After a loved one’s death has occurred—particularly when the passing happened all of a sudden— those left behind can be deeply impacted. This is especially true if surviving family members financially and emotionally depended on the deceased. While no amount of money will replace the love and support of the lost loved on or bring that person back, for that matter, a Nevada wrongful death claim may help ease any financial uncertainty you may have about the future as a result of the tragic death.
Economic Damages Available
A wrongful death claim aims to recover economic or compensatory damages that the victim and other surviving loved ones have suffered before and after the person’s death. Compensatory damages are also intended to provide survivors future financial relief that would have been provided by the victim if he or she had not passed away. Damages available from a wrongful death claim include:
- Medical expenses: Surviving loved ones may be compensated financially for the cost of medical expenses prior to the person’s death. This can cover surgical procedures, hospital bills, prescription medications, ambulance transportation, doctor’s visits, and diagnostic or imaging testing;
- Loss of earnings: The deceased’s estate or family may be entitled to monetary compensation for income he or she would have earned had the death not occurred. Several factors are considered when determining these damages including, but not limited to age of the decedent at the time of death, amount of salary or hourly wages he or she was earning prior to death, the decedent’s lifestyle before suffering the illness or injury that led to death, and the deceased’s life expectancy had the other party’s negligence not caused premature death.
- Funeral and burial expenses: The victim’s family may recover reasonable damages for funeral and burial costs including funeral service fees, the deceased’s tombstone, the deceased’s burial plot, the funeral home viewing, reception venue costs, transportation of the body, preparation of the body, and the casket or urn.
Non-Economic Damages
Nevada law also allows the surviving family members (or the estate) to pursue noneconomic damages—also referred to as general damages—from the negligent party that caused the wrongful death. General damages are monetary compensation for intangible (or non measurable) losses and suffering incurred by the deceased or his loved ones leading up to the tragic death. Types of non economic damages in wrongful death claims include pain and suffering, loss of companionship, and loss of consortium.
Legal Help in Nevada
At H & P, we understand how difficult and uncertain your situation can be when there is an unexpected death of a loved one. These skilled attorneys are prepared to help you every step of the way, and bring a claim against the at-fault party to recover financial compensation to help ease some of your worries so you can focus on recovering from the loss. Click here to schedule your initial consultation with one of our attorneys.
