Claiming future medical and care costs
Your injury means ongoing treatment or care, and you want to know how that gets claimed.
Future medical and care costs cover the treatment, equipment or help you are expected to need after settlement or trial, not just what you have already paid. They are separate from your medical bills to date and depend heavily on specialist evidence.[1]
The three areas this claim usually covers
- Ongoing medical treatment, such as further surgery, physiotherapy or medication, covered at future medical costs.
- Help with daily living, whether paid or from family, covered at home and nursing care.
- Equipment and home changes, such as mobility aids or a ramp, covered at aids and appliances.
Why this is assessed differently from pain and suffering
General damages follow a published range of awards. Future care follows what a specialist expects you to need, supported by a treatment or care plan specific to you.[1] There is no published range, so the quality of the specialist evidence carries real weight.
Who typically needs this head of loss
Examples are a serious fracture needing further surgery, a spinal or head injury needing ongoing therapy, or a permanent disability needing daily help. A soft tissue injury that heals fully usually will not need this.
The evidence that supports it
A specialist medical report setting out what future treatment is realistically expected, and an occupational therapy assessment where daily help or equipment is involved, both matter here. The medical report for your claim explains what a strong report should include.
What to do next
Ask your treating doctor whether further treatment is expected, even after the first injury has healed. How compensation is worked out shows where this sits alongside the other parts of a road accident claim.
An independent lawyer can make sure these needs are in the claim before you settle. Send the accident date, where it happened, whether anyone was injured (yes/no) and the police report status.
Need a lawyer to handle your injury claim?
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
Common questions
Do I need to already be receiving treatment to claim for future care?
No. What matters is whether a specialist realistically expects you to need further treatment, care or equipment going forward, based on your current diagnosis and recovery, not whether it has started yet.
Can this head of loss cover care given by my own family?
Yes, generally. Care from a spouse, parent or other family member can still be reflected in a claim, based on the medical evidence of what is actually needed, even where no professional was hired.
What happens if my future needs turn out to be less than expected?
The claim aims to reflect a realistic, evidence-based estimate at the time it is assessed, not a guarantee of what will happen. This is one reason an up-to-date specialist report matters more than an early, rough one.
Is future care the same as loss of future earning capacity?
No, they are different heads of loss. Future care covers treatment, equipment and help you need, while loss of future earning capacity covers a reduced ability to earn. Both can apply to the same claim.
Sources
- Civil Law Act 1956, s.28A (Attorney General's Chambers) (accessed 2026-09-22)
Need a lawyer to handle your injury claim?
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.