Catastrophic injuries may require emergency care, therapy, medication, medical equipment and long-term care. In Georgia, some necessary medical costs may qualify as damages. The claim and evidence must support these costs. Tracking past and future medical expenses can help show the cost of long-term care.
Emergency and immediate medical expenses
Emergency care often results in the first major medical bills after a serious injury. Ambulance transportation, ER care, scans, surgery and hospital stays can add up fast. Intensive care can raise these costs even more when treatment includes trauma surgery, blood products or breathing support.
Key medical costs may include:
- Ambulance and emergency room care
- Surgery and hospital stays
- Diagnostic imaging and specialist consultations
- Intensive care and other life-saving hospital treatment
- Blood products and respiratory support
Georgia law may allow recovery for medically necessary expenses caused by an injury when the plaintiff establishes the applicable requirements for liability and damages.
Ongoing treatment, rehabilitation and care
Physical, occupational and speech therapy may last for years after a serious injury. Costs may also include wheelchairs, prosthetics and home changes.
Prescription drugs, specialist visits, home health care and nursing can add to these costs. Pain treatment and counseling may also count as medical expenses. Keep medical records and bills to show the care provided, why it was needed and what it cost.
Proving the cost of future medical care
Life care plans estimate a victim’s future medical costs. Medical experts create these plans based on the victim’s condition and expected needs. They estimate costs for treatment, therapy, procedures and assistive devices. Courts may award these costs when reliable medical evidence supports the estimates.
Good records can help prove past and future medical costs. Medical records, bills and expert opinions can support these expenses. Knowing the rights in a catastrophic injury claim can also help identify costs that may qualify for compensation.
How to document medical expenses
Medical costs in a catastrophic injury case can go far beyond hospital bills when an injury needs long-term care. Life care plans, backed by medical records, can show the need and cost of future care. An attorney familiar with catastrophic injury claims can assess which costs the law may cover and what evidence can support the claim.