Compensation for Wrongful Death Damages

What benefits are available in a wrongful death claim? We were recently contacted by a young woman whose mother had died in a car wreck. Sooner or later, the issue comes up of what types of damages are involved in a wrongful death case. What is there to get? What benefits are there? If you’re reading this, you may be going through a similar circumstance and, for that, I’m very sorry.

Wrongful death claims are similar to other personal injury claims, but they’re unique in the sense that they involve the death of a human being. There is the actual wrongful death that is brought by the person’s loved ones for the loss of their life. Underneath that, there’s also a separate claim that’s called a survival action, and that is actually brought in the name of the estate of the person who is deceased. The damages there are related to issues such as the pain and suffering that the person experienced when they died, and can also involve other things like medical expenses.

Wrongful death cases, like other personal injury cases, can also involve punitive damages. Depending on the type of actions committed by the negligent actor, those punitive damages may be awarded. Punitive damages are typically awarded if you can show that the actor was not only negligent but that they were reckless, that they did something that was outrageous and that the person deserves to be punished.

Those are the three basic damages that you get in a wrongful death case. If you are going through anything similar to the loss of someone you love or you know someone who is going through the loss of someone they love, you have our condolences. We would be happy to sit down with you and answer any questions that you have about the wrongful death process and about the nature of the claim itself.

Have you lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence and have questions about compensation for wrongful death damages?