Wrongful Death

Wrongful death refers to deaths caused by the wrongdoing or negligence of another. These suits are filed by family members and beneficiaries of persons killed because of medical malpractice, car accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, and murder.

In a wrongful death claim, the parties suing seek to recover monetary compensation for:

• Funeral expenses. These are limited to reasonable funerary and burial costs.
  
• Medical expenses. Wrongful deaths aren’t always immediate. In the case of medical malpractice and similar cases, it may take some time for the victim to die. This can rack up extensive medical bills for the family.
  
• Property damage. In cases such as car accidents, the cost of repairing or replacing a vehicle may be included in the settlement claim.
  
• Lost wages and benefits. In addition to losing household income, the death of a person spouse could result in the surviving spouse losing the deceased’s pension fund.
  
• Loss of companionship. Wrongful death suits account for more than financial losses, but the irreplaceable loss of a loved one.
  
• Loss of benefits to heirs. For those who have a prearranged distribution of benefits to heirs, their death could lead to loss of these benefits for a variety of reasons.
  

Pain and suffering also are considerations for compensation in wrongful death cases. Nevada allows for the possibility of punitive damages to be awarded to estates and families of wrongful death victims. These are penalties awarded to claimants if a death was the result of an intentional or reckless act.