What Kind of Damages Can You Claim in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

Coping after the death of a loved one is incredibly complicated. Not only do you have your own grief to contend with, but you’ll also have to support the rest of your family, the deceased’s immediate family and children, as well as coping with the financial loss. All of this is bad enough, however, if your loved one was killed as a direct result of someone else’s negligence then you may have a wrongful death lawsuit on your hands.

Is wrongful death a personal injury? Click the link to find out more. Filing a wrongful death lawsuit may aid you and your family’s financial recovery from the loss of your loved one. It also allows you to seek the justice that your loved one deserves.

So, what kind of damages can you potentially claim in a wrongful death lawsuit? Read on to find out more.

Outstanding medical bills

Sadly, after someone has died in an accident, they often leave unpaid medical bills behind them. This means it’s often up to the relatives left behind to sort these issues out, especially if their insurance is refusing to payout. A successful wrongful death lawsuit will often cover the outstanding medical bills.

Funeral expenses

Do you know how much a funeral really costs? For many families, it’s an unexpected expense that they’re going to struggle to pay for. The idea of giving their loved one a send-off that they deserve seems highly unlikely. However, a successful wrongful death lawsuit will cover the funeral expenses of the deceased, relieving further financial pressure on the family left behind.

Loss of earnings

If your loved one was the breadwinner and contributed massively to the financial support of their family, you and their children, for example, you may wonder who is going to provide for them and pay their bills and rent etc. Again, a wrongful death lawsuit may be able to recover the loss of the victim’s expected earnings which will support the family.

Loss of inheritance

If your loved one was expected to leave behind an estate or a legacy for their children, and this legacy is something that they have regularly contributed to before their untimely death, then there could be a possibility of claiming for a loss of inheritance.

Mental anguish

If there are survivors left behind, whether they were involved in the initial accident or not, they may be able to claim mental anguish in a wrongful death lawsuit case.

Loss of care, love and companionship

This damage is common for partners and children who have lost a loved one and will no longer have them in their life.

In conclusion

If you believe your loved one was the victim of an accident that wasn’t their fault, speak with a PI lawyer today.