This blog recently discussed what happens if a teenager is killed in a car accident. It is helpful to take a closer look at wrongful death legal protections that apply when a loved one has been killed in an accident.
Wrongful death actions can provide for surviving families members of loved ones who are wrongfully, and usually unexpectedly, killed in an accident because of the negligence of another person. These legal protections can ensure that the family receives the help they need with the financial and emotional damages they have suffered. While compensation can certainly never replace the loss of a loved one, it can help the family with the unexpected financial and emotional strain associated with the abrupt loss of a loved one.
The damages available in a wrongful death claim are unique to the characteristics of the victim and circumstances of the loss and take into account the lost loved one’s age; life expectancy; education and career; earning capacity or potential; and familial and spousal relationships. A wrongful death claim for damages is brought on behalf of the lost loved one’s estate for the benefit of surviving family members. Surviving family members may be able to recover compensation for funeral and medical expenses; loss of support and services; lost prospect of inheritance; and loss of companionship.
Although the process may seem technical at times, personal injury attorneys can help families with their needs during an understandably difficult time. Surviving family members should be familiar with the different legal protections available to them when they have suffered a loss because of someone else’s carelessness.