Damages in Fullerton Wrongful Death Cases

Money alone cannot make up for a close family member’s life being unfairly cut short. What civil restitution can do in a situation like this, though, is minimize the extent to which specific financial and personal losses caused by your loved one’s death negatively impact the rest of your life, as well as the lives of other people who were close to the decedent.

Depending on what your relationship was with someone who suffered a wrongful death, the specific damages you may need to seek compensation for could be very different from what another person—or even another member of your family—may be experiencing. Regardless, if you want to maximize compensation for damages in a Fullerton wrongful death case, you should seek help from a qualified wrongful death lawyer sooner rather than later.

Economic Damages in Wrongful Death Claims

There are two categories of “compensatory damages” that can be factored into a wrongful death case in Fullerton: economic damages, and non-economic damages. The former category includes losses with objective financial values, which can be quantified through evidence like receipts, invoices, bills, pay stubs, or tax returns. Examples of economic damages which often need to be incorporated into wrongful death claims include:

• Costs of funeral and burial services
• Any medical bills paid on behalf of the deceased person
• Lost future financial support from the deceased person
• Lost future value of inheritance and other gifts or benefits
• Loss of household services and assistance

Notably, there are no “caps,” or limits, on how much money someone can demand for economic damages through a wrongful death claim, so it is possible to recover in advance for years or even decades worth of future losses if needed.

Recovering Fairly for Non-Economic Harm

By comparison, non-economic damages are those with subjective values that must be defined qualitatively, such as loss of advice and guidance, loss of companionship and affection, and loss of consortium with a spouse or intimate partner. In certain situations, it may also be possible to recover for physical pain and psychological suffering a deceased person experienced between when they suffered a serious injury and when they ultimately passed from that injury or some other cause. However, unlike many other states, California does not allow family members of a deceased person to recover for their emotional anguish through a wrongful death claim.

Are Punitive Damages Available Through Wrongful Death Actions?

Another vital restriction to know about is that it is typically not possible for family members of a deceased person to receive punitive damages through a Fullerton wrongful death case. The only exception to this rule is if the death in question occurred due to an act of felony murder for which the defendant has already been criminally convicted.

Learn More About Damages in Wrongful Death Cases From a Fullerton Attorney

Even if you know generally what kinds of losses you can seek civil recovery for through a wrongful death lawsuit, pursuing that recovery can still be challenging. That is often especially true for people who try to file suit entirely on their own, since there is no shortage of legal and procedural roadblocks you might run into during a claim of this nature.

Support from a seasoned legal professional who can provide a one-on-one, hands-on experience throughout the legal process can be key to getting the restitution you deserve for your damages in a Fullerton wrongful death case. Learn more by calling today.