Dealing with a death in the family can leave you devastated. If you are the spouse who has to pick up the pieces after the untimely passing of your loved one, you might be overwhelmed with the emotions that you have to endure.
Knowing that the death of your loved one was avoidable can add to your anguish. In such circumstances, it can be crucial to have the support of your family and friends. In order to avenge the death of your loved one, you have to take action.
By holding the negligent parties responsible, you can ensure that your pain and suffering will be offset to a degree. You will be able to get some closure by making sure that the negligent party pays for their negligence.
1. Understanding Wrongful Death
An act, omission, or negligence of someone else causes a wrongful death. The actions or inaction of a person can sometimes be so significant that they can cause the death of a person. This can be in the form of a road accident or a workplace accident.
Sometimes, property owners can leave things unattended on their premises, which can lead to the death of a visitor. Pedestrian-related accidents and motorcycle-related deaths are also counted as wrongful deaths when they are a result of gross negligence from the liable party.
If a caregiver is negligent in the performance of their duties or due to the negligence of a doctor, your loved one loses their life; it will also be classified as a wrongful death.
2. The Medical Expenses Incurred
If your loved one passes away in the hospital, there is a real possibility that they would have undergone some medical treatment. In case of an accident, this medical treatment can be significant and can cost a considerable amount of money. The ambulance ride alone can be thousands of dollars.
In addition to the shock and horror of your loved one’s passing, you are met with these medical bills as well. It might feel like the world is slipping from underneath you. After all, these medical bills have to be paid. This is why you need to account for these bills when you seek compensation for the wrongful death of your loved one.
3. Loss of Potential Income
If your loved one has passed away in a work-related accident, then you have to account for the loss of potential income. Depending on their age and the position they worked at, there is a certain expectation of potential income if they had lived on.
This could be especially devastating if your loved one were the sole breadwinner of your family. Due to their untimely passing, you can end up in a financial rut that can be impossible to get out of. This situation can only be remedied by seeking compensation.
The amount of compensation needs to be adjusted according to the potential income of the deceased, and your claim should be adjusted for it.
4. Costs Incurred After the Passing
The passing of a loved one brings on additional costs. There are a number of arrangements that need to be made after the passing of a loved one. Things like the purchase of a casket and arranging for a funeral home can be expensive.
You cannot pay all of these expenses out of pocket, which is why you should seek compensation for them as well. You have to realize that due to the negligence of someone else, you have to incur these costs, and there is no sense in paying them out of pocket.
5. The Emotional Toll of the Death
The emotional toll the death of a loved one can take on you can be immeasurable. One cannot put a value on the emotional suffering the death of a loved one can bring on. You might require counseling to make yourself functional again.
There is also the loss of companionship. Coming home and realizing that your loved one will never coexist with you in your home can make life a tragedy. The emotional toll of all these factors can have a significant impact on you.
By holding the liable party responsible and making them pay for their negligence, you can get some closure. It cannot bring your loved one back, but you can get some satisfaction from it.
6. Assistance from a Lawyer
The aftermath of losing a loved one can be devastating. You might not be able to make sense of things, and the gravity of the situation might be lost to you. Your brain does this to protect you from the overwhelming trauma of the loss.
In such circumstances, having the assistance of a lawyer can make things easier. You can look for Huntsville Wrongful Death Lawyers to get some help on the matter. A wrongful death lawyer will be able to handle a number of things for you so that you can focus on recovering from the trauma of the loss.
7. Social Factors to Consider
Another thing that can affect the compensation amount in case of a wrongful death is the social standing of the deceased. The compensation amount for the wrongful death of a loved one has to be adequate enough to support the lifestyle of the family.
If the deceased had children, their studies would not be affected. Similarly, the lifestyle and comfort that the family had should be maintained to an extent. All of this can be achieved if the compensation amount accounts for these factors.
8. Adequate Settlement Options
Once you start the process and file a lawsuit for compensation, it is more than likely that you will get a settlement offer. The initial settlement offers are usually low, and there can be a lot of room for negotiation.
However, the emotional anguish that you might be facing at the time can put you in a position where you might not be able to fight for your rights. This is why it can be beneficial to rely on your lawyer to handle the negotiations for you.
Your lawyer will have an idea of how strong your case is and how much compensation you can get for the wrongful death of your loved one, which can enable them to get you the compensation you deserve.
