Future care needs and cost analysis

A comprehensive life care plan establishes the full scope of an individual’s lifetime care needs, including medical, rehabilitative, and supportive care, and quantifies the associated costs to provide counsel and the court with a transparent, evidence-based foundation for future care damages.

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What is a future care needs and cost analysis?

Comprehensive lifetime care quantification for litigation

Life care planning involves the comprehensive assessment and quantification of long-term medical, rehabilitative, attendant care, equipment, housekeeping, home maintenance, and support needs following injury or disability.

It may be required in catastrophic injury matters, serious non-catastrophic claims, or disputes where future care damages must be clearly established. In medically complex cases, including neurological injury, orthopedic trauma, chronic pain, or psychological impairment, future care quantification is often essential.

Each plan is individualized. Our planners assess the specific impact of the impairment and identify the reasonable medical, rehabilitative, and support services and goods the individual will require as a result. The goal is to provide counsel and the court with a clear, well-supported projection of future costs.

life care planner discussing a future care report with a client across a laptop
Scope of Assessment

What a life care plan evaluates

A future care needs and cost analysis covers every dimension of the individual's anticipated care requirements over their lifetime.

Medical care

Physician visits, specialist consultations, surgical follow-up, and ongoing treatment.

Attendant care

Non-medical assistance provided to support an individual with activities of daily living.

Rehabilitation

Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, case management, psychological treatment, and more.

Equipment & aids

Wheelchairs, orthotics, prosthetics, communication devices, and adaptive technology.

Home modifications

Ramps, stairlifts, grab bars, raised toilets, environmental controls, and housing assessments.

Housekeeping

Cleaning, laundry, meal preparation and other homemaking services.

Home Maintenance

Snow removal, lawn care, handyman services, and seasonal supports.

Transportation

Accessible vehicle modifications, specialized transit, and travel costs for treatment.

Future care damages often represent the largest component of total damages in personal injury litigation.

Our process

How we develop a life care plan

Every report follows a structured, peer-reviewed methodology grounded in recognized life care planning standards.

Interview and assessment

A certified life care planner conducts a comprehensive interview with the individual to understand the full scope of their functional limitations, daily living requirements, and the impact of injury on their life. The assessment is completed in the individual’s home environment.

Document review

All relevant medical records, treatment notes, diagnostic imaging, specialist reports, and other clinical documentation are reviewed. This ensures the life care plan is grounded in the full medical picture and consistent with the documented trajectory of injury and recovery.

Needs analysis

Based on the assessment and documentation, the planner identifies the nature and level of care required across all relevant domains, including medical care, rehabilitative services, attendant care, equipment, housekeeping, home maintenance, and support services, while considering both current needs and anticipated changes over the individual’s lifetime.

Collateral consultation

Where appropriate, the planner consults with treating therapists, and other care providers to ensure recommendations reflect current treatment plans and anticipated prognosis.

Quantification

Each identified care need is costed using transparent assumptions and recognized costing sources. Cost projections account for frequency, duration, and expected lifespan, producing a structured, line-by-line breakdown of lifetime future care costs suitable for use in litigation.

Internal peer review

Each report undergoes rigorous internal peer review by a second Certified Life Care Planner. This process confirms the clinical foundation, checks cost assumptions, and ensures the report withstands scrutiny at mediation, pre-trial, or trial.

When is a life care plan required?

Cases where this report is essential

Catastrophic Personal Injury

Projecting complex, lifelong care needs across decades for spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and polytrauma with the precision these cases demand.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Projecting the long-term costs of medical care, rehabilitation, and support services following motor vehicle collisions, addressing both accident benefits and tort claim requirements.

Medical Malpractice

Specialized expertise for cases involving diagnostic error, surgical complications, medication mistakes, and inadequate hospital care, where the medical evidence is complex and the consequences are lifelong.

Birth Injury

Comprehensive plans for children affected by cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injury, and other birth-related conditions, projecting care needs from infancy through adulthood and beyond.

Sexual Abuse Claims

Trauma-informed planning that projects the lifetime costs of counselling, psychiatric care, and rehabilitation services survivors need for long-term recovery.

Correctional Misconduct

Quantifying future care needs for individuals injured through negligent institutional care, delayed treatment, or failure to protect, accounting for the unique challenges of community reintegration.

Fatality Claims

Documenting and valuing the household contributions, caregiving, and practical support the deceased provided to their family through a structured loss of service analysis.

Estate Litigation

Structured valuation of a dependant's ongoing support needs, balanced against the size of the estate and the rights of other beneficiaries, to assist the court in determining fair provision.

Class Action & Mass Tort

Individualized assessments for each plaintiff in multi-party proceedings, combining consistent methodology with plaintiff-specific evaluation to support equitable compensation.

Report contents

What a life care plan may include

Detailed needs analysis

Line-by-line identification of every medical, rehabilitative, and support need, with clinical rationale for each recommendation.

Lifetime cost projections

Transparent cost estimates based on recognized costing sources, broken down by frequency, duration, and anticipated lifespan.

Structured cost tables

Clear tabular presentation of all projected costs, organized by category, suitable for use in settlement discussions and court.

Clinical foundation

Every recommendation is grounded in medical documentation, functional assessment, and established rehabilitation standards.

Methodology disclosure

Full transparency on the approach, assumptions, and costing sources used - supporting defensibility under cross-examination.

Peer review confirmation

Verification that the report has undergone internal peer review by a second Certified Life Care Planner prior to delivery.

Methodological framework

Rigorous, transparent, and evidence-based

Reports are prepared using recognized life care planning principles and standards. Clinical recommendations are supported by medical documentation, functional assessment, and established rehabilitation standards. Cost projections are based on transparent assumptions and recognized costing sources.

CBA’s team consists exclusively of Certified Life Care Planners, and all work reflects objective analysis and adherence to professional standards. Internal peer review and ongoing professional development promote consistency and methodological rigour across all reports.

CBA is retained by both plaintiff and defence counsel and has a clear understanding of the demands of litigation, including the need for concise, well-supported analysis. The team provides independent expert opinion for mediation, pre-trial, and trial proceedings.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a life care plan and a cost projection?

A Future Care Needs and Cost Analysis is a comprehensive, in-depth report covering all lifetime care needs - appropriate for catastrophic or complex cases proceeding to mediation or trial. A Cost Projection is a condensed, focused estimation suitable for non-catastrophic injuries, reserve setting, or early resolution. CBA can advise which format is appropriate for your matter.

How long does a comprehensive life care plan take to complete?

Do your planners provide expert testimony?

Are you retained by plaintiff counsel only?

What are the engagement terms for this report?

Let's Work Together

Contact us for a free consultation, we can advise you if a referral is appropriate.

Phone

Toll Free: 1-866-314-7335
Phone: 905-882-6947
Fax: 905-882-9986

Email

info@cbafuturecare.com

Office

95 Mural St #600
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3G2