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 are what a road accident claim can add for treatment, equipment or help you are realistically expected to need after trial or settlement, not just what has already happened. This is a separate head of loss from your medical bills to date, and it depends heavily on specialist evidence.[1] It generally splits into three areas: ongoing medical treatment, home or nursing care, and aids or appliances.
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 leans on a published range of awards. Future care instead leans on what a specialist realistically expects you to need, supported by a treatment or care plan specific to you.[1] There is no published range to point to here, so the quality of that specialist evidence carries real weight.
Who typically needs this head of loss
A serious fracture requiring further surgery, a spinal or head injury needing ongoing therapy, or a permanent disability requiring daily assistance are common examples. A straightforward soft tissue injury that resolves fully usually will not need this head at all.
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 directly whether further treatment is expected, rather than assuming the case is closed once the acute injury has healed. How compensation is worked out shows where this head sits alongside the others in a road accident claim.
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)