The types of damages that may be available to you in a wrongful death lawsuit include the following:

• Medical and funeral expenses connected to the death;
• Loss of the victim’s expected earnings between the time of the death and the expected retirement or death;
• Loss of benefits like pension plans, medical coverage, and so on;
• Loss of inheritance;
• Damages for mental anguish or pain and suffering of the survivors;
• Loss of care, protection, nurturing, and companionship of the survivors;

In deciding on the amount of damages, the judge or jury will consider many things about the person who died, such as his earning history, his health, and his character. The last may include considerations of how he handled money, such as if he saved, if he gambled, or if he squandered money. The damage recovery may be less for a family whose provider gambled away half his income than for a family whose provider used all his income for family support.

About the Author

Attorney Steven Peck has been practicing law since 1981. A former successful business owner, Mr. Peck initially focused his legal career on business law. Within the first three years, after some colleagues and friend’s parents endured nursing home neglect and elder abuse, he continued his education to begin practicing elder law and nursing home abuse law.