Types of damages available in a Galveston, TX Wrongful Death Claim

A successful wrongful death claim could help you recover from the heavy financial burdens that follow the death of an immediate family member. A surviving spouse, parent or child of the accident victim may pursue a wrongful death action against the drunk driver.

A claimant generally must file the wrongful death claim within two years of the victim’s date of death from a fatal accident.

A wrongful death claim might seek damages for the following.

• Pecuniary losses and expenses: The value of the loss of the financial support, services, advice and monetary contributions provided by the decedent to your support; and medical and funeral expenses resulting from the accident. This might include the loss of the inheritance that the victim could have been expected to accumulate over the course of a natural lifespan.
• Loss of the companionship and society of the victim: The value of the loss of your unique family relationship with the decedent, and the comfort and affection you shared.
• Mental anguish: The value of your emotional pain and suffering because of the loss of your loved one.
• Exemplary/punitive damages: Monetary penalties for the defendant’s particularly negligent behaviors, such as drunk driving, that led to your loved one’s fatal injury.

When a drunk driver wrongfully killed your loved one in a drunk driving accident, and you can prove that the driver was legally intoxicated (had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or above) at the time of the accident, you might be able to pursue punitive damages against the driver, and dram shop liability against the bar, club or other business that served the driver his or her liquor prior to the fatal accident.

In a wrongful death case, the jury must determine the present cash sum that would compensate you for your damages resulting from the death of your loved one.

Calculating your damages must account for several factors.

• The nature of your relationship with the decedent.
• Your degree of dependence upon the decedent for financial support.
• The expected natural lifespan of the decedent.
• Anticipated future earnings and benefits that the decedent would have obtained.

To accurately calculate your damages from the fatal drunk driving accident so that a court and jury will accept them, you require the long-term practical experience and specialized knowledge of a Galveston accident lawyer.

The evidence you need to prove your case begins to go away almost immediately following an accident. You need Denena & Points, Texas Board Certified Galveston accident lawyers with legal expertise in personal injury and wrongful death claims. We could find and secure the evidence you need before it’s too late.

So don’t hesitate. You might lose your valuable rights to make a wrongful death claim and recover financial compensation from the negligent defendant responsible for your loved one’s death. Call us now for a free consultation case evaluation regarding your options and prospects for recovery. Let us safeguard your right to fair financial compensation following your tragic loss.