Atlanta Wrongful Death Damages
Atlanta wrongful death damages allow for you, the surviving heir of a loved one, to recover compensation after the negligence of another led to the death of your loved one. Unfortunately, legal battles are hard, and without the help of an experienced team of attorneys, a favorable outcome could be challenging. Instead, elect to work with a team of lawyers who could ensure that your needs are met during and after a claim is filed.
How Georgia Law Regards Damages
Damages, commonly known as compensation, are elements that an individual could recover in a civil suit. It represents things such as lost wages and pain and suffering. It is the monetary award that one receives for a civil wrong that was done to them.
In a wrongful death action, it depends on who died to determine who is allowed to bring the action. For example, if a woman died and left a husband, that husband could bring the wrongful death action. If a woman passes away and was not married but has children, the children could bring the action. In certain circumstances where a woman dies with no spouse and no children, then the parents could bring the action. That is why it is important to have an experienced Atlanta wrongful death lawyer who could determine the appropriate party to bring a suit.
The More Common Types of Compensation Sought in Wrongful Death Actions
There are three kinds of classes of damages that may be brought. Those classes are compensatory, general, and punitive. Compensatory losses are hard numbers like lost wages (the lost income that the person is no longer bringing into the family) and future lost wages (income the person would have made for the next 10, 15, or 20 years) that could be recovered. The cost of the medical care from the negligent act up until the point of a person’s death would be something that would be able to be recovered. All of these forms of recoverable losses would fall under Atlanta wrongful death damages.
The general damages are those intangible types of damages like pain and suffering and the anguish that led up to the death, and future loss of earning. Those kinds of losses are part of the general damages. In some wrongful death cases, there could be punitive damages where the conduct of the defendant was particularly egregious and considered willful or wanton behavior that led to the death. Punitive damages could be assessed to deter that type of conduct in the future.
How Losses Result in Wrongful Death Recoverable Damages
Grief, loss of love and affection, loss of companionship, loss of society, and loss of consortium are all types of intangible damages that cannot easily be conveyed to a jury. If a wrongful death case goes to trial, it is up to a jury to determine how much those damages are valued at.
It is the lawyer’s job to help a jury understand:
- How valuable those elements were
- How important their companionship was to their lost loved ones
- How much that companionship meant to the person who died
- How much their services were
- How much their enjoyment of life was
- How significant that loss is.
If the case is settled prior to it going to a jury, then it is the attorney’s job to help the other side understand:
- How significant that person’s life was
- How much they enjoyed their life
- How much they helped their family members
- How big of a loss that was.
Contact an Experienced Attorney for Help
When dealing with the significance of a loss, it may seem nearly impossible to put things back together and return to life as it was. Fortunately, you do have legal recourse against negligent people that caused the untimely death of a loved one. While no amount of currency could ever replace someone, it could help you deal with the bills that mount because of a loss of income. Atlanta wrongful death damages allow for you to seek compensation for the grief you have endured and the medical expenses that lead up to your loved one’s untimely passing.
All you have to do is call to speak directly with a lawyer. Attorneys could place your needs first, work with an in-house medical professional to review the circumstances of the untimely death, and present all findings with cutting-edge courtroom technology. Call at any hour for your free case review.
