Most Common Damages Sought in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit - Mazow | McCullough, PC
Schedule Your Free Consultation
Schedule Your Free Consultation

Most Common Damages Sought in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Beyond the absolute emotional devastation that a wrongful death can bring to a family, there are many unexpected expenses that can arise. If a deceased loved one’s untimely death was brought on by the negligence of another person or a company, the family of the deceased may be able to bring a wrongful death claim forward for damages. Learn more about the most common damages sought in a wrongful death claim.

Funeral Expenses

The average funeral costs approximately $7181.00[1], but can cost as much as $10,000 depending on the arrangements that are made.

Medical Expenses

If your loved one was transported to the hospital before their passing and received any sort of medical treatment, you will have these expenses to contend with as well. While the basic hospital expenses of a loved one being transported and declared at the hospital might just be a few thousand dollars, if they were resuscitated at any point or underwent any emergency procedures in an attempt to save their life, a family could be looking at hospital expenses in the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Lost Future Wages

If a deceased loved one was a part-time or primary wage earner, it is important to count these damages with the total claim. A forensic financial expert can help calculate what your deceased loved one would have made up until the time of their expected natural passing, including potential raises and benefits your loved one would have been likely to get as they continued their career.

Loss of Consortium

Loss of consortium is a non-exact figure that is estimated when a family loses a loved one. It is the court’s attempt to compensate a family for the loss of companionship, comfort, love, and affection that the deceased would have given to their loved ones in their natural lifetime.

Punitive Damages

If the action or lack of action that caused your loved one to pass away was particularly negligent or egregious, punitive damages may also be sought. Punitive damages are less about compensating the deceased’s family for the loss of their loved one and more about penalizing the person(s) whose wanton carelessness caused their death. Hospitals may be fined hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions in cases of medical malpractice. In cases of discrimination, companies may also be fined as a penalty.

If you have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence or carelessness, it’s important that you secure legal representation right away. Although no amount of money can soften the emotional blow of the sudden death of a loved one, it can help buffer the expenses that result.

Contact Mazow | McCullough, P.C. today for more information on how to bring a wrongful death claim forward and what types of damages you may be able to receive compensation for in order to ensure that justice is done on the behalf of your loved one.

[1] https://smartasset.com/life-insurance/how-much-does-the-average-funeral-cost