Wrongful Death Settlements

Wrongful death settlements occur as a resolution to a wrongful death claim without requiring a court trial. In the vast majority of wrongful death lawsuits, the claim for compensation to a person's wrongful death, or death due to the negligence of another, results in a written settlement, which sometimes even takes place prior to any court action being filed. Potential damages in wrongful death cases include medical expenses, funeral bills, loss of future benefits and earnings, and punitive damages, depending on the law of the applicable state. In calculating damages such as loss of future earnings, the amount of compensation proposed must be reduced to present value, which means that rather than awarding an amount that would represent the deceased person's future earnings in full, an amount would be awarded that if invested, would reach the amount of future earnings of the deceased person. As these calculations can be extremely complicated, attorneys who specialize in this area of the law, as well as economic experts, often are involved in these types of proceedings.

Fast Facts

  • 29 children under thea ge of 14 who were pedestrians or bicyclists were killed by drunk drivers in 2007.
  • In 2007, 40% of the intoxicated drivers involved in traffic fatalities were speeding at the time of the accident.

wrongful death settlements - Lawyers, Articles and Q&A

Search Results for "wrongful death settlements"

Articles

Results 1-5 of 424 for "wrongful death settlements"

Q&A

Results 1-5 of 46 for "wrongful death settlements"

LA-WS5:0.9.17.120126.12696+