Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Adjudication of Affordability

BY Gary Riveles
August 01, 2016

Since the first civil lawsuit for money damages, plaintiffs have sought to maximize recoveries while defendants have sought to minimize them. This creates an obvious tension that is often left to a jury to weigh and come up with a decision.

In catastrophic personal injury actions, the largest element of compensatory damages often is the measure of the cost of lifetime future medical care. Traditionally, the plaintiff engages a Certified Life Care Planner, who estimates and tallies the annual cost of care at an off-the-shelf or asking-price value. In other words, the cost of care is estimated at what the provider seeks at maximum cost, without regard to or evaluation of who the payor is, whether government provided (like the cost of certain therapies for school-age children) or covered by health insurers (which typically negotiate huge-volume discounts from providers). The defense is often reluctant to engage a defense Life Care Planner for fear of setting a floor for damages.

Now, we have a new wrinkle in the issue, courtesy of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). How will it affect the award of money damages in civil lawsuits?

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Yachts, Jets, Horses & Hooch: Specialized Commercial Leasing Models Image

Defining commercial real estate asset class is essentially a property explaining how it identifies — not necessarily what its original intention was or what others think it ought to be. This article discusses, from a general issue-spot and contextual analysis perspective, how lawyers ought to think about specialized leasing formats and the regulatory backdrops that may inform what the documentation needs to contain for compliance purposes.

Hyperlinked Documents: The Latest e-Discovery Challenge Image

As courts and discovery experts debate whether hyperlinked content should be treated the same as traditional attachments, legal practitioners are grappling with the technical and legal complexities of collecting, analyzing and reviewing these documents in real-world cases.

Identifying Your Practice's Differentiator Image

How to Convey Your Merits In a Way That Earns Trust, Clients and Distinctions Just as no two individuals have the exact same face, no two lawyers practice in their respective fields or serve clients in the exact same way. Think of this as a "Unique Value Proposition." Internal consideration about what you uniquely bring to your clients, colleagues, firm and industry can provide untold benefits for your law practice.

Risks and Ad Fraud Protection In Digital Advertising Image

The ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, coupled with the industry-wide adoption of programmatic advertising, poses a significant threat to the effectiveness and integrity of digital advertising campaigns. This article explores various risks to digital advertising from pixel stuffing and ad stacking to domain spoofing and bots. It will also explore what should be done to ensure ad fraud protection and improve effectiveness.

Turning Business Development Plans Into Reality Image

This article offers practical insights and best practices to navigate the path from roadmap to rainmaking, ensuring your business development efforts are not just sporadic bursts of activity, but an integrated part of your daily success.