The prospect of seeking civil compensation in the wake of a loved one’s death may understandably not be at the forefront of your mind, especially right after their unexpected passing. However, the purpose of a wrongful death claim is not to put a monetary value on your loved one’s life, but rather to ensure that you and your family do not have to go through financial struggles yourself because of another person’s negligence.
Economic Losses Stemming from an Untimely Death
It is important to differentiate between wrongful death cases and survival actions, as the two types of claims are broadly similar but have different purposes in terms of recovery. In a nutshell, a wrongful death claim seeks compensation for damages suffered by a decedent’s surviving family members, while a survival action seeks damages for losses the decedent suffered immediately prior to their passing.There are numerous types of economic damages that an attorney could help a family in Frisco pursue through a wrongful death claim. In the short term, anything that a decedent’s surviving family members spent on their loved one’s funeral and burial/cremation services could be factored into a settlement demand or lawsuit, as could certain travel costs and medical expenses they paid on their loved one’s behalf prior to their death. In addition, it may be possible to recover for the decedent’s lost earning capacity. In other words, the money they would have made through work or other sources of income had they not passed away prematurely. In the same vein, dependents and heirs could potentially seek restitution for the loss of future financial support and/or the loss of future inheritance.
