Sometimes an automobile collision does not result in immediate death. A person may survive the crash, but the injuries are too severe and the individual dies not long after. Losing a loved one in this manner can be a devastating time for you, and your emotional stress may increase if you are not sure if you can file a wrongful death suit since your relative did not die at the accident scene.
Even if your relative did not die in an auto crash, the fact remains that the person who caused the accident could bear responsibility if your family member succumbed to injuries caused by the crash. FindLaw explains the different ways a wrongful death suit may offer compensation in this kind of situation.
Paying for medical bills
After an accident, an injury victim may require expensive medical treatments to try to stabilize his or her condition. This could involve lengthy surgeries, blood transfusions and other measures to sustain life. Some auto accident victims need treatments for burns or infections. Unfortunately, if these measures fail to save the victim’s life, the assets of the victim might go towards paying for the medical treatment instead of passing on to survivors.
A wrongful death suit would present you an opportunity to receive compensation for your loved one’s medical costs. If the suit proves successful, the person or party that caused the accident will pay your family member’s medical bills.
Damages for pain and suffering
In spite of the efforts of doctors to treat your relative’s injuries, your loved one may have endured intense suffering before death. Wrongful death suits do not only offer compensation for monetary costs. They may provide damages for non-economic factors which may include the pain and suffering of a person who has died. This means you might receive compensation for the agony your loved one had experienced after the crash.
A judgment from a wrongful death suit can factor in many different considerations in order to come up with damages. You may feel some comfort from knowing that, if your loved one had experienced suffering before death, your suit may result in compensation on that basis.