Attendant care is one of the most important and probably least understood no-fault benefits available for Michigan car, truck or motorcycle accident victims. Attendant care is sometimes referred to personal aide care or nursing care. Basically, this is a benefit for people who are injured in a motor vehicle accident, like a car accident, and cannot take care of themselves and require the care and services of someone else. The person administering attendant care can be a nurse, professional home health care giver, or even your husband, wife, neighbor or friend.
Attendant care services include activities such as feedings, toileting, administering medications, personal hygiene, dressing, driving, supervision or someone just being on-call.
A common misconception is that the person providing attendant care must be a health care professional. This is simply not true. The person providing these services need not be trained medical personnel. The automobile insurance carrier is financially responsible for payments to any person who has received attendant care services so that person can pay their care providers. Attendant care services are considered a medical expense. As such, they are not limited to a certain maximum charge per day or for any time period.
Care providers are entitled to reimbursement for the time spent administering care, even if this is 24 hours per day. However, the services must qualify as being reasonable and necessary for a person’s care, recovery or rehabilitation from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.
Remember, it is unimportant who specifically performs the services. Whether it is a close family member, friend, or a highly skilled registered nurse, you are entitled to recover the benefits you deserve.
Each person that performs attendant care services should complete a home attendant care form. This form should list the date of services, a brief description of the services provided and the amount of hours spent performing the services. The Lee Steinberg Law Firm, P.C. can provide this form to you.
Attendant care services can be a vital part of a no-fault first-party case. At the Lee Steinberg Law Firm, P.C., our experienced and dedicated team of Michigan no-fault attorneys work hard to get compensation for attendant care services performed.
Please contact Michigan no-fault attorneys at 1-800-LEE-FREE (1-800-533-3733) to learn more about attendant care service benefits and the Michigan no-fault law.