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Involved In A Wrongful Death Case: What’s The Value Of Life?

Losing a loved one at the hands of neglect or reckless party is devastating. The thought of how the fateful ordeal could have been avoided if only someone had been more careful can be overwhelming. 

Consider seeking justice for the deceased through filing a lawsuit. The compensation may not be anywhere near a replacement for the loss but can cushion the family from the financial instability which the demise brought.

The question which many may ask is, how is the valuing of a wrongful death lawsuit like? First, to have accuracy in the evaluation, it’s a good thing to find a lawyer. These legal minds know the value of damages that are incurred when someone is killed by the negligence of another person. This blog takes you through the different aspects crucial in the whole procedure of value determination.

Common Grounds for Wrongful Death Case

Before coming to the value assessment, it’s essential to understand the common grounds that attract wrongful death lawsuits. The four main categories include: 

  • Medical malpractice
  • Falls
  • Workplace accidents
  • Vehicle accidents

In each of these instances, there may be evidence of negligence or recklessness that brought about the incident.

Tangible Value of Life

These are the economic value of the deceased’s life. Ordinarily, since the person might have been in the productive stages of life, there are income-generating activities they were active in. Therefore, the value determination of the lawsuit needs to focus on the wages, salaries, work bonuses, and other benefits.

In Salem, Portland, there are excellent wrongful death lawyers who can guide you in including everything. They consider the state laws on employment remunerations and other benefits as they begin to help you. 

The Salem Wrongful Death Lawyers believe in the need for maximum compensation. A jury will often focus on the decedent’s age, overall health, and nature of work. A lawyer will assist in finding the documentation to prove the three aspects.

Intangible Value of Life

This intangibility aspect is sometimes challenging in doing the calculations since some seem daunting, but this will become effortless with a lawyer by your side. An attorney helps you determine the non-economic things which the deceased fulfilled. It may include the annual charity work, recreation activities such as sports, time spent with family, and the like.

Reliable attorneys understand what a comprehensive analysis means in a case. They will discuss with you everything about the life of the person. It makes it possible to identify the gaps which arise upon death. By a thorough evaluation, you can identify the most crucial ones.

Damages Evaluation

An insurance company and jury will look at the decedent’s life at the time of death based on the information at the table. Using the basis of income, the insurance company and jury will focus on how the family and people around suffered since the demise. 

They look at the overall reduction of the income in a household due to the lost earning capacity. There is also a focus on the loss of consortium, health insurance, and retirement.

A wrongful death lawsuit aims at helping the decedent’s close person get compensation for the losses since the demise. The value calculations of life need to be accurate and comprehensive for the compensation amount to be maximal and fair. Finding a lawyer is significant in this case.

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