Settling a Collin County Wrongful Death Case

How Much Could an Untimely Death Settlement Be Worth?

As with any personal injury settlement, there is no set standard for how much money the average claimant in Collin County could get from a wrongful death settlement. This is because the settlement is intended to compensate surviving family members of a deceased accident victim for specific losses they personally endured due to their loved one’s death, so what might be a fair settlement offer in one situation would not necessarily fit another situation.

In general, a settlement demand following someone’s unlawful passing may factor in both economic and non-economic forms of harm, including:

• Funeral and burial costs
• Hospital bills covered by surviving family members rather than the decedent
• Loss of inheritance
• Loss of financial support
• Emotional and psychological trauma
• Loss of love and companionship
• Loss of consortium by a spouse

Certain factors may increase or decrease the value of non-economic forms of harm, such as the decedent’s age, the decedent’s health before their passing, what kind of income they could have expected to make in the future, and even their overall temperament. Notably, non-economic damages in wrongful death cases stemming from medical malpractice are capped under state law. The applicable cap increases with inflation every year, so it may be worth seeking clarification from a qualified lawyer about whether this rule would affect a particular case, and if so, to what degree.