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(Please note: the names and locations of all parties have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the proceedings.)
The patient will continue to require urological supplies, skin supplies, as well as bowel supplies which are delineated in the Life Care Plan.
The patient continues to require 24/7 attendant care. Her skilled needs are as follows:
1. Catheter changes
2. Wound care
3. Blood draws
4. IV antibiotic administration
5. PICC line maintenance and flushing
It is not anticipated, in view of the patient’s multiple medical problems, that she would be able to tolerate any sort of competitive employment in the future.
The patient is in need of an ADA compliant home supplied with air conditioning secondary to heat intolerance from his spinal cord injury.
The details of the above mentioned recommendations are included in the Life Care Plan Worksheet which will be reviewed with Tracy Albee, R.N., Life Care Planner.
It should be noted that as the patient ages with her spinal cord injury she will require more and more assistance and will become more and more dependent on others for her activities of daily living, self-care, grooming and hygiene, as well as mobility.
The patient should also enroll in a smoking cessation program as soon as possible.
Prior to the patient’s cervical myelopathy she was independent in all of her basic activities of daily living, self-care, grooming and hygiene and was described as a very active individual, hard working, taking pride in her family life.
B. Tracy Albee, R.N., Life Care Planner
In order to calculate the cost of the care Ms. Bates will require for all her injuries, claimants have retained Tracy Albee, R.N. Her report is referenced herein.
On page 28 of her report, Ms. Albee sets forth the cost of Ms. Bates’ care, which is summarized as follows:
Year One $435,737.66
Year Two $383,012.78
Year Three $384,381.08
Year Four through Life $383,405.24 per year
One Time Costs $185,291.40
The cost of attendant care is included in the above at a cost of $14,837.72 per month or $178,052.64 per year for the remainder of Ms. Bates’ life.
Ms. Bates was born on August 10, 1966. According to BAJI, Appendix A, Ms. Bates has a life expectancy of an additional 39 years. On page 6 of his Life Care Plan Worksheet (Exhibit 3) Dr. Barchuk states that Ms. Bates will suffer a “3-5 year reduction” from her baseline. Therefore, for purposes of this letter, Ms. Bates’ claim includes the cost of care for an additional 34 years.
Using the costs calculated by Ms. Albee which are based on Dr. Barchuk’s findings, the cost of future care for the remainder of Ms. Bates’ life is $12,123,769.64. The cost of attendant care alone is $5,519,631.84.
I am not making a reduction for present value because the cost of future medical care is increasing at a rate much greater than inflation and a rate that more than offsets and cancels any claimed reduction to present value.
For more information you are welcome to contact Sacramento personal injury lawyer, Moseley Collins.