Becoming a parent is one the most joyous occasions in any adult’s life. That special moment can become stressful one, when and if, a child suffers from birth-related trauma or an incident pre or post-birth that causes a child serious injury. This injury can affect the rest of a child’s life and thus will change how that child is raised by their parents. It can be beneficial to look at the long-term costs of raising a child with a birth injury by determining a ‘life care plan.’
A life care plan is simply a strategy that accounts for all of the factors that will affect a child who has suffered a birth injury due to medical malpractice in both the short and long term. Many parents account for the short term after birth injury, like making a plan for medical expenses. However, most parents aren’t well-versed in how to account for the expenses and challenges that an infant will face over the course of their life due to a birth injury. For instance, there are certain things to consider like daily care expenses and the loss of parents’ income, to name a few.
If a parent needs to stay home from work in order to best care for their child with a birth injury due to medical malpractice, that is going to amount to lost wages. While this may appear to be common sense, some families aren’t ready to think about these kind of expenses far into the future. Since a child’s birth injury can last longer than the time they are actually considered a child, it is important to consider the costs a birth injury may carry even into adulthood. Aiding with independent living at some point, way down the road, is an important factor to consider.
As time goes on, your child may be rehabilitated to lead a nearly normal life. However, this does come with the cost of medical care and rehabilitation. Giving a child his or her best shot at life after a birth injury, would include access to ongoing top-notch medical care. Without accounting for the cost of this care, parents may find themselves unable to afford it.
Source: injury.findlaw.com, “Birth Injury Lawsuit Settlements Overview,” Accessed Feb. 6, 2017