When you think of disability cases, you may think of adults who have been hurt at work or in an auto accident. But when a child is permanently injured in an accident, this injury may affect the child’s ability to work and earn money when they become an adult.
Certainly, the cost of long-term medical care that will be required to deal with the child’s physical impairments may be what first comes to mind. However, in addition to the immediate surgeries, medications and ancillary care, there are the potential cognitive and emotional needs your child may have. The impact on you as a parent, your other children, the injured child’s siblings, can also be affected and a source of your concern.
The effect on the child’s future employability and earnings potential are opinions provided by vocational experts. The severity of disability, age at the time of onset, intellectual and emotional impairments are all part of the earnings capacity equation.
How Do Accidents involving Impact Income?
A child’s disability may also affect their parents’ earnings. For instance, a mother or father can have a labor force loss when they are responsible for home care for their disabled child.
Mothers and fathers of disabled children can make less money over their work life expectancy when they choose to take time off to care for their child. Estimates for the amount of loss to the family vary depending on the methodology, jurisdiction, and data used, but the economic costs can be significant.
Dr. Manges has offered opinions on the long-term employment impact of children and their families when the child has experienced a brachial plexus birth injury, physical scarring, and disfigurement from animal attacks, cognitive decline due to traumatic brain injury and loss of vision due to a defective toy. Do you have a need for such an evaluation? Is your child being affected by a loss due to someone else’s negligence?
Dr. Kenneth Manges is a vocational expert who provides earning capacity evaluations and testimony for families involved in litigation.
If you have a need for a free consultation about how and if Dr. Manges can help you, have your attorney call Dr. Manges at 513-784-1333 Dr. Manges has over 40 years of experience in evaluating plaintiffs who have suffered catastrophic injuries. His approach is client-centered and results-oriented.