If you recently lost a close family member to an accident that was not their fault, trying to file a civil lawsuit over the incident may be the last thing on your mind. As uncomfortable as it might be, proactively demanding civil compensation after a fatal accident can be essential to preserving your family’s financial security and best interests for years or even decades to come.
A big part of getting a good result from a case of this nature is understanding what losses you can demand money for in the first place. Here is a broad overview of common damages in Lewisburg wrongful death cases. An experienced wrongful death lawyer can help you maximize the amount of money your family receives for them.
What Economic Damages Can Be Included in a Wrongful Death Claim?
Although the emotional and psychological trauma of losing a loved one is almost certainly at the top of your mind, it’s usually best to start with objective financial losses when trying to recover damages through a Lewisburg wrongful death claim. Economic damages are losses that can be assigned specific financial values based on quantitative evidence like bills, receipts, invoices, pay stubs, and tax returns.
Typically, economic damages in wrongful death cases center around the loss of future financial support the deceased person would’ve provided to family members who were financially dependent on them, as well as the lost value of inheritance the deceased person would’ve eventually provided. You can and should also incorporate out-of-pocket expenses stemming from a wrongful death—for instance, the costs of funeral and burial services, estate administration expenses, and any medical bills you or your family members paid on the deceased person’s behalf.
Assigning a Fair Value to Non-Economic Forms of Harm
Non-economic damages are more subjective in nature and have to be given a subjective value through qualitative evidence, like personal testimony. For certain types of non-economic damages, you can use some objective evidence to establish a fair amount of compensation to make up for them—for example, the cost of hiring someone to help with household tasks to make up for a loved one no longer being able to help handle those responsibilities.
For things like lost love and companionship, lost advice and emotional support, and lost consortium with a spouse, you need to calculate a financial value based on your own unique experiences and what courts have awarded other people for similar losses in the past. Help from a respected lawyer can be especially crucial to doing this efficiently and maximizing the total amount of money you receive for your damages in a wrongful death case in Lewisburg.
Learn More About Wrongful Death Case Damages from a Lewisburg Attorney
Money alone can’t erase the pain and trauma of losing someone close to you before their time. It can minimize the financial and personal impact this tragedy has on your family as you try to move on with your lives.
If you have further questions about damages in Lewisburg wrongful death cases or any other aspect of filing this kind of civil claim, our lawyers can provide the answers and information you need to effectively enforce your family’s rights. Call Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today to get started.
