If you have sustained serious injuries as a result of an accident in New York, your next step may be to file a personal injury claim. However, before you do this, you need to consider whether or not you qualify for future medical expenses for a personal injury. Keep reading to find out how future damages for a personal injury are determined and what this means for your claim.

What Are Future Medical Expenses?

When you think of personal injury damages in New York, you probably aren’t thinking of future healthcare costs that can occur long after the injury has occurred. These are what is known as future medical expenses in a personal injury claim, which include medical expenses that can come up long after your claim has already been resolved.

Especially for serious injuries, future medical damages can provide a safety net, ensuring you get the care that you need well into the future. These types of damages can also help you continue to recover if you can’t maintain your normal line of work, have to take time off of work, or become permanently disabled.

So, here are some examples of what New York categorizes as future medical expenses:

• Future surgeries and hospitalizations
• Ongoing treatments and medications
• Follow-up appointments
• In-home care and rehabilitation
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Medical equipment
• Home and vehicle modifications

How New York Courts Determines Future Medical Needs

Although it isn’t uncommon for New York residents to get damages for future medical expenses in a personal injury claim, this process can be complex. This is because you will need to prove without a doubt that you will have future medical needs. These future medical expenses also need to be calculated to determine just how much your settlement should be.

Here are some examples of what the court will consider when estimating these types of damages:

• Prognosis and expected recovery
• Recommended treatment plans
• Medical opinion from treating physicians and medical experts
• Economic analysis
• Frequency and duration of anticipated care
• Past medical records
• Life care plan

Before you submit your claim with the necessary evidence, you need to first consult with a personal injury lawyer in New York. A New York lawyer will have experience with these types of claims and can help you get the necessary evidence to not only prove that you will have future medical needs, but also how expensive they will likely be.

Get In Touch With a Personal Injury Lawyer in New York

Calculating future medical expenses can have a substantial impact on your ongoing medical care injury claim. Especially for cases involving serious injuries that have had a negative impact on your overall quality of life, proving that you qualify for future medical expenses is essential.

For the best chance of getting a fair personal injury settlement, you need to work with a personal injury lawyer in New York who can help you with every step of the claims process.

So, if you’re ready to start the process of getting a settlement for long-term medical expenses after an accident, contact us today at Gash & Associates, P.C., in New York, at 914-328-8800 for a free consultation.