The all out effort, time, and expense required to successfully negotiate the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program prompted our major law firm to never accept another vaccine injury case. We are further concerned that life care plans used to determine settlement amounts are forwarded to annuity or trust companies, with the stipulation labels remaining. In our experience, copies of the life care plan have also been requested by courts and banks. A child s needs will inevitably vary. Type or frequency of therapies can and do change.
New treatments become available.
Labels remaining on life care plans used to determine payment schedules, leave open a real risk that at any time someone might withhold funds if monies aren t spent specifically as tagged. We are extremely uncomfortable that an individual as far removed as a bank clerk can potentially have a say over Stephen s care because a treatment is not listed on his life care plan. Every family who has gone through this system faces the same threat to their child s welfare. Might I suggest that such labels be removed in the future before sending out the plan, and that a letter be issued to clarify the ability of legal guardians to utilize funds in the most appropriate manner for the injured individual in their care. Part of that care was to protect him from harm and life-threatening diseases.