When you’ve been injured on the job in Colorado, workers’ compensation can provide a crucial financial lifeline—covering medical care, lost wages, and support while you recover. But what happens when your injury is permanent or leaves you with long-term disabilities? How do you plan not just for the next few months, but for the rest of your life?
That’s where life care planning comes in. At Kaplan Morrell, we often see injured workers focused—understandably—on the immediate crisis: How will I pay my bills? How will I support my family? How do I get through today? But once the dust settles, it’s essential to think long-term. A properly constructed life care plan is often the key to ensuring that your workers’ compensation settlement fully protects your future needs, not just your present ones.
Why Is Life Care Planning So Important?
Many injured workers assume that a workers’ compensation settlement is simply about replacing lost wages or paying medical bills. But for those who are left with serious injuries or permanent disabilities, the impact extends far beyond a paycheck.
A life care plan is a comprehensive, individualized roadmap that outlines the ongoing medical, personal, and financial needs of someone living with the consequences of a disabling injury. It helps ensure that your settlement reflects not only your lost income, but also the lifetime costs of living with your injury.
Without a life care plan, you risk:
- Settling for an amount that covers only immediate costs, while leaving you exposed to future expenses.
- Missing out on funding for rehabilitation, home care, assistive devices, or medical advancements that could improve your quality of life.
- Being forced to deplete personal savings or rely on public benefits when settlement funds run out.
Workers’ Compensation vs. Personal Injury: Key Differences
In personal injury lawsuits (such as after a car accident), settlements often include compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and future care. Workers’ compensation, however, is a no-fault system that doesn’t award damages for pain and suffering. Instead, compensation is typically limited to:
- Medical treatment
- Wage replacement
- Permanent disability benefits
If you’ve reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) and are determined to be permanently and totally disabled, your compensation will be based on factors like your life expectancy and earning capacity. But this calculation often fails to account for the real costs of living with a serious disability—costs that only a life care plan can quantify.
What Does a Life Care Plan Include?
A qualified life care planner works alongside your attorney to build a detailed report that may include future needs such as:
- Advanced medical treatments or procedures that could improve your recovery or alleviate symptoms as technology evolves.
- Access to assistive technology and specialized equipment, such as prosthetics, wheelchairs, or home modifications.
- Funding for ongoing therapies, including physical, occupational, and psychological care.
- In-home assistance or caregiving services for tasks you can no longer perform independently.
- Consideration of transportation costs related to medical care or limited mobility.
- Replacement of lost income in line with realistic life expectancy projections.
These factors help ensure your settlement reflects not just past and present harm, but also the entire arc of your recovery, adaptation, and care for years to come.
Why You Can’t Rely on Insurance Companies for Life Care Planning
It’s important to understand that insurance companies are not on your side when it comes to life care planning. Their goal is to minimize costs and close claims quickly, not to secure your lifelong well-being. Insurers rarely, if ever, offer comprehensive life care assessments unless forced to do so through negotiation or litigation.
That’s why it’s critical to work with an experienced Colorado workers’ compensation attorney who understands the importance of life care planning and knows how to:
- Retain qualified life care planning experts.
- Document your long-term needs with credible evidence.
- Negotiate for a settlement that reflects the true costs of your disability.
Without this level of advocacy, you may find yourself significantly undercompensated and unable to meet your future care needs.
How Kaplan Morrell Can Help You
At Kaplan Morrell, we’ve been helping injured and disabled workers in Colorado since 1995. We know that a successful settlement is about more than just numbers—it’s about protecting your future, your dignity, and your independence. We work closely with trusted life care planners to ensure that:
- Every future medical need is considered.
- Your earning capacity and life expectancy are accurately reflected.
- You receive the full benefits you deserve—not just what the insurance company is willing to offer.
If you’ve suffered a serious workplace injury in Colorado, don’t settle without a life care plan. We’re here to help you understand your rights, protect your future, and ensure you receive the comprehensive care and compensation you deserve. Call Kaplan Morrell today at 303-780-7329.
