How Much is a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Worth?
Catastrophic Injury/Wrongful Death - October 5, 2021
If a person loses their life as a result of the negligent or careless actions of another individual, business, or entity in Illinois, family members and the estate of the deceased should be able to recover compensation for their losses. However, there are various factors that go into how much a wrongful death claim in Illinois is worth. Here, we want to discuss the factors that affect the total compensation awarded through a wrongful death insurance settlement or as a result of a successful jury verdict.
What is a Wrongful Death Settlement or Jury Verdict in Illinois?
Even though wrongful death claims are filed by the personal representative of a deceased person’s estate, the payments go to family members of the deceased as well as the estate. In most cases, a wrongful death claim will be resolved through a settlement with insurance carriers.
However, there are times when the family members and the estate will have to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. When that occurs, the case may go to a jury, and the jury will be responsible for determining whether or not the defendant caused the deceased’s death and how much compensation is owed to the estate and family.
The Average Illinois Wrongful Death Settlement
It is very challenging to properly put a dollar figure on how much a wrongful death claim is worth without examining the facts related to a particular case. No two wrongful death cases are exactly alike, and each case will have specific differences that an attorney will evaluate when working to determine how much compensation to request from the at-fault party.
No wrongful death attorney in Illinois will be able to guarantee a specific dollar figure to the estate and family members of the deceased. However, an attorney will work with trusted economic and financial experts to assess various factors to help determine what fair compensation should look like. Some of these factors include:
- The age of the deceased
- The deceased’s future earning potential
- The deceased’s pre-death medical bills
- Any pain and suffering the deceased experienced after their injury but before their death
- How much insurance coverage is available and the insurance policy limits
- The level of pain and suffering the family members of the deceased have endured and will continue to endure as a result of the death
The insurance carriers involved in these cases (or the personal injury jury if the case goes to trial) will have to consider fair compensation amounts in relation to what the deceased would have provided to their loved ones had they lived a full life. Again, depending on the factors related to these cases, a wrongful death settlement could result in payments anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to well over a million dollars.
Do You Need a Wrongful Death Lawyer?
If you have lost somebody that you love as a result of the negligent actions of another individual, business, or entity in Illinois, you need to speak to an attorney as soon as possible. A Chicago wrongful death lawyer can use their resources to handle every aspect of the claim. They will investigate the incident, uncover evidence to determine liability, and help properly calculate total expected losses. An attorney will vigorously negotiate with aggressive insurance carriers and will have no problem standing up for their clients in a wrongful death trial if necessary.
