A wrongful death claim is a lawsuit that is filed when a loved one passes away due to the negligence of another person or entity. This type of claim is designed to compensate victims' family members for various aspects of the individual's death. Different types of damages are typically awarded in each case, depending on the situation. These are some of the different types of damages that can be awarded.

Financial Damages

Financial (or economic) damages are just what they sound like -- a deceased person's family is compensated for financial damages that they might be going through after the person's death. For example, if the family has been left with a lot of medical-related debt, damages might be awarded to pay for these debts. Another financial damages can be related to things like loss of income due to the person's death (for example, a spouse might be compensated for this if the deceased was a working, contributing member of the household).

Pain and Suffering

You cannot put a price tag on a loved one's life. However, with pain and suffering-related damages, you can be paid out a sum of cash to help compensate for what you have gone through and what you will continue to go through now that your loved one is gone. For example, you may be compensated for pain and suffering, mental anguish and the loss of love from your loved one.

Legal Fees

In order to file a wrongful death claim, you will probably find that you are better off hiring an attorney to help you through the process. This is especially true since these cases can sometimes be long and drawn out, and it can be tough to deal with such matters on your own, particularly when you are mourning the death of a loved one. In many cases, you will be compensated for your legal fees if you win. You should also know that many attorneys will be willing to take on your case and will only expect payment when and if you win, so you have nothing to lose in trying to file a wrongful death claim.

As you can see, there are a few different types of damages that can be awarded in a wrongful death claim. If you feel that you may be entitled to one of these claims due to the loss of a loved one, consider hiring an attorney like Allison & Rickards, Attorneys at Law, LLC to help you make a case.