The sudden loss of a loved one affects your family in a number of ways. You have to worry about the unexpected loss of income, the cost of medical care that your loved one received, funeral expenses and so much more.
Thankfully, the surviving dependents of someone who recently died, as well as a representative of the estate of the deceased, may have the right to pursue wrongful death action against the person or business responsible for a tragic loss.
One of the hardest parts of pursuing a wrongful death claim for many families is often trying to put a fair value on the life of their loved one.
What does Mississippi allow you to seek in a wrongful death claim?
Generally speaking, the Mississippi courts can order someone to pay two broad categories of damages in a wrongful death claim. The first will be damages directly related to the death of the individual. These damages get paid to the estate itself. Medical costs incurred by the deceased, funeral expenses and property damages all fall in this category.
The second group of damages that people can seek in a wrongful death claim gets paid to beneficiaries. These benefits include compensation for the pain and suffering of the family over the loss, the financial value of lost wages and benefits that the deceased would have earned, and also the loss of society and companionship from the deceased person.
Some of these will have provable financial values, while others, like loss of companionship, will require you to place an estimated value on an impact the incident has had on your family.