Economic Damages in a Wrongful Death Case

Losing a family member is always heartbreaking and traumatic. Whether they were ill for a while or passed away suddenly, the experience is frequently overwhelming. Furthermore, the consequences of their passing can become a huge financial burden as well.

It is already challenging to be forced to deal with the death of a loved one, but the loss can become crippling if you are financially damaged due to their death. If you live in Dallas and have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another person Grossman Law Offices may be able to assist you through this difficult time of recovery.

What are Some Types of Economic Damages?

Economic damages are any actual monetary losses you may have incurred due to your loved one's death. These damages might include the amount of money you had to spend on the funeral and burial of your family member. Funerals can be incredibly expensive and easily cost over $5,000.

You may also be able to recover any medical costs which were incurred in the treatment of your loved one before they died. Sometimes, people do not die instantly due to their injuries, and often are treated in a hospital prior to their passing. Since your family member ended up dying from their injuries, you may end up being responsible for the payment of these medical bills.

For example, say your loved one was involved in a car accident on I-75 in Dallas. The other driver was drunk and negligently hit your family member's car while driving the wrong way down the freeway. Although your loved one was wearing their seat belt, they sustained critical injuries due to this head-on collision.

Despite being taken to Parkland Hospital, your family member died and had no health insurance to pay for the medical treatment. In a scenario like this, your family may be expected to pay for these expenses and consequently, these costs can be calculated as part of your economic damages in your wrongful death claim.

Another type of economic damages is commonly referred to as loss of future income. If your family member who died contributed to the total income of the household, it can become an incredible burden on the family when they are no longer contributing due to their death. Loss of future income takes into account your family's reliance upon this regular income and takes into consideration the future loss you will suffer down the road.

How Do We Calculate Them?

Calculating damages like those for loss of future income can be very challenging. We can add up the total amount of income that you will have lost and include this amount in our total calculation of "damages" in your wrongful death lawsuit. This requires our attorneys to calculate the number of years your loved one had left for work and multiplying that times their salary.

For example, if your loved one was 35 when they died, they probably had at least 30 more years to work until they retired. We would then multiply this number times the amount they earned each year. We might also include any medical benefits that your family received through your loved one's job and include these expenses in your suit for compensation.

Calculating your total amount of damages in a wrongful death claim can be incredibly challenging. Furthermore, adding all the costs is not enough. We must also prove each and every dollar listed in your damages and convince the court that the defendant is responsible for all of your costs. There are numerous expenses which may be included and these types of claims often involve hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars.

To read about non-economic damages available in a wrongful death case, click here.

Our attorneys at Grossman Law Offices are very experienced in calculating these costs and evaluating which expenses should be included. If your loved one has been killed due to the negligence of another person, we may be able to assist you by using our vast experience in wrongful death claims. To learn more about your potential recovery, call Grossman Law Offices at 1-855-326-0000.

By E. Michael Grossman

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