Short answer

To persuade an insurer or a jury in Missouri that you deserve more compensation for continuing pain and future care, you must assemble clear, consistent, and reasonably certain proof of (1) the nature and severity of your injuries, (2) how those injuries cause ongoing pain and functional loss, and (3) the medical services, equipment, and other supports you will likely need in the future. Practical proof combines up‑to‑date treating medical records, objective testing, contemporaneous symptom documentation, and expert opinions that convert treatment plans into reliable cost estimates.

Detailed answer — what you must prove and how to prove it

1. The legal standard (how certainty is measured)

Missouri civil claims for future damages require a showing that future needs and costs can be established with reasonable certainty rather than mere speculation. In practice this means a claimant should show a credible medical diagnosis, a treatment plan tied to that diagnosis, objective evidence supporting ongoing impairment, and expert testimony that links the plan to a reasonable estimate of future cost and duration.

2. Key categories of evidence

• Treating medical records: Regular progress notes, diagnoses, physician treatment plans, medication lists, therapy notes, and referrals. Treating provider opinions carry strong weight.
• Objective testing and imaging: MRIs, x‑rays, CT scans, EMG/NCS, lab tests, range‑of‑motion measurements, and baseline functional testing. Objective findings support claims of ongoing physical impairment.
• Specialist and consultant reports: Independent specialist evaluations (orthopedics, neurology, pain management, psychology) that describe prognosis and recommended ongoing care.
• Life care plans and medical cost projections: A life‑care planner or treating physician who provides a written plan estimating future medical needs (e.g., surgeries, injections, durable medical equipment, home modifications, assistive services) and attaches unit costs and frequency.
• Economic and vocational reports: If your injuries affect earning capacity or require long‑term attendant care, an economist or vocational expert can translate care plans and work limitations into present‑value dollar amounts.
• Pain and function documentation: Pain diaries, activity logs, statements from family/friends about functional limits, work records showing lost time, and photos or videos of limitations (e.g., use of a cane) provide contemporaneous support.
• Medication and therapy records: Prescriptions, pharmacy fills, physical therapy attendance and progress notes, and records of pain‑management procedures (e.g., nerve blocks)

3. How experts help prove future care needs

Experts turn medical facts into admissible, persuasive economic evidence. Typical experts include:

• Treating physicians: Testimony about diagnosis, prognosis, necessity of future treatments, and likely timelines.
• Life care planners/rehabilitation specialists: Itemized future care plans listing types of care, frequency, and expected duration.
• Medical economists: Convert future care plans into present‑value dollar figures, considering inflation, life expectancy, and reasonable contingencies.
• Vocational experts: If injuries reduce earning capacity, these experts calculate future lost earnings or need for job retraining.

4. Proving non‑economic damages (pain and suffering)

Non‑economic damages (pain, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress) are subjective, so you must connect those subjective complaints to objective and contemporaneous evidence: persistent medical treatment, consistent complaints in medical records, medication regimens for pain, ongoing functional limits, and witness statements. Jurors evaluate credibility — consistent records and credible experts increase the likelihood of a higher award.

5. Presenting future costs in court or settlement negotiations

1. Obtain a written life care plan or expert report that itemizes future services and attaches unit costs.
2. Get treating physicians to adopt or corroborate the plan in written testimony or affidavits.
3. Use an economist to discount future streams of cost to present value (explain assumptions: inflation, discount rate, life expectancy).
4. Be ready to defend your experts under Missouri evidence rules: show qualifications and reliable methodologies.

6. Avoid common pitfalls

• Gaps in treatment or long delays can be used to argue your pain is not ongoing — seek consistent care and document why any gaps occurred.
• Overly speculative or unsupported future cost claims will be rejected. Tie every projected item to a medical need or credible expert opinion.
• Don’t rely solely on subjective statements. Pair pain reports with objective findings and corroborating evidence.

Helpful hints — practical checklist for building a strong claim

• Keep a daily pain and activity diary noting pain level, triggers, medications taken, and functional limits.
• Follow prescribed treatment and keep records of every visit, test, refill, and therapy appointment.
• Ask treating providers for clear, written prognoses and for specific recommended future treatments.
  • Request that the doctor tie future treatment recommendations to your diagnosis and explain why each item is medically necessary.
• Get consultations from relevant specialists and obtain written reports.
• Consider a life‑care planner or rehabilitation specialist early to translate clinical plans into cost estimates.
• Document how injuries affect daily life: witness statements from family, coworkers, or employers can be persuasive.
• Preserve bills, receipts, and invoices for current treatment and cost estimates for future items (equipment quotes, home modification estimates, etc.).
• Talk to an attorney experienced in Missouri personal injury or medical claims before accepting a settlement; they can evaluate whether expert reports are needed and arrange qualified witnesses.
• If you expect long‑term care or significant future expenses, expect expert testimony to be necessary; plan and budget for expert fees as part of the claim process.

Resources specific to Missouri

• Missouri Revised Statutes and searchable codes: https://revisor.mo.gov/
• Missouri Courts — civil rules and court resources: https://www.courts.mo.gov/
• Find a Missouri lawyer: Missouri Bar (use the lawyer referral tools on the state bar website)