After a serious or catastrophic injury, it’s common for individuals to be discharged from the hospital long before they’ve fully recovered or regained independence. In the weeks or months that follow, they often rely heavily on the help of family members or friends to perform basic activities of daily living — bathing, dressing, preparing meals, managing medications, and maintaining the household.

While future care needs are often addressed in a life care plan—which outlines and projects the cost of professional caregiving services—the value of past, unpaid care provided by loved ones is often overlooked or undervalued in personal injury litigation.

Why This Matters in Your Case

This past, non-compensated care—sometimes referred to as gratuitous care—represents a real and measurable economic loss. Failing to account for it can result in a significant gap in the damages calculation.

An experienced life care planner can help attorneys establish the reasonable value of this unpaid care by:

• Estimating the number of hours of care and supervision provided since hospital discharge
• Determining the type and scope of services rendered
• Applying an appropriate market rate based on comparable professional services
• Creating a clear and defensible summary for use in settlement negotiations or at trial

Expertise You Can Rely On

Dawn Cook, a Certified Life Care Planner and experienced expert witness, has assisted attorneys across the country in quantifying past gratuitous care. Her methodology aligns with accepted standards in the field and has been presented at national conferences, including:

• “Determining the Value of Past Gratuitous Care”– American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners, March 13, 2024
• “Determining the Value of Past Gratuitous and Purchased Goods and Services”– International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals Annual Conference, August 18, 2023

Dawn’s clear, evidence-based approach ensures this often-overlooked component is effectively documented and incorporated into the overall damages model.

If you’re working on a case involving catastrophic injury, don’t leave past care unaccounted for. Contact Dawn Cook today to learn how a comprehensive life care plan—including past unpaid care—can support your client’s claim.