Losing a loved one can cause incredible stress and pain to the family members. After all, you are losing your pillar of support. Sometimes, you may lose your family member because of the negligent, reckless, or intentional actions of someone else. Such instances will be almost unbearable and you are likely to encounter mixed emotions in such cases like anger, grief, helplessness, etc. Even though nothing can bring back your family member or compensate for your pain, you can sue the person liable for your permanent loss by filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
According to the wrongful death lawsuit, the person responsible for the wrongful death is entitled to pay financial compensation to the family members of the deceased. You can claim for both economic and non-economic damages in this case. Note that economic damages refer to your financial damages such as funeral charges, attorney fee, medical bills, loss of wages, etc. When it comes to non-economic damages, it includes all other losses such as loss of companionship, loss of support, pain and suffering, emotional distress, etc. Additionally, you can also claim for punitive damages against the defendant. This way, you can legally punish the person responsible for your irreparable loss.
While it is extremely challenging to cope up with the sudden demise of a family member, it is important to consider the realities of life and the financial obligations left behind when it comes to wrongful death cases. Hence, you must make sure to obtain maximum compensation for your eternal loss. Below are some important points that you may consider to obtain maximum monetary compensation in case of wrongful death.
Never Accept Any Settlement Offer without Consulting your Wrongful Death Attorney
It is quite common for the opposite party or their insurance representatives to try to reach out to you. Without any doubts, they may put forward many settlement offers. However, never sign any document or pass any statement regarding the wrongful death without consulting your legal advisor. Note that once you fall in their trap, you can never sue the guilty person or you are likely to get stuck with a lowball offer.
Keep a Record of Expenses
The monetary compensation that you can obtain is determined based on the damages and expenses you suffered. So, you must always keep the following documents with you to claim maximum compensation.
- Funeral expenses
- The income statement of the deceased
- Medical bills
- Attorney fees
- A document that proves your relation to the deceased
- A report from the office of medical investigator