Nothing hurts like losing a loved one. The pain never stops and it becomes a part of your everyday life. The stress is over the roof, and it could affect every aspect of your life. You may not be able to focus on your work, you may become depressed and stop caring about yourself and others around you, and your life could turn upside-down.
If your loved one died in an accident which may have been caused by someone else, you could use the law and file a wrongful death claim against the person responsible for causing the accident. The money will never be able to replace your loved one, but it will definitely help you with:
- The deceased medical bills prior to their death
- Funeral and burial costs
You could also receive compensation for:
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of a parent
- Losing your household income
- The deceased’s potential income if they had lived long enough
All of these things are calculated separately by experienced attorneys whose job is to take care of the surviving family members and help them achieve the compensation they deserve. Consider calling wrongful death attorneys in San Francisco if you recently lost a loved one as a result of someone else’s negligent actions.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim?
You have to understand that in order to obtain compensation for the loss of your loved one, you have to file a claim first. In order to be eligible to file a claim, you have to be:
- A surviving family member (a spouse, a child)
- A parent
- A sibling
- A close relative
Depending on the circumstances of the deceased’s death, other family members could also be eligible to file a wrongful death claim if the deceased does not have any immediate family or close family members.
What Damages Can Be Recovered?
Normally, the court will award the surviving family members with the following:
- Economic damages: includes the amount that the deceased would have contributed to the family had he/she been alive (earnings, cost of any goods or services that the victim would have provided to the surviving family members)
- Non-economic damages: some losses cannot be represented by the exact figure. These include loss of consortium, loss of companionship, mental anguish, pain and suffering, loss of comfort, marital care, loss of protection and attention, parental care, loss of support, training, and guidance.
- Punitive damages: these are not always awarded and differ from one state to another.
It is important to contact an experienced attorney as soon as you are able to, following your loved one’s death. If you do not have an attorney in mind, be sure to reach out to the San Francisco wrongful death attorneys, schedule your free initial consultation and receive all the information you need to file a successful wrongful death claim.
The attorneys at Allegiance Law know what you are going through, and will do everything in their power to help you close the case as quickly as possible, allowing you to properly mourn your loved one’s tragic passing
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