No words are enough to describe the pain of losing a loved one. The emotional toll is simply overwhelming, and it could also pave the way for a string of financial hardships. This is why all states have laws that cover wrongful deaths so as to lessen the financial blow of a death that happened due to someone else’s fault.
It is important to know how courts break down the compensation a plaintiff gets in cases like this. Attorneys like mtnebolaw.com who work on cases of wrongful death in Spanish Fork enumerate six common types of damages the courts normally award:
Medical and Funeral Costs
First and foremost, the court decides on the compensation of the medical and funeral expenses the family has shouldered. This amount usually covers everything, from the ambulance ride to the burial.
Care of a Child
If the person who died has a child, the court provides an amount meant to sustain the needs of the young one. The legal system decides on this even when the parent who died was non-working and/or stay-at-home.
Loss of Income
This is basic, but its total amount depends on a lot of factors. Courts usually bring in economists who compute the justified amount based on life expectancy, inflation, and the income the deceased would have acquired if they were alive.
Loss of Benefits
Loss of benefits is kind of like an extension of the compensation for income loss. In this case though, the amount is meant for other workplace benefits the party was deprived of upon the loved one’s death. This includes social security, pensions, healthcare, and retirement benefits.
No compensation could ever match the life of a person – especially the ones who passed away because of someone else’s neglect. Nevertheless, this is the law’s way of providing justice for such a grim time.
Nevertheless, wrongful death cases are complex and are not something anybody can handle. It is best to talk to an experienced attorney if you ever (though hopefully, you don’t) have to file a case of this nature.