Losing a loved one is always a terrible experience, and can be very hard to cope with. The circumstances of their death can only add to the difficulty. If you’ve recently lost a loved one in an accident caused by another’s carelessness, you may be entitled to damages. There are different types of damages paid to eligible members of the victim’s surviving family. These damages are meant to act as financial and emotional recompense for the loss of their family member. In some cases, damages are also awarded to act as a punishment to the negligent party. Many surviving family members choose to hire wrongful death attorneys Polk County to protect their settlement.

Compensation Awarded

Damages in a wrongful death case tend to come in three different packages. The first is economic. Economic is awarded to cover the cost of the victim’s lost wages, inheritances, benefits, savings, funeral costs, and other expenses. The second type of damage is non-economic, which strives to compensate the family’s pain and anguish. Loss of quality of life and is covered here. Punitive is the third type of damage awarded in wrongful death cases. Punitive damages are not always put in place. However, if the courts feel the negligent party was especially reckless, they’ll be forced to pay extra compensation. This is meant to serve as both punishment and reform.

Emotional Repercussions

Naturally, the loss of a beloved family member will greatly and deeply affect those they left behind. You may find yourself confused about what you should do next, and it’s likely you have a lot of questions. Because these situations are often difficult to cope with alone, many families choose to put their confidence in experienced wrongful death attorneys. Polk County professionals will handle your case with compassion. In some cases, certain members of the victim’s family, such as their spouse, are relying on compensation to help keep them afloat financially. A qualified attorney understands this, and will do everything he or she can to ensure justice and fair reimbursement.