Wrongful Death - An Overview

Losing a loved one is painful. Losing a loved one due to wrongful death can be devastating. If someone’s wrongful actions caused the injuries that resulted in your loved one’s death, that is a wrongful death. Previously there was no legal action that surviving family members could take. That changed, however, when governments began to make laws to protect the survivors. At the current time all states have some legislation which allow the representative or heirs of a person lost to wrongful death to file a lawsuit for monetary damages. The laws, however, vary quite a bit from state to state so consulting with an attorney is advisable. The main method courts have for measuring loss in wrongful death lawsuits is pecuniary damages — that is, the court must determine the proper compensation for the financial loss that the death has caused. Though this may seem harsh or cold, money damages are the remedy that civil courts have at their disposal. Thus, when the courts measure loss, the first thing most of them turn to is quantifiable data: How much money did the deceased earn? How much money did the deceased save? How financially dependent were the survivors on the deceased? The court will also take into consideration: Funeral expenses and medical expenses . If you would like to discuss a wrongful death lawsuit with the attorneys of Weinstein & Scharf, P.A., please contact us at 866-599-5529. The consultation is free. We service the following communities: Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Plantation, Tamarac, Margate, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Wellington, West Palm Beach and surrounding areas.