A wrongful death is defined as a death that people believe would not have happened if a more careful person or company had been involved in the situation. When you hear someone talking about a wrongful death it is usually associated with negligent or improper care provided by a health care professional. A wrongful death can also be when an individual dies in a car accident that was caused by a careless driver. The law states that close relatives of the individual who passed away should be compensated for their loss. An example would be if a parent and/or spouse passed away. The spouse and children of that individual would be entitled to compensation for their loss.
Most states require a court appointed representative of the estate of the deceased individual to file a wrongful death claim. A Wrongful Death Attorney in Girardeau, MO would be able to help you figure out how to file the claim and who should be filing it. Individuals who would usually file this claim include their surviving spouse, children, or grandparents. It is also not uncommon for siblings to file a claim if the individual is single and without children.
It is not uncommon for someone to wonder what the point of hiring a Wrongful Death Attorney in Girardeau, MO and filing a claim is. After all, it is not like any amount of money is going to bring your loved one back from the dead. The compensation is intended to cover damages that were suffered as a result of the loss. Imagine a mother of three children losing her husband and their father who was also the breadwinner of the family. The compensation would be to assist the family financially for a period of time.
The other reason why compensation is issued for someone in this situation is because the cost of putting someone to rest is expensive. Most families do not have money set aside to cover the cost of an unexpected funeral. At the very least, the compensation is intended to be enough to cover the costs of the funeral and the burial.
