When you lose a loved one because of the fault of another individual or corporation, a wrongful death case can be filed on behalf of the deceased. Based on the type of incident you might have to pursue the case trough a civil court or criminal court if the action involves a crime committed by the state laws.
When a final decision has been made by the courts and it’s found to be in favor of the family. Depending on the gravity of the case the court will determine the damages that may be recovered in the lawsuit. There are many different factors that contribute to coming up to the figure to be compensated; including how much the deceased would have earned if he/she had lived, the actual cost of medical expenses and funeral arrangements and intangible costs such as the pain and suffering of the family. This is known as the settlement and is usually paid out over a length of time by the defendant.
