Calculating damages in a Florida wrongful death lawsuit isn’t easy, but it’s what personal injury lawyers do. The death of a loved one causes immense grief and other losses that do not have an obvious financial cost. A wrongful death also causes financial harm in many cases.
Determining the non-economic cost of losing a loved one forever is especially complex. You may want to rely on an experienced legal team to calculate damages for you. Not only does this produce the most accurate calculation possible, but it also allows you to focus on your recovery from the loss of a loved one.
What Are Recoverable Damages in a Florida Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
Before understanding how an attorney calculates your damages, it may help to know what damages we frequently see in wrongful death cases.
Whether you’ve lost a loved one suddenly or over a longer period of time, you’ve lost something precious. While a dollar figure cannot completely portray the value your loved one provided, it’s the best method we have for getting justice.
When a legal team calculates the cost of your wrongful death case in Florida, they will consider the following:
Economic Damages
A wrongful death can cause several types of financial harm, including:
- Funeral expenses
- Medical bills for injuries or illness that contributed to your loved one’s passing
- The loss of their income
- The loss of household services they provided (such as cleaning, lawn maintenance, accounting, and other services)
- The loss of benefits their employer provided (such as healthcare coverage and retirement contributions)
- Any property damage related to your loved one’s passing (for example, vehicle damage in a fatal car accident case)
- The cost of grief counseling, medication, and any other treatment you need for your own pain and suffering
These economic damages can have an immense cost that exceeds $1.7 million, according to the National Safety Council. However, the non-economic cost of losing a loved one can far outweigh the economic damages.
Non-Economic Damages
The pain, grief, and loss that come with a wrongful death are the most immediate and long-lasting damages we see in our clients. Please accept our deepest condolences for all those left behind.
Pain and suffering is the primary non-economic damage in most Florida wrongful death lawsuits. Pain and suffering can include:
- Grief
- Emotional distress
- Despair
- Lost quality of life
- Loss of a spouse’s companionship
- Loss of a parent’s guidance
- Suicidal thoughts
We also account for any pain and suffering the decedent may have experienced before passing away.
How an Attorney May Calculate Damages in Your Florida Wrongful Death Case
Attorneys must take a different approach to calculating economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages have a set monetary value that can be proven with bills, receipts, and other documentation. For economic damages, an attorney can secure invoices for your current expenses and total their cost.
Your attorney may also hire experts to help project future damages. For example, it can be difficult to calculate how much income a loved one loses when they pass away, especially if they are younger. We rely on experts to help us calculate long-term economic damages.
For non-economic damages, we use accepted legal methods: the per diem method and the multiplier method. An experienced lawyer will use the most appropriate method(s) for your case.
What Variables Can Affect the Cost of a Wrongful Death?
Several factors can affect the cost of a wrongful death case in Florida, including:
- The decedent’s income: The amount of financial support your loved one provided will be a key consideration. If they were the primary financial support for their loved ones, this enhances the financial cost of their passing.
- Your unique response to the loss: Everyone processes a wrongful death in their own way. An attorney can work with mental health experts to understand how you and other family members have responded to your loss.
- Any property damage or other expenses related to the death: If there are medical bills, significant property damage, or other expenses associated with your loved one’s passing, this should factor into the case value.
Every wrongful death case in Florida is unique, and the circumstances of your loss will determine the final cost of the case. Let a wrongful death attorney go the extra mile to make this extremely difficult time in your life less burdensome.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Florida?
A personal representative in Florida generally files wrongful death cases on behalf of surviving loved ones. The Florida Bar notes that surviving loved ones may include the decedent’s:
- Spouse
- Children (biological or adoptive)
- Parents
Other family members may be entitled to financial recovery after losing a loved one. Remember that financial recovery is a means of getting justice for your loss, and it’s completely justifiable. You did not plan to lose your loved one, and you should feel right about taking action against liable parties.
Why Should I Hire a Florida Wrongful Death Lawyer?
A wrongful death lawyer can manage every part of your case while you grieve your loss, including:
- Identifying those liable for your loved one’s passing
- Calculating the cost of your wrongful death case
- Documenting your damages
- Managing all case-related communications and paperwork
- Negotiating a settlement
- Going to trial, if necessary
Do not wait too long to contact a Florida wrongful death lawyer. In most cases, there is a window for filing a lawsuit, and the window is likely closing as you read this.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine for a Free Consultation
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we have earned a reputation for helping clients on both a legal and personal level. We understand how trying a wrongful death is, and we vow to show you the professionalism and compassion that you deserve.
To learn more, contact us today for a free consultation. There’s no obligation to hire our firm after we discuss your case, but we can start immediately if you decide to move forward.
We Can Help.
