When someone you love loses their life as a result of another person’s negligence or reckless acts, it’s well within your rights to look into making a legal claim. Depending on how you’re related to that person, you may have a right to pursue a wrongful death claim.
A wrongful death claim allows you to seek compensation for the death of someone you love who was wrongfully killed as a resulted of another person’s deliberate or negligence acts. As a family member, you will need to show that you’ve been directly impacted by their death to make this claim.
Can you file a wrongful death case?
The first thing you have to do is determine if you can file a wrongful death case. Every state is different in this regard, but it is normal for surviving spouses, parents and children to make claims. Sometimes, some extended family members or siblings may make a claim if they are financially impacted by the death.
What do you need to prove to win your case?
To start with, you will need to prove that:
- Your loved one’s death was a result of the other party’s reckless behavior, deliberate act or negligence
- You and surviving family members have suffered measurable damages, such as financial losses, as a result of their death
It’s common to see people file for wrongful deaths after people they love are killed in auto accidents, because of medical malpractice or because of a workplace accident.
What kind of compensation can you collect for your loved one’s death?
There are several kinds of compensation that you may be able to collect if your loved one has passed away. Some may include:
- Compensatory damages for lost wages
- Pain and suffering damages
- Punitive damages
- Medical costs and expenses
These are only some of the possible damages you may be able to collect.
To get your case started, you should reach out to your attorney with information about your loved one’s death. They’ll start collecting more information from witnesses or gather medical records to give you a better idea of what to expect once you file a lawsuit.