Wrongful death claims are a type of civil lawsuit that can be filed if a person is killed due to the negligence of someone else. Deaths that happen from an accident, such as being hit by a car, are common examples of wrongful death claims. These claims can be filed by the decedent’s spouse, parents, children, or close relatives.
The purpose of a wrongful death claim is to help pay for losses that the survivors suffer because of the fatal accident. These can include burial costs and even money for pain and suffering, depending on the situation. You can hire a personal injury attorney from Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein LLP to ensure that you get the deserving compensation.
Let us now see into the damages that can be compensated in a wrongful death claim.
- Medical expenses
You can get compensation for the medical expenses of the decedent. These include things such as hospital bills for the immediate care and treatment of the decedent, surgery, prescription drugs, and doctor fees. A personal injury attorney can help you receive compensation for these medical costs.
- Mental pain and suffering
In addition to physical pain and suffering, a wrongful death claim can also be filed for mental pain and suffering. This can include the shock that people went through when they heard that their loved one had been killed.
- Funeral expenses
In the event of a wrongful death claim, you can also get compensation for funeral expenses, such as hiring a funeral director and processing the body for burial or cremation. You can also get money for travel costs to bring the decedent’s body from place to place after he or she died.
- Loss of services and support
You can also get compensation for loss of services and support from the decedent. This includes loss of companionship and recreation, loss of financial support from the decedent’s death, loss of inheritance that was intended to be shared by the decedent, and mental anguish by watching the person you loved die.
- Losses incurred by the estate
In the event that the decedent had assets at the time of death, you can file a wrongful death claim for compensation. This includes loss of taxes and compensation from taxes that are due or that have not been paid to other family members because of their lack of financial support for them.