Types of Compensation Available in a Wrongful Death Claim

When someone close to you dies, the emotional toll can be substantial. It’s also possible that you will experience hefty financial burdens in the event that you depended on the deceased individual. If another person or company was responsible for the death, you might have the ability to file a wrongful death claim. When filing this type of claim, there is a range of different forms of compensation that you may want to seek.

What Is a Wrongful Death Claim?

A wrongful death claim is an action taken by some of the survivors of the deceased individual against the person who caused the accident and subsequent injuries. In most cases, spouses and children will always have the ability to file one of these lawsuits. The same is true for other family members who may have been financially dependent on this person.

Economic or Noneconomic Damages

The two primary types of damages that can be sought with wrongful death claims include economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are ones that directly involve the financial impact of the injury and eventual death. These damages typically include medical bills and funeral costs, loss of expected earnings, loss of benefits like medical coverage, and loss of inheritance caused by an untimely death. The non-economic damages that your case might qualify for include damages for the pain and suffering of any survivor, a loss of consortium, and a loss of love and companionship. Non-economic damages can be calculated with a variety of different methods.

Additional Forms of Compensation

Some of the other types of compensation that you might be able to seek include punitive damages as well as compensation for attorney fees. When punitive damages are sought with a wrongful death lawsuit, this means that the defendant must have displayed reckless behavior that caused the accident to occur in the first place. These damages are designed to punish the individual who caused the accident. A personal injury lawyer can help you determine which forms of compensation could be sought with the wrongful death lawsuit that you wish to file.