A life care planner or other damages expert retained by the injured party.
A life care planner or other damages expert retained by the defendant or carrier, often to prepare a rebuttal plan.
| Dimension | Plaintiff Expert | Defense Expert |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology | Same accepted methodology | Same accepted methodology |
| Credentials | CLCP, CNLCP, RN, MD, PhD as applicable | Same |
| Standards | IALCP Standards of Practice; AANLCP scope for nurse planners | Same |
| Typical disagreement source | Medical foundation, frequency and duration, unit cost source, life expectancy | Same |
Retain when representing an injured claimant or a plaintiff in litigation.
Retain when representing a defendant or insurer.
The methodology, standards, and credentials are the same on both sides (Reavis, 2002). KW Life Care Planning accepts engagements from both plaintiff and defense and applies the same methodology regardless of retaining party: every item traces to a medical foundation, a stated frequency and duration, and a documented cost source.
Not categorically. An expert with balanced experience on both sides is often more credible under cross-examination. KW Life Care Planning maintains a balanced plaintiff and defense caseload by policy.
No. Opposing life care planners frequently agree on the diagnosis and most categories of need and disagree on specific inputs: whether a given item has a physician recommendation, how often it is needed, which cost source applies, and what life expectancy governs. Transparency on those inputs is the standard of practice.