Life care planning is grounded in established methodology, yet its application can vary. Careful attention to how needs are analyzed and projected over time can help clarify the basis for differing conclusions in catastrophic injury cases.
Life care plans are often central to discussions of future need in catastrophic injury cases — yet equally qualified experts can produce very different projections.
When this occurs, the difference is rarely explained by credentials alone.
More often, it reflects differences in methodology.
Understanding how a life care plan is developed — not just what it contains — can assist in evaluating its reliability.
Life care planning has historically been described as a consistent methodology for analyzing needs arising from disability across the individual’s life expectancy.
At its core, the process is intended to identify:
• The impact of a health condition
• The resulting functional implications
• The services or supports that may be required over time
Recommendations are driven by identified needs rather than funding availability.
A diagnosis describes a medical condition. A life care plan addresses how that condition affects daily function and participation.
A commonly used clinical framework considers:
Impairment → Activity Limitation → Participation Restriction
This reflects:
• Changes in body structure or function
• Effects on task performance
• Impact on real-world roles and engagement
Life care plans are intended to be individualized.
This typically involves consideration of:
• Functional presentation
• Environmental context
• Available supports
• Anticipated interactions between condition and daily life
Rather than applying uniform assumptions, planning may reflect the individual’s circumstances and environment.
Long-term needs may evolve over time.
Planning often considers:
• Anticipated functional change
• Secondary effects associated with long-term disability
• Environmental transitions
• Shifts in independence
Accordingly, life care plans are generally regarded as dynamic documents that may be updated as circumstances change.
Needs may be influenced by:
• Living environment
• Access to services
• Transportation
• Work or educational settings
• Community participation
Incorporating environmental context can help align projections with daily life.
A consistent methodology involves:
• Comprehensive assessment
• Data analysis
• Use of available clinical and outcome information
• Consideration of long-term needs across life expectancy
Consistency refers to the analytical process — not to uniform recommendations across cases.
When reviewing or retaining a life care planning expert, attorneys may consider:
• How are impairments translated into functional impact?
• How are activity limitations considered?
• What assumptions were made regarding independence?
• How are environmental factors incorporated?
• Are potential secondary effects considered?
• How does the plan address change over time?
These questions do not favor a particular outcome, but may help clarify how projections were developed.
When life care plans differ, the underlying methodology often explains why.
Evaluating how projections were developed — including assumptions, functional translation, and consideration of long-term impact — can assist in understanding the basis for differing conclusions.
In some matters, additional analysis may be helpful to:
• Clarify methodological assumptions
• Evaluate consistency with standards of practice
• Examine functional implications
• Assess alignment between projected services and individualized need
Legal teams on either side may seek this type of review when:
• Evaluating an opposing life care plan
• Responding to differing projections
• Clarifying areas of agreement or disagreement
In some instances, even the retaining party may request an independent review when an existing plan raises questions regarding assumptions, scope, or functional alignment.
Whether developing a life care plan or reviewing an existing one, attention to methodology can help ensure projections reflect individualized need rather than generalized assumptions.
Turning Point Life Care Planning provides life care planning and life care plan rebuttal services to assist legal teams in evaluating long-term needs across a range of injury types.
