When someone dies due to the negligence of another, a wrongful death lawsuit may be filed. A person can file monetary compensation if they are financially dependent on that person who died or lost their partner in life. They can also file if they have suffered emotional and/or physical injuries. These types of lawsuits are typically filed by close family members and spouses.
The types of compensation available through these actions vary depending on what type of loss was suffered, but examples include funeral expenses, medical bills from treatments related to the injury or illness, pain and suffering caused by the death, mental anguish over the loss, punitive damages for intentional misconduct against an individual’s civil rights, such as abuse, and lost earnings potential.
In this article, we provide a brief overview of wrongful death lawsuits, including how they are caused, the most common types of damages awarded through wrongful death lawsuits, and who has the right to make a claim.