The bills keep arriving. Your calendar is packed with therapy sessions, and your doctor says more surgeries are likely. As you sit at your kitchen table, staring at lost paychecks and rising medical costs, one question weighs heavily: How will you afford everything you’ll need in the years to come? Sound familiar?
At the Law Office of Sean M. Wilson, we understand that when a serious injury changes your life, the immediate bills are just the beginning. Fortunately, South Carolina law recognizes that catastrophic injuries create long-term consequences that extend far beyond the initial recovery period. Our experienced Lowcountry and Midlands personal injury lawyers work with medical and financial experts to calculate your lifetime needs so your settlement or verdict reflects your injury’s true cost.
Understanding how experts calculate future damages can help you make informed decisions about your case. Here’s an overview of key factors that shape these awards—and how our skilled South Carolina legal team can help you fight for the recovery you deserve.
1. Ongoing Medical Treatment
Your future medical care is the foundation of any long-term damage claim. These costs extend beyond your current plan and must account for the lifetime care your injury requires. This may include:
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Surgical needs. Orthopedic injuries may require multiple surgeries as joints deteriorate; spinal surgeries may involve ongoing therapy and equipment replacements; and brain injuries often demand decades of rehabilitation.
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Medication costs. Prescription drugs for pain, inflammation, or specialized conditions can cost thousands annually, rising over time.
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Monitoring and specialists. Regular MRIs, CT scans, and visits to multiple specialists add recurring costs.
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Geography and coverage. Medical costs differ between urban and rural South Carolina, and changing insurance premiums affects out-of-pocket expenses.
2. Lost Earning Capacity vs. Lost Wages
Lost wages cover income you’ve already missed. Lost earning capacity projects what you would have earned over your lifetime had you not been injured.
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Career trajectory. Vocational experts assess your pre-injury skills, education, and promotions you’ll now miss.
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Current limits. Your ability—or inability—to perform any work defines your future income potential.
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Age and economics. Younger workers often face greater losses due to more working years ahead, but older workers may lose high salaries and benefits. Economists factor in inflation and industry growth when making these calculations.
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Benefits. Health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid leave carry real value that must be included in a settlement or verdict.
3. Degree of Permanent Disability
The severity and permanence of your disability directly affect your claim in several ways.
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Physical disabilities. Limitations in daily activities, recreation, and work translate into measurable losses.
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Cognitive disabilities. Brain injuries often impair memory, focus, and personality, with profound effects on employment and family life.
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Progressive conditions. Some injuries worsen over time, requiring projections of future decline.
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Partial versus total disability. Total disability usually eliminates all earning capacity, while partial disability may allow reduced-income work.
4. Life Expectancy
How serious injuries affect your life span also affects what you can recover in future damages.
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Shortened life. Fewer years of lost wages but often higher-intensity medical costs.
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Extended life. Modern medicine can prolong survival, multiplying care costs over decades.
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Quality of life. Pain, assistance needs, and early-onset complications all factor into your needs calculation.
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Personal factors. Age, preexisting conditions, and family medical history also shape these projections.
5. Assistive Technology and Equipment
Technology improves independence but creates recurring costs. These costs can add up over years or decades.
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Mobility aids. Wheelchairs, hospital beds, and transfer devices range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
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Home and vehicle modifications. Ramps, accessible bathrooms, and modified vans can cost hundreds of thousands.
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Communication devices. Specialized tools for speech or cognitive issues require training and regular upgrades.
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Replacement cycles. Wheelchairs last five to seven years, while electronics may require replacement every three to five years.
6. Home Healthcare and Personal Assistance
Many survivors require daily help far beyond medical treatment. Needs may include:
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Skilled nursing. Wound care, medication management, and monitoring may cost $50 to $100 per hour.
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Personal care aides. Help with bathing, meals, and mobility averages around $20 per hour, but is often needed for long stretches daily.
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Family caregiving. Even unpaid care has real economic value and should be factored into claims.
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Respite and coordination. Care managers and respite services add costs but are crucial for long-term stability.
7. Pain and Suffering
Though more difficult to quantify than economic damages, pain and suffering can be just as impactful. These damages are a crucial part of any long-term damages claim.
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Chronic pain. Often worsens with age, limiting mobility and activity.
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Lost enjoyment. Inability to participate in hobbies, sports, or intimacy often diminishes life satisfaction.
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Emotional toll. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and strained family relationships are common.
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Isolation and daily frustration. Social withdrawal, disrupted sleep, and endless medical routines all add to lifelong suffering.
8. Inflation and Rising Costs
Economic experts must account for inflation, especially since medical costs often rise faster than other expenses.
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Medical inflation. Medical costs historically outpace general inflation, sometimes climbing 5 percent or more yearly.
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Labor shortages. Increasing wages for personal caregivers raises long-term costs.
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Housing and transportation. Real estate and accessible transportation fluctuate with local markets.
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Technology trends. New medical devices may improve the quality of life but come with higher price tags.
9. Treatment Success and Complications
Not all treatments go as planned. Projections must consider:
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Surgical risks. Multiple surgeries raise cumulative complication risks.
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Infections and device failures. These common setbacks demand further care.
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Secondary conditions. Issues like pressure sores or respiratory problems often follow serious injuries.
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Treatment resistance. Medications may lose effectiveness, requiring costlier alternatives.
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Medical advances. New therapies may help, but they can also add to expenses.
10. Geographic Cost Variations
Where you live in South Carolina affects lifetime costs.
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Urban versus rural. Cities like Charleston or Columbia have higher medical costs but better access to specialists. Rural residents may face lower daily costs but higher travel expenses.
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Wage difference. Caregiving costs vary across regions, with coastal areas typically higher.
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Housing markets. Accessibility costs differ greatly between Charleston and similar communities.
What to Know
Calculating future damages is about more than tallying bills. It’s about projecting the full impact of your injury—medical, financial, emotional, and personal—over your lifetime. South Carolina allows victims to recover for all these losses but requires skilled legal advocacy supported by expert medical and economic analysis.
By understanding these factors and working with our accomplished attorneys, you’ll be better prepared to evaluate settlement offers and fight for the financial security you and your family will need in the years to come.