Compensation for wrongful death can never bring a loved one back. However, when a family member is lost due to someone else’s reckless or negligent actions, the grief can be unbearable. Every day, people die in accidents. Injury is the leading cause of death for Ontarians between the ages of 1 and 44, claiming the lives of more than 4,600 people each year.
When an accident occurs, surviving family members must learn to rebuild lives shattered by the loss of a parent, a spouse or a child. But even in the midst of sorrow, consulting a personal injury lawyer who has experience with wrongful death claims is important. A lawyer will investigate the circumstances of the death and gather and preserve evidence, as well as identify any witnesses or responsible parties.
Compensation may include money for:
• Medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Funeral expenses
• Lost wages, and
• Loss of care, guidance and companionship
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Coping with Expenses Such as Medical Bills and
Funeral Expenses
Compensation for
wrongful death can help surviving family members cope with expenses such as
medical bills and funeral expenses. It can also help to make up for lost wages
of the "breadwinner” of the family. People grieving the accidental death of a
loved one don’t often consider making a wrongful death claim until the initial
shock wears off. But, in fact, there is important information that needs to be
gathered as quickly as possible. A personal injury law firm may begin by
investigating the circumstances of the death, preserving evidence and helping
to identify witnesses as well as responsible parties.
What is Classified as Wrongful Death?
Every day in this
province, people die in accidents, which are the leading cause of death in
Ontarians from ages 1 to 44, and the fifth leading cause of death over all.
Many of these accidents are caused by another person’s recklessness or
negligence, which is why they are classified as instances of wrongful death.
These can include:
• Car
Accidents
• Motorcycle
Accidents
• Bicycle
Accidents
• Pedestrian
Accidents
• Defective
Products
• Medical
Malpractice
• Work
Accidents
Negligent or reckless
drivers may be held responsible, as can the manufacturers or distributors of
faulty products or medicines that lead to death, hospitals that make avoidable
errors or patrons who serve alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person. A
wrongful death suit holds the person who was responsible for the death of a loved
one accountable for their actions – or, in some cases, their lack of action.
Obviously, no amount
of money can compensate for a family member’s death. But receiving compensation
for wrongful death can help family members cope financially as they begin to
rebuild their lives.