When a family loses a loved one it takes a huge toll both emotionally and financially. The law is such that the family of a wrongful death victim can claim compensation from the person or entity that was responsible for the event that resulted in death.
What is wrongful death?
The survivors or the estate of a person who died as a result of negligence or an intentional action have every right to hire a wrongful death attorney in Michigan and bring a civil action for compensation. The rules on who can institute the action usually include members of the victim’s family or a person that represents the estate of the deceased.
What damages can be claimed?
Basically, there are two distinctly different categories of damages that can be claimed:
The family can claim damages that were experienced from the time of the accident to the moment of death of the victim. In a car accident for example; all costs from the moment the accident happened until the victim succumbed from accident oriented injuries. This could be a matter of hours, days, months or even years after the accident. The expenses that can be claimed include medical, pain that the victim suffered, lost income and of course all expenses associated with the funeral and burial.
The second types of damages that can be claimed are those that the victim’s family incurred after death. These damages are primarily to compensate for financial loss such as an award equal to the money the victim could have been expected to earn had he or she lived.
As you can imagine, cases of this nature are very complex and a wrongful death attorney in Michigan is a must to ensure full compensation. As well as the damages noted, the court may also award punitive damages to the survivors if the accident was the direct result of reckless behavior flagrant disrespect for the law.
Wrongful death action can be brought against people, companies or government agencies. A wrongful death attorney in Michigan can help the survivors negotiate the complex laws surrounding a wrongful death claim. Law only charge for their legal services when they win the case for you. Visit website for a free case consultation. Follow us on Twitter for latest updates.
