Families in Alaska unexpectedly lose people they love every day, and often these small tragedies are the results of illness or uncontrollable circumstances. However, sometimes one person or a company causes injury to someone else. Occasionally, those injuries proved fatal.
The surviving family members of someone who died because of the negligent behavior or illegal actions of another party have legal rights. Among them is the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit in the Alaskan civil court.
A wrongful death lawsuit can help a family secure financial compensation for the tragic losses they have suffered. What kinds of losses can you claim in an Alaskan wrongful death lawsuit?
Medical and funeral expenses for the deceased
Someone who suffers fatal injuries does not always succumb to those injuries right away. They may have been in the hospital for weeks before they finally passed. Their loved ones may have left them huge hospital bills to pay.
There could also be thousands of dollars of expenses for funeral and interment costs that the family doesn’t have savings to cover. Surviving family members can ask for compensation for any medical care their loved one received and any reasonable funeral and burial expenses they incurred.
Lost income and benefits
Family members work hard to support one another, and everyone in the household benefits from one family member’s employment. When someone dies, the whole household loses out not only on their wages but on their other workplace benefits.
Wrongful death claims can include all of the lifetime wages someone would have earned if they have lived and also the value of the benefits they would have contributed to the house, such as medical coverage or pension benefits.
Loss of support and services
Your loved one didn’t just support your family by working outside of the house. They likely also did things in your home to improve everyone’s quality of life. Whether they maintained everyone’s vehicles or provided cleaning and childcare support, the value of those services can contribute to the total amount that the family seeks in a wrongful death claim.
Learning more about how Alaska handles wrongful death claims can give your family an opportunity to request justice.