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How Much Can I Receive in Damages in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in New York?

On Behalf of | Apr 13, 2020 | Wrongful Death |

New York State wrongful death lawyer

Few things are harder to experience than the death of a loved one. If that person’s death was preventable and you could prove that another person or a company was at fault, then you can get the defendant to provide damages to you and your family through a wrongful death lawsuit. This is a difficult topic to navigate, but with the right lawyer, you can hope to be compensated for any economic loss that the death caused you.

What Damages Can I Recover?

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact dollar amount that you can expect to receive in a wrongful death lawsuit, but you can get a general idea by estimating the value of a few specific considerations:

  • Health care expenses
  • Lost wages and benefits
  • Funeral and burial expenses
  • Lost inheritance
  • The support that the deceased could have provided to surviving family members
  • The care and guidance the victim could have provided to their children
  • Conscious suffering that the deceased experienced before death

The lost wages and benefits that your loved one would have provided to you if they were alive include the estimated income that they would have earned in the future. The health care costs before the deceased’s passing, funeral and burial costs, and lost inheritance are not difficult to assign a dollar value, but it is difficult to determine the cost of the vague final three points in the list above. Therefore, you need an experienced and trustworthy attorney who is familiar with wrongful death lawsuits to pursue the best outcome for you and your family.

How Are Damages Distributed?

The spouse and any children of the deceased have been mentioned above for brevity’s sake, but it is important to note that a parent of the victim can file a wrongful death claim. The damages go to the victim’s estate first, which is then distributed however their will dictates. If they do not have a will, the damages are generally distributed evenly between close family members. However, if the verdict is handled by a jury, they decide how the damages should be divided in that case.

Contact a Wrongful Death Attorney in The Bronx

You need an accomplished New York City injury lawyer to get the damages that you and your family deserve in a wrongful death lawsuit. Joey Jackson has 40-plus years of experience litigating wrongful death cases, and you can trust him to fight for your ongoing financial security. Contact the offices of JOEY JACKSON LAW, PLLC today by calling 833-563-9522 or 833-JOEY-JAC to schedule a consultation.

 

Sources:

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/1411

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EPT/11-3.3