What Damages Can Be Recovered in a Wrongful Death Case? 

If your loved one has been fatally injured by someone else’s negligence, the losses you endure are likely to be overwhelming. While no amount of compensation can return your loved one to you, obtaining the compensation to which you are entitled can help your family travel the difficult path toward recovery. If this is the painful situation you find yourself in, consult with an experienced Chicago wrongful death attorney today.

Wrongful Death

In Illinois, wrongful death actions pertain to those situations in which someone loses his or her life to someone else’s negligence. If the victim could have filed a personal injury claim had he or she survived the accident, you likely have a wrongful death case. A wrongful death action in Illinois is brought by a personal representative of the decedent. This representative is usually his or her spouse, his or her parent (if he or she was not married), or another close family member. Wrongful death cases address legal damages, which amount to the associated losses you suffer (as addressed by the law).

Your Legal Damages

The damages awarded in wrongful death cases in the State of Illinois are intended to compensate you – as your loved one’s surviving spouse – and they can include all the following:

• The loss of the financial support that you would have received if your loved one had survived, which can include both current and future lost wages and employment-based benefits (such as health insurance coverage and retirement benefits)
• The loss of instruction, guidance, and education that your minor children would have benefitted from if their other parent had survived
• The mental suffering, grief, anguish, and sorrow that you and your family are forced to endure 
• The pain and suffering your loved one endured prior to succumbing to his or her injuries
• The loss of consortium, which refers to the loss of companionship, society, and intimacy that you and your children have been deprived of
• The medical expenses related to your loved one’s injuries that ultimately proved fatal 
• Your loved one’s funeral and burial expenses

In extreme situations in which the at-fault party’s actions go beyond negligence and qualify as reckless, intentional, or malicious, punitive damages may be awarded. Punitive damages are not intended to compensate the decedent’s survivors but are, instead, intended to punish the at-fault party and to discourage others from acting in similarly egregious manners. 

You Need an Experienced Chicago Wrongful Death Attorney in Your Corner

If you have lost a loved one to someone else’s negligence, the compassionate Chicago wrongful death attorney at Anspach Law Office recognize the gravity of your situation and is well-prepared to harness the full force of their focused experience in defense of your rights and in pursuit of just compensation that covers your legal damages in their entirety. Your rights are important, and your case matters – so please do not wait to contact us for more information about how we can help today.