Houston wrongful death lawyers note that when you’ve lost an immediate family member to afatal motorcycle collision, you might be able to claim the value of your personal losses stemming from that untimely tragedy. The surviving spouse, children, and parents of the biker who died in the accident may each make individual wrongful death claims.
The specific items of monetary damages that each individual might claim may include:
Our Houston wrongful death lawyers stress the importance of making accurate damages valuations and supporting them with convincing evidence of their worth. Some items of monetary damages, sometimes called “special damages,” are simple to calculate and prove. You could present invoices for your medical expenses and property damage as proof. You might also have recent pay stubs from just before the collision to establish the worth of lost wages and lost financial support.
Other items of monetary damages remain deceptively complex to calculate. For instance, when valuating reduced earnings capacity, you must account for a whole array of variables. The additional factors you must prove include the likelihood of raises, promotions, or cost of living increases, the likelihood of staying in the career, the victim’s place on the career ladder, his or her past job history, and the likelihood of enhanced earnings capacity from future training or education.
There exist even more subjective items like pain and suffering and the value of lost companionship with a family member. These subjective values might be categorized as “general damages.” Variables like the age and competence of the victim can weigh heavily into value calculations.
For example, a child must live with disfigurement and disabilities longer than an adult. And the fear and anguish of an accident could be expected to take a greater toll on a child than on an adult with a broader experience of life and more maturity to evaluate and cope with danger.
For some items of both special and general damages, you might need qualified “expert witnesses” to attest to the accurate value of your claims. Our Texas Board Certified Houston wrongful death lawyers have more than 12 years of experience handling damages valuations from fatal motorcycle accidents. The experience of Chad Points and Tony Denena could prove invaluable to you in setting accurate monetary values for your wrongful death damages claims. Chad and Tony are well acquainted with the range of values that insurance companies and the court will accept based upon the specific facts and circumstances of your case.
The Houston wrongful death lawyers at Denena & Points spend significant amounts of time on each case preparing the damages demand packet containing your claims. We strive to ensure that your evidence can be easily understood and accepted by a jury and by the defendant’s insurance company. A defendant’s attempt to refute your damages value claims could only be viewed as a sad and desperate try at avoiding the high costs of his or her liability. Call us at 877-307-9500 for a free and confidential legal consultation regarding your loved one’s motorcycle accident and the potential value of your wrongful death claims.