How much a wrongful death lawsuit is worth will depend on a variety of factors. How your loved one’s passing took place, how preventable it was, how integral your loved one’s income was to your family, the cost of medical expenses prior to their death, and the amount of income they made are just a few of the items that will be taken into account when determining the settlement value.
In purely economic terms, every wrongful death lawsuit does have a certain value or worth, but compensation can vary widely from one case to another. It is impossible to know how much a wrongful death lawsuit is worth without assessing the individual case in detail. To better understand how much your wrongful death lawsuit may be worth, you can seek the advice of a wrongful death attorney.
Types of Compensation
While no monetary compensation can stop the grief or soften the blow of an unexpected and heartbreaking loss, a wrongful death lawsuit seeks to help surviving family members address their loved one’s absence.
In Georgia, the family of the decedent could be entitled to seek compensation for a wide range of damages. A wrongful death claim can address both the losses experienced by the surviving family members, as well as the suffering endured by the decedent until the time of their death.
Compensation that survivors could seek in a wrongful death lawsuit includes:
- Hospital stays
- Medical treatment costs
- Funeral expenses
- Burial expenses
- Emotional anguish
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship
- Financial losses suffered from the absence of your loved one
In assessing the worth of a wrongful death lawsuit, the court may also assess any lost benefits the family members would have received from the decedent. This can include any financial contribution the decedent would have provided for their family in the future through either work or other means.
For a free legal consultation, call (404) 888-8888
Types of Wrongful Death Lawsuits
In general, wrongful death takes place when an individual dies due to another entity’s misconduct or negligence. Many different circumstances can lead to wrongful death, including:
- Medical malpractice
- Car and truck accidents
- Exposure to toxic substances
- Work accidents
- Defective products
- Premises liability
- Deliberate injury or killing
- Nursing home neglect
- Boating and aviation accidents
- Dog bites and attacks
The list is not exhaustive. Wrongful death can occur in any circumstance where a person dies due to negligence or the deliberate acts of another party. There is also no definitive amount of compensation that can be recovered for each of these situations.
A helpful tip for how to handle the search for an attorney to represent your case, is to stay specific. For example, if you have lost a loved one due to nursing home neglect in Georgia, contact a local nursing home abuse lawyer in Atlanta. They will know all the ins and outs of state laws regarding nursing home abuse and neglect.
Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Only specific persons may file wrongful death claims in the state of Georgia. Generally, the people who are first eligible to file a claim are the spouse and children of the deceased. If parents lost a child to wrongful death, they may be able to file a lawsuit as well. Depending on the circumstances of your case, others may be able to file a suit. A lawyer can explain more about who is eligible to file.
Adhering to the Statute of Limitations
It is important to note that relatives do not have an unlimited amount of time to file a wrongful death lawsuit. According to O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, you must file your lawsuit within two years of the death of your loved one in order to make a recovery.
Extensions are always possible when it comes to wrongful death lawsuits. However, we recommend that you file your lawsuit as quickly as possible. This will eliminate the possibility of you being unable to recover compensation. If you elect to seek the legal counsel of a Atlanta wrongful death lawyer, the sooner you contact them, the more time they will have to compile evidence and work on your case.
If you believe that you have the right to file a wrongful death claim, complete a Free Case Evaluation form now.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
A Wrongful Death Lawyer Can Help You Recover Compensation
A sudden and unexpected death in the family is not only tragic and heartbreaking, but it can also cause financial hardship. Moreover, if the decedent formerly handled a family’s finances, bills, and bank accounts, the surviving spouse or family may now feel overwhelmed. This might not only be due to the loss of their loved one but also due to a stack of unfamiliar paperwork and responsibilities.
In addition to these new bills and responsibilities, there are also all the unexpected end-of-life expenses, including medical bills and costs for the funeral.
You do not have to go through this on your own. Your attorney can assist you with handling your wrongful death claim. This will leave you free to grieve and spend time with your loved ones while knowing that someone is working to ensure you recover financial compensation.
Our Legal Services
Wrongful death claims can be challenging to prove. However, we can help you with your claim in a variety of ways, including:
- Thoroughly investigating your claim and losses
- Providing legal advice and guidance
- Preparing your lawsuit and building a case against the negligent party
- Negotiating with the at-fault party and their insurance company
- Taking your claim to trial if necessary
Your lawyer will handle all the legal aspects of your case. For more information, click to contact our personal injury lawyers today.
Click to contact our personal injury lawyers today
Proving Negligence in a Wrongful Death Case is Integral to Recovering Compensation
When we take on your case, we will demonstrate the four elements of negligence to prove the other party holds liability for your loved one’s passing. We may conduct our own investigation into the accident and gather evidence to establish that the other party’s carelessness led to your loved one’s fatal injuries.
Duty of Care
Our first step is to establish that the liable party owed your loved one a duty of care. Depending on your case, duty of care can apply in different ways.
For example, property owners must maintain their premises so that they are safe for guests, patrons, and invitees. Similarly, motorists must follow traffic laws to provide a reasonable level of safety to other motorists and pedestrians, while employers must maintain a safe work environment and train their employees to conduct their work in a hazard-free way.
Breach of Duty
We can also help prove that the liable party breached this duty of care through a negligent act. For example, a property owner may have failed to warn guests about loose floorboards or other hazards on the premises. A negligent driver may have failed to yield the right of way when turning.
Causation
From there, we will connect this breach of duty of care to the accident. We can help prove that their negligence either caused or contributed to the accident that resulted in your loved one’s fatal injuries. To do this, we will speak with professionals, review medical records and eyewitness testimonies, and secure any other evidence that can prove causation.
Damages
Finally, we can calculate your losses and gather evidence to prove that your loved one’s passing caused you losses. These losses can be both financial, like funeral expenses, and non-economic, like loss of consortium. When these economic and non-economic damages are compiled together, you will have your optimal wrongful death settlement value.
Wrongful Death FAQs
How Hard Is It to Prove Wrongful Death?
What Happens After a Wrongful Death Deposition?
Can Siblings Sue for Wrongful Death in Georgia?
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What Is the Average Settlement for a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
Contact Our Wrongful Death Lawyers Today
A wrongful death attorney with our firm can protect your legal rights and fight for what you and your family deserve. We can communicate with other entities, including the at-fault party and their attorney, while you concentrate on your family and begin healing from your devastating loss.
To learn how much your wrongful death lawsuit is worth, contact our wrongful death lawyers today for a free consultation.
Call or text (404) 888-8888 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
