Wrongful death lawsuits involve unique compensation or “damages.” The most common damages asserted in a wrongful death claim involve monies spent on caring for and burying your loved one, such as medical bills and funeral expenses. Another common damage involves the monetary contribution that your loved one would have provided to his or her family. These might include:

• Lost wages
• Lost benefits such as pension or retirement plans
• Loss of inheritance
• Loss of the value of the services that your loved one would have provided to his or her family

These damages may require an expert to predict how long your loved one would have lived and how much he or she would have earned in their lifetime. These calculations can be difficult, so using an experienced wrongful death attorney is particularly important to ensure that you get these calculations right.

Other damages are based on emotional loss. There is no replacement for your loved one, but the law does allow compensation for your loss. While money is never a good replacement for the loss of your spouse, child, or loved one, it is the only remedy that the law can offer. Damages that are more focused on emotional losses may include:

• Damages for mental anguish
• Loss of love and companionship
• Loss of consortium (for the spouse)
• Loss of the care, advice, training, and nurturing that your loved one would have provided children or other dependents.

In rare situations, there may be one more form of damage available. These damages are referred to as punitive damages because they are designed to punish the wrongdoer. They are more focused on the action of the person at fault, instead of looking at your loss. These damages are only available in particularly egregious situations. When you see very large jury verdicts for wrongful death, they often involve punitive damages.