Losing a loved one has always been difficult; it is even more devastating when their demise results from someone’s negligence and sometimes intentional actions. When it happens, the surviving members of the deceased could seek compensation from the at-fault party. However, before filing a wrongful death lawsuit, you should consult a wrongful death attorney to discuss the nature of the case and your chances of obtaining compensation.

This article will critically explore the damages you can recover following a wrongful death claim, including economic and non-economic damages.

  • You can be compensated for economic damages.

Economic damages include all financial losses resulting from the victim’s wrongful death.

These damages may include all medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, lost wages, and the loss of future earnings.

  • Medical expenses

You can recover compensation for all the deceased’s medical treatments before their death. These expenses will include all medical bills and costs incurred when treating the victim’s injuries before they passed on.

You can regain these expenses as part of a wrongful death claim to help the deceased family members sort out their financial burden.

  • Funeral expenses

Another type of economic damage you can recover in a wrongful death case is funeral costs. These expenses include funeral services such as cremation and burial. There are also other expenses spanning from flowers, transportation costs, and memorial services.

 You could struggle to cover huge funeral expenses yourself; therefore, recovering funeral costs from a wrongful death claim will improve your financial situation during a challenging time.

  • Loss of expected future earnings

You can also recover expected future earnings following a wrongful death of a loved one. This includes all the amount the deceased would have earned over their lifetime if they were alive. It could range from possible earnings from their current job, including any potential future income from their career growth and promotions.

Calculating expected future earnings is a complex task for most people; therefore, consulting with an experienced wrongful death attorney to help you maximize your pay is your best move.

Recovering these expenses will improve your financial security if you rely on the deceased for financial support.

  • You can also be compensated for non-economic damages

These are the intangible losses resulting from the demise of the victim. They could include pain, suffering, and emotional distress.

  • Pain and suffering

You can receive compensation for your pain and suffering in wrongful death. Pain and suffering damages are meant to compensate the deceased’s family for the death of their breadwinner.

The amount of damage compensation you can recover depends mainly on how long the deceased suffered before passing on and the impact of their death on the family.

  • Emotional distress

Emotional distress is the mental and emotional harm you experience after losing a loved one. For example, you could be anxious, depressed, humiliated, and stressed.

In a legal proceeding context, consider the emotional and the non-economic damage since it depends on your emotional well-being, not monetary losses. Therefore, you must offer reliable evidence that the at-fault party caused your emotional harm to claim emotional distress damages.

In conclusion, losing a loved one to someone’s negligence is an emotionally devastating experience. However, surviving family members can seek compensation by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault parties. This article has explored the possible damages, including economic damages like medical and funeral expenses, and non-economic damages, including pain, suffering, and emotional distress.

Seeking the guidance of an experienced wrongful death attorney to help you navigate through the complexities of the law to maximize your financial compensation is powerful.

Categories: General

Nicolas Desjardins

Hello everyone, I am the main writer for SIND Canada. I've been writing articles for more than 12 years and I like sharing my knowledge. I'm currently writing for many websites and newspapers. I always keep myself very informed to give you the best information. All my years as a computer scientist made me become an incredible researcher. You can contact me on our forum or by email at [email protected].