Damages in Victorville Wrongful Death Cases

The sudden and unexpected death of a loved one caused by another person’s negligence or willful misconduct can entirely upend your family’s life. You might not know how to cope with your day-to-day life without your loved one by your side. The grief can be overwhelming and interfere with every aspect of your existence. Your loved one’s loss can also cause your family to experience severe financial struggles.

A dedicated local lawyer with experience helping people pursue damages in Victorville wrongful death cases might be able to help your family obtain justice.

Potential Economic Damages in a Wrongful Death Claim

The purpose of a wrongful death lawsuit is to compensate the family members of the deceased for the losses they experienced due to their loved one’s untimely passing. Economic losses are quantifiable losses that do not require speculation or estimation. People can usually demonstrate their economic losses by providing pay stubs, medical bills, receipts, and other documentation.

Most commonly, family members can pursue the following types of economic losses:

• Funeral, cremation, and burial costs for their deceased loved one
• Lost wages that the decedent was currently earning and financial support that the decedent would likely have contributed to the household finances in the future
• Loss of financial benefits and other gifts that the decedent would have given to their family during their lifetime
• Reduction in the amount of inheritance the decedent would have left their family
• A reasonable value for unpaid services that the deceased person would have continued to provide in their lifetime that benefited their family members, such as for childcare and other household chores

When calculating economic losses, a court would likely consider the deceased person’s:

• Age
• Health
• Occupation
• Lifestyle habits
• Anticipated life expectancy

The court would also consider the age and average life expectancy of the family members who depended on the financial support of their loved one. However, it would not consider the family member’s financial status. A seasoned wrongful death lawyer in Victorville could help a family fight for a fair and full recovery of their economic losses.

Non-Economic Losses Following a Wrongful Death

Surviving family members can also seek damages for their non-economic losses, which are harder to quantify in exact dollar figures because the impact of these losses can vary from person to person. Non-monetary damages could include:

• Loss of love, comfort, companionship, and moral support
• Loss of consortium for widowed spouses or domestic partners
• Loss in parental support, training, and guidance that a deceased parent would have provided to their child during the rest of their lifetime – The value of this type of non-economic loss would likely be greater if the surviving children are younger

Fortunately, Victorville courts do not limit the potential amount of recoverable economic and non-economic damages, except in cases where wrongful death occurs due to medical malpractice.

Our experienced legal team has a successful track record of helping grieving family members prove the validity of their non-economic losses.

Call a Victorville Attorney About Damages in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A compassionate lawyer knows that every death is different. Surviving family members all face unique challenges. The legal team at the Walter Clark Legal Group would take the time to understand what you are going through so they could help you get what you deserve for damages in Victorville wrongful death cases. Call to set up an initial consultation.