What kind of damages does the law permit heirs to recover?
Wrongful death damages can be economic, such as the loss of an income provider or a homemaker, and it can also be non-economic in the form of the emotional impact of losing a loved one and even the loss of enjoyment of life of the deceased person. In a wrongful death lawsuit, the amount of damages can be a very complicated question. Survivors can usually sue for medical bills paid for the care of the person who was injured as well as for burial expenses. Because the idea is that the survivors have been injured by the absence of the person who died, determining the amount of damages requires consideration of what probably would have occurred in the future. The damages that can be assessed may include an estimate of the amount of earnings the person who died would have earned if they had lived and the pain and suffering experienced by the survivors due to the absence of the deceased person. Estimates of future earnings require the use of an economic expert testimony regarding the net pre
