Life Care Planning in Traumatic Brain Injury Cases: Key Distinctions and Litigation Strategies for Attorneys

Richard S. Kaplan, M.D. | Kaplan Life Care Plan

Richard S. Kaplan, M.D. earned his BS in Engineering Science and a Doctor of Medicine degree with research distinction from the University of Miami College of Engineering and the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1990. Subsequently, Dr. Kaplan completed an internship in internal medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr. Kaplan became Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 1995. Since completion of his medical training almost 30 years ago, Dr. Kaplan has continuously maintained a private practice of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

For 15 years he was the Medical Director of acute inpatient rehabilitation at Uniontown Hospital, Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Additionally, treats outpatient with a wide variety of pain and physical disability issues. Dr. Kaplan is licensed in 10 states, and he is certified as a life care planner. For over 25 years, he has participated extensively in a wide variety of forensic evaluations related to physical rehabilitation including evaluations of pain, disability, medical malpractice, personal injury, impairment, and medical necessity issues. Dr. Kaplan’s forensic work in this regard is spread widely and essentially equally among requests from plaintiff’s, defendants, and neutral bodies such as government entities.

Additionally, within his practice of life care planning, Dr. Kaplan subspecializes in life expectancy consultation; he maintains an extensive personal library of LCP-related peer reviewed literature and has developed software applications and databases to help in him analyzing such cases. Dr. Kaplan has additionally taught life care planning courses to other life care planners nationally through SEAK and Strafford.

Mackenzie E. Wilson | Munley Law

Mackenzie E. Wilson is an attorney at Munley Law where she concentrates her practice on trucking crashes, motor vehicle collisions, and medical malpractice cases. Mackenzie represents accident victims, including many suffering from traumatic brain injuries. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, American Association for Justice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and the Melvin Belli Society.

Mackenzie has received numerous awards within the profession including being named to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch List and selected to the Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Attorneys by the National Trial Lawyers Association. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Scranton and her law degree from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

Session I – Life Care Planning in Traumatic Brain Injury Cases: Key distinctions and litigation strategies for attorneys | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

• Distinguishing between TBI vs Post-Concussion Syndrome
• Basic Medical Cost vs Long-Term Attendant Care Impact upon Life Care Plan
• Life Expectancy Calculation in TBI
• Full Life Care Plan vs. Mediation Statement/Preliminary Life Care Plan

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

Session II – Mastering Life Care Plans in Complex Injury Litigation: Strategies for depositions, mediation, and trial | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

• Briefing: Why consider a life care plan in traumatic brain injury cases
• The Development of Life Care Plans and the Role of Life Car Planners
• Evaluating Services and Costs in Traumatic Brain Injury Cases
• Understanding the Methodology Behind Life Care Plans
• How a Life Care Plan Helps the Attorney
• Handling Life Care Plans in Mediation
• Strategies for Challenging or Defending Life Care Planners at Depositions or Trial