Wrongful death lawsuits are one option for justice after a tragedy. Indiana state statutes allow personal representatives of adults’ estates or grieving parents of children who die to file wrongful death lawsuits when there is proof that a person or business caused a death.
Frequently, wrongful death lawsuits largely prioritize economic damages. Requesting compensation for medical bills, funeral expenses and lost income is common practice. In some cases, plaintiffs initiating wrongful death lawsuits can also request non-economic damages.
What are non-economic damages?
Non-economic damages are essentially compensation based on losses that do not have a verifiable and direct financial impact. However, those losses still have a profound influence on people’s quality of life.
In a wrongful death scenario, non-economic damages typically relate to the loss of a loved one’s support and companionship, as well as the impact of grief on survivors. Surviving spouses, children and parents are among those who could be eligible for non-economic damages related to the consequences of losing an immediate family member unexpectedly. The courts may consider claims of mental anguish and emotional distress experienced by surviving dependents.
A spouse’s loss of consortium, or support, companionship and intimacy, is another non-economic loss. The loss of a parent’s guidance and even the pain and suffering of the deceased party before they passed can contribute to the amount of non-economic damages sought.
Evaluating the impact of a tragedy with a wrongful death lawyer can help families maximize the damages they claim in a lawsuit. Compensation for the loss of love and companionship can be difficult to quantify but may play an important role in a wrongful death lawsuit.
