It’s never easy when a loved one in your life dies, but matters can be made much more complicated when someone is responsible for their death. In such a situation, people can file wrongful death lawsuits to recover financial compensation for losing their loved ones.
Unfortunately, however, some myths and misconceptions about wrongful death lawsuits prevent people from pursuing what they deserve after a family member is taken from them. Let’s discuss a few of these myths below and why you shouldn’t believe them.
Myth 1: Life Insurance Benefits Are Enough
If a loved one died with an active life insurance policy, what seems like a substantial payout can quickly dry up once the deceased’s medical bills and other debts are cleared.
By filing a wrongful death lawsuit, medical costs associated with the accident that led to death can be recovered. Families who depended upon the deceased’s income can also recover lost wages and future lost wages that account for the economic impact of the death.
When these and other damages come in addition to a life insurance payout, family members can spend less time worrying about funeral costs and making ends meet and more time processing their grief.
Myth 2: Accidental Deaths Don’t Qualify for Wrongful Death Lawsuits
This myth may be the most tragically misleading because most wrongful death lawsuits center on deaths caused by accidents. While it’s true that an intentional killing can be pursued with a wrongful death claim, deaths caused by negligence or recklessness also qualify. This can include incidents such as car accidents, medical malpractice, workplace accidents, and more.
Myth 3: People Who File Wrongful Death Lawsuits Seem Greedy
This is another hurtful myth because some believe there’s a stigma attached to pursuing a wrongful death claim. Whether or not this stigma actually exists is irrelevant – most people who are dealing with an unexpected death caused by someone else have new bills to pay, are facing reduced household incomes, and must find a way to make it all work.
In especially unfortunate situations where families suspect a loved one was killed as a result of a crime, wrongful death lawsuits can help them hold responsible parties accountable when the criminal justice system can’t.
Sometimes police don’t find evidence of wrongdoing or an individual who does get charged may be acquitted or found not guilty. The standard for winning a civil lawsuit is much lower than it is to convict someone of a crime. This means that although winning a wrongful death lawsuit won’t mean jail time for the alleged perpetrator, it can help families find some closure if they believe the criminal justice system failed them.