What damages are available in a Wrongful Death?

The death of a loved one can be devastating for all surviving family members. Sadly, the pain can be greater if the death was caused by the negligence of another person or corporation. In legal terminology, the death at the hands of another is often referred to as a Wrongful Death. The Wrongful Death of a person can be due to the action of a person, corporation, or agents of that corporation. It can also be due to unsafe conditions on the street, railroad or machinery under their operation.

Surviving family members can claim both economic and non-economic damages by filing a Wrongful Death action. The Wrongful Death lawyers at Kaveny + Kroll can help in determining the amount sought against the responsible parties.

Economic damages are financial losses that can be calculated. The family members of the deceased person can seek compensation for monetary losses due to the Wrongful Death of a loved one. They can file a claim for the loss of income due to the Wrongful Death actions. They can seek compensation for the loss of compensation the deceased could have provided in the future. Also, family members of a Wrongful Death case can seek additional means of compensation for economic items such as medical expenses incurred in treating the deceased prior to their death, family counseling expenses, and burial expenses.

Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are a bit more difficult to calculate. The compensation for non-economic damages is often a contentious issue in a Wrongful Death case. Experienced Wrongful Death attorneys at Kaveny + Kroll can assist in seeking fair compensation for non-economic damages.

Surviving family members can seek compensation for the grief, sorrow, and mental suffering one has sustained as a result of the death of a loved one. Similarly, family members can be compensated for the loss of mutual benefits that each family member would have received from the deceased including love, affection, care, attention, companionship, comfort, guidance and protection.

Often times, a component of the Wrongful Death action is the Survival Action. The family can also be compensated if there is evidence of Survival to have resulted from the negligent conduct of another person during the time period between the time of the family member’s injuries and the time of their death. This is known as a Survival Action. Call the lawyers at Kaveny + Kroll for a free consultation.