Why Future Care Costs Matter
When a personal injury results in ongoing or long-term needs—like physiotherapy, medication, adaptive devices, or in-home support—courts and insurers recognize that initial medical bills don’t cover the full financial impact. The concept of future costs of care ensures injured individuals are compensated for what they’ll need going forward.
What counts as future care?
• Ongoing medical treatments (e.g. physiotherapy, massage)
• Prescription medications
• Adaptive equipment (e.g. mobility aids)
• Home support or housekeeping services
• Home modifications and therapeutic services
These projected costs are based on objective medical evidence—detailing what is necessary and reasonable, linked directly to the injury.
How Future Costs of Care Are Calculated
- Medical Expert Reports
Independent assessments by clinicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and life-care planners estimate ongoing needs. - Cost Projections
Multiply the expert recommendations by realistic unit costs (e.g., sessions, hourly care rates), adjusted for lifespan. - Present Value Discounting
Since compensation is paid upfront, future costs are discounted back to present value. - Contingency Adjustments
Judges adjust amounts up or down—for example, accounting for public health benefits that may offset private care. - Review of Publicly Funded Services
In Alberta, the court considers what provincial health coverage (e.g. AHS) provides and subtracts that value accordingly.
The result is a comprehensive projection of what the injured person will need, ensuring no critical care is left uncompensated.
Key Challenges in Estimating Future Care
• Uncertainty: What medical needs will arise in 5, 10, or 20 years?
• Evidence quality: Courts demand credible, current expert testimony.
• Benefit offsets: Securing evidence of what public services cover.
• Inflation and cost adjustment: Care costs may rise over time.*
• Mitigation duty: Courts expect the injured person to seek improvement; failing to do so may reduce compensation .
Because of these challenges, accurate future care valuations require legal and technical expertise.
How WatchMaker Law & David Sowemimo Can Help
Expertise & Evidence-Based Advocacy
WatchMaker Law, led by managing lawyer David Sowemimo, specializes in complex personal injury claims—particularly in Ontario and Alberta, including Edmonton. They engage seasoned medical and life-care experts to produce credible estimates for future care needs.
Full Damage Assessment
Their approach includes claiming:
• Past medical expenses
• Future care
• Past and future lost earnings
• Pain, suffering, and home‑support needs
Personalized Client Support
David Sowemimo is noted for his client‑focused approach, taking time to understand each injury’s unique impact and future lifestyle needs.
Strong Negotiation & Court Advocacy
The firm balances aggressive negotiation with litigation readiness. They prepare expert reports capable of withstanding trial scrutiny.
Contingency-Based & Accessible
They operate on a “no-win, no-fee” basis—aligning their success with yours—and are available 24/7 in Edmonton .
Why This Means Better Compensation
By combining legal strategy with professional projections, WatchMaker Law helps ensure that:
• Every projected cost—from adaptive equipment to lifelong therapy—is included.
• Credible expert evidence withstands insurance pushback and cross‑examination.
• Adjustments for public funding are correctly applied to prevent double-recovery.
• You avoid lowball settlements that settle before your future needs are clear.
Edmonton Context: What to Expect
In Edmonton, minor injury settlements may range from $20,000–$50,000; severe cases involving substantial future care, though, can push into the hundreds of thousands—or even millions when injuries are catastrophic .
WatchMaker Law’s success stories show results like:
• Fatality case settlement: $3.3 million
• Serious injury settlement: $585,000
Your Action Plan
If you’re in Edmonton considering a personal injury claim:
- Document Everything: Keep all medical records, receipts, and notes on daily struggles.
- Seek Expert Evaluation: Under WatchMaker Law, clinicians and life-care planners build your future‑care report.
- Stay Informed: David and his team’ll update you regularly on evolving needs and settlement strategy.
- Negotiate Smartly: Never accept a first offer. Their advice is to settle with your future in mind.
- Know Your Options: Prepared to go to trial, but always aiming for the best possible out-of-court outcome.
Conclusion
Estimating future care costs in personal injury claims is complex—it hinges on medical opinions, cost projections, legal precedent, and public health considerations. With WatchMaker Law, and David Sowemimo’s leadership, injured Edmontonians gain:
• Expert valuation of long‑term needs
• Strong documentation and cost projection
• Skilled negotiation or litigation representation
• A compassionate, client-first legal process
If you’ve suffered an injury and anticipate ongoing care needs, WatchMaker Law offers the clarity and advocacy required to secure fair, future-proof compensation.
For a free consultation with David Sowemimo and his team, reach out to WatchMaker Law – Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers in Edmonton. No fee unless they win, and 24/7 availability.