Wrongful death lawsuits are a means of seeking justice when a tragedy occurs. Grieving families often discover that the baseline insurance requirements don’t fully cover the cost of a fatal car crash, for example. They take legal action to recoup their losses.
Even in cases where there might be better coverage available, litigation is sometimes necessary to receive appropriate compensation after a tragedy. Wrongful death lawsuits are an option in cases where those grieving a tragedy can show that negligence or wrongful acts caused the death of a family member. In a wrongful death lawsuit, plaintiffs typically request a specific amount of compensation based on the economic impact of the tragedy.
They look at lost wages, medical expenses and property damage costs to determine the true impact of their loss. In some cases, the person who died prematurely may not have worked outside the home. They may have been a stay-at-home parent instead. Their loss can have a profound impact on a family.
How can surviving family members demand accountability when there are no lost wages to recoup?
Unpaid work has economic value
Families should not dismiss the value of unpaid services when looking into their options after a tragedy. The work performed by a stay-at-home parent has a profound impact on the finances of the family.
Economic professionals estimate that the full-time support of a stay-at-home parent represents an average value of $4,500 per month. They provide childcare, household management services, cooking, cleaning and transportation services. Families may need to estimate the number of hours that the stay-at-home parent devoted to those activities and then look at the cost of hiring a professional for those same services.
Tasks ranging from laundry to grocery shopping have an economic value. Childcare can be incredibly expensive to outsource, especially if there are multiple young children in the family. Those grieving the loss of a stay-at-home parent may be able to demand compensation for the value of the services that their loved one provided in addition to the other economic and non-economic losses experienced by those left behind.
Partnering with a professional can make it easier to understand the rules for wrongful death lawsuits. Families hoping to take legal action need support when they estimate their losses and as they gather evidence for their day in court, and that’s okay.
