Wrongful death lawsuits require proof that one party caused a tragic passing through negligence or misconduct. They also require a request for damages.
The survivors seeking financial compensation must show that they sustained financial losses because of their loved one’s passing. Lost income is often a major contributing element when calculating damages for a wrongful death lawsuit. Families may also request compensation for the loss of an individual’s services. The unpaid work provided by family members can actually prove to be quite valuable.
What services do family members provide?
People who live together and support one another often contribute toward home maintenance. Each member of the family may take responsibility for specific household tasks. Home services may range from child rearing, transportation and cooking provided by a stay-at-home parent to lawn maintenance and home oil changes provided by a working parent.
The people left behind after a tragedy can demand accountability for the value of lost services, which could add up to thousands of dollars each month. The more unpaid labor an individual provided their family before their passing, the greater the overall value of the services that they provided. Creating a list of services and estimating the amount of time spent weekly or monthly on those services can help families better calculate the economic impact of a tragedy.
Working with a wrongful death attorney to catalog what services a loved one provided and determine their fair market value can be helpful for grieving families. Compensation for the loss of services can help diminish the financial strain for the family and increase the consequences for the party at fault for the tragedy.