioral, and emotional sequelae drive care needs as much as physical limitations do, and because the need for supervision and case management often persists long after acute rehabilitation ends. The life care plan documents every category of future care the injury makes necessary and the basis for each recommendation.
TBI plans typically address physiatry and neurology follow-up, neuropsychological re-evaluation at defined intervals, cognitive rehabilitation, speech-language and occupational therapy, medications for seizures, headache, mood, and sleep, assistive technology for memory and organization, case management, home safety modifications, transportation, and attendant care or supervision. In moderate-to-severe injury the plan addresses 24-hour supervision, behavioral support, and residential or supported-living options when family caregiving is not sustainable.
Cost is driven first by the hours and level of supervision or attendant care the injury requires, then by the frequency and duration of therapies, medication, and physician follow-up across the projected life expectancy. Plans commonly present home-based and facility-based scenarios so that counsel and the economist can value each, and they identify which items are one-time, recurring, or replaced on a cycle.
The planner builds the plan from the treating physiatrist, neurologist, and neuropsychologist's recommendations, then documents frequency, duration, and cost for each item using local provider rates. Life expectancy is addressed from the evaluee's functional profile, with the sources stated so the plan can be examined and defended. Where severity is contested, the plan states the clinical basis for the level of care projected.
Traumatic Brain Injury matters in Maine are litigated in the state's trial courts, with life care planning and future medical cost testimony evaluated under Maine's expert evidence standard. KW Life Care Planning prepares reports and testimony that account for these requirements.
Highest court: Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Federal venues: D. Me..
Source: Maine judiciary (courts.maine.gov)
Maine civil claims are tried in the Superior Court, and medical malpractice claims are screened by a pre-litigation panel. Workers' compensation claims are decided by the Maine Workers' Compensation Board.
Once the injury has stabilized enough for the treating team to describe long-term needs, typically after acute rehabilitation and an initial neuropsychological evaluation. Retaining before those data exist produces a plan that has to be substantially revised.
Sometimes. Persistent post-concussive symptoms can require ongoing therapy, medication, and periodic specialist follow-up. The planner documents what the treating providers actually recommend rather than assuming a level of care from the diagnosis alone.
Supervision and attendant care are expressed in hours per day by level of service, based on functional assessment and the treating team's recommendations. The plan states who provides the care, at what rate, and whether family-provided care is valued at market rates in the jurisdiction.
The neuropsychological evaluation identifies the cognitive and behavioral deficits; the planner translates those findings into specific services, frequencies, and durations, and confirms the recommendations with the treating providers before costing them.
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.