Claiming your future medical costs

Future medical costs cover treatment you are expected to need after your claim is assessed, not only what you have already paid. This can include further surgery, ongoing physiotherapy or long-term medication connected to your injury. It is assessed on your specialist’s evidence, separately from bills already incurred.^[1]

What counts as a future medical cost

Planned surgery, revision procedures, ongoing physiotherapy or rehabilitation, and medication expected to continue for a defined period are common examples. So is specialist follow-up, such as regular reviews for a spinal or head injury.

How this differs from your medical bills so far

Bills already paid are part of special damages, proven with receipts you already hold. Future medical costs instead rest on a forecast, so the strength of your specialist’s opinion matters more than any receipt.

The evidence that supports it

A treating specialist’s report setting out what further treatment is expected, roughly how many sessions or procedures, and over what period, is the core evidence here. A cost estimate from the treating hospital or clinic, where available, adds useful detail even though the court makes the final assessment.

Where this fits with other future needs

Future medical costs sit within the wider future medical and care claim, alongside separate heads for home and nursing care and aids and appliances. Where surgery specifically is expected, claiming for future surgery goes into more depth on that situation.

What to do next

Ask your treating specialist whether further treatment is expected, and request it in writing as part of your medical report for your claim. Update this evidence if your treatment plan changes before the claim is resolved.

An independent lawyer can take the claim on and put your specialist’s plan into it. Send the accident date, where it happened, whether anyone was injured (yes/no) and whether relevant records are available, without sending them.