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The Ongoing Costs of a Birth Injury

By Hess & Nghiem on February 10, 2020

Birth is one of the most highly anticipated events in any parent’s life. Parents dream about who their child will look like, which parent’s personality they will take after, and who they will become. Sadly, when an unanticipated birth injury occurs, it can negatively change the course of the life of the parents, newborn, and the entire family. Suddenly these dreams take a backseat to how their child will adapt to life with their birth injury and how they will pay for the care they now require. 

With so many concerns and unanswered questions, many parents turn to a Santa Ana personal injury lawyer for help with their emotional and financial burdens when their child is diagnosed with a birth injury. An attorney can help you estimate the lifelong costs of your child’s birth injury and work to get you the compensation you need to pay for your child’s care. 

The ultimate goal of any personal injury case is for the plaintiff to receive financial compensation or their damages or losses arising from the actions of the defendant. The plaintiff’s personal injury attorney in Santa Ana works to obtain as much compensation as possible on behalf of their client. 

In a birth injury case, these damages might include:

  • Past and future healthcare exposes for rehabilitation, therapy, counseling, and specialized medical equipment
  • Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
  • Lost wages due to providing care for the disabled child
  • Loss of enjoyment and companionship

Birth Injuries: Initial Versus Ongoing Costs

In personal injury cases, if there are ongoing costs such as medical expenses or lost wages from the injury, they are addressed within settlement negotiations or by the court at trial. The same is true for birth injury cases. However, they can be quite challenging to estimate, considering that the child may need a lifetime of medical care and supervision. 

By the time a birth injury case makes it to trial, or the parties are ready to negotiate a settlement, the initial costs of the injury have usually been determined and are easily included as evidence in the case. The ongoing costs of a birth injury need to be separated and carefully calculated with the help of an experienced Santa Ana personal injury lawyer. They are not based on figures that have already been billed but on a meticulous estimation of what types of care and services the child will need in the future, possibly for the rest of their life. 

You may want to discuss a Life Care Plan with your attorney. Such a plan takes many factors into consideration to determine the cost of raising a child with a birth injury such as the cost of keeping the child healthy, respite care costs, the possible loss of a second income, adaptive medical equipment, and the various tests, appointments, and specialists care that the child may need. 

Contact a Skilled Santa Ana Personal Injury Lawyer to Help with the Ongoing Costs of Raising a Child with a Birth Injury

Life suddenly becomes exponentially more overwhelming and challenging when you are told that your child has sustained a birth injury that will quite possibly impact them for the rest of their life. Although we cannot predict the future, we can help you prepare for it by working to get you the compensation you need. Call our experienced attorneys at (657) 333-5726 or complete our online contact form to schedule your consultation with a Santa Ana personal injury lawyer at Hess & Nghiem today.

Posted in: Birth Injury

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