Filing for wrongful death with an experienced attorney is the best path forward when someone you care about dies. Someone else’s negligence or misconduct can devastate your family’s lives, including finances.
However, a fair settlement from the tragedy can help pay overwhelming bills and credit card debt. You can still support your kids with food on the table and a roof over their heads without the primary breadwinner. And it can deter that individual, business, or another liable party from causing a victim’s death in the future.
Although a successful wrongful death lawsuit can’t bring your loved one back, it can allow you and your relatives to receive compensation for their loss. Moving forward from the wrongful death accident and regaining financial stability is crucial to growing from the tragedy.
Type of Wrongful Death Compensation
You can pursue financial and emotional losses for reimbursement when bringing a wrongful death case to the county court.
Most victims believe a judge will demand the defendant pay for funeral/burial expenses, medical expenses, and loss of income. These economic damages have concrete dollar amounts the responsible party should cover.
But the great news is that a skilled wrongful death attorney can also fight for legal damages related to psychological trauma. The loss of your spouse or child, emotional distress, and pain and suffering are all valid toward your settlement.
What Is Your Wrongful Death Case Worth?
Determining the value of a wrongful death case can be extremely difficult. As you can imagine, each case varies based on its unique circumstances. There is no such thing as a standard wrongful death settlement calculator to determine how much financial support you can receive.
In some cases, you and the defendant can settle the financial reward out of court, sparing your family the stress of a trial. But others demand you and the killer enter the hearing with evidence and eye-witness testimony to settle the amount.
We recommend partnering with a reputable wrongful death lawyer who can estimate how much your case is worth. They can guide you through the complicated court system and fight on your behalf so you can support your family.
Estimating Your Wrongful Death Settlement
Some parts of estimating your wrongful death settlement are straightforward, such as your late family member’s potential earnings and medical costs. But other damages are more challenging to calculate and require a legal expert to decipher. Ultimately, the courts decide how much compensation your family receives based on your petition and case facts.
To calculate punitive damages and economic damages, you must answer several questions. These involve revealing personal details regarding the wrongful death claim and your loved one’s death.
- When did the incident occur?
- What was the age of your family member when they passed away?
- What are the details of the person’s job and salary?
- What are the ages of any dependents?
- What was the condition of your loved one’s health before their death?
- What type of situation led to the death of your loved one? (For example, was their passing related to a car accident, defective product, work-related death, etc.)?
- What medical expenses did you incur?
Insurance Companies and Recovering Damages
In select situations, insurance companies may cover a wrongful death settlement by using liability coverage for the victim. They review medical malpractice, vehicle collision, or other work-related events to determine how much they payout. However, the defendant’s company will often not cover the full extent of your losses.
Insurance policies typically have a policy limit amount that only provides your family a portion of the funeral costs without compensating the rest of your suffering. You can lose in a wrongful death claim even if you receive a settlement by obtaining less than what the killer owes.
Our team urges you to find experienced legal representation that understands these underhanded tactics so your family can move forward.
Calculate a Settlement with Professionals
You should never have to deal with a wrongful death claim by yourself, especially when supporting your family through a tragic loss. And it doesn’t help when crooked insurance companies and lawyers will do everything to minimize your settlement.
With over 25 years of experience, our educated wrongful death attorneys are ready to advise and assist you during this challenging time. We will work to help you maximize your financial award to receive the compensation you deserve now and in the future.
Our goal is to get you back on your feet after losing a loved one so your family can regain financial and emotional stability.
You can easily schedule a free consultation with one of our empathic team members by calling our law firm at (800) 874-3528. It would be our pleasure to hear your story and develop a close attorney-client relationship.