Losing a loved one for any reason is painful and often devastating to families. When medical malpractice is the cause, you also have the pain of knowing that it could have been avoided. Adding insult to injury, you may be hounded by bill collectors insisting that you shell out money you do not have to pay for the medical “care” that caused your loved one’s death.
A wrongful death lawsuit stemming from medical malpractice is not the same thing as a medical malpractice personal injury lawsuit. Regardless of the underlying cause, a wrongful death case is meant to compensate the family of the deceased for the damages they incur as a result of losing their loved one. A medical malpractice personal injury lawsuit is brought on behalf of the direct victim of the medical malpractice to compensate that person for the harm that was caused to them.
These differences do not feel very important when you are grieving for a lost family member, but they do make a difference in how your case is handled, and ultimately you will need to know and understand the differences and what they mean to you. Compensation that you may be entitled to in a wrongful death case includes the contribution that your loved one would have made if they were still alive.
The deceased need not be a breadwinner for the loss of their contribution to be equated to a financial loss in a court of law. Childcare, running the household, care, companionship, and protection are just a few examples of the non-monetary contributions that are considered to carry a monetary value.
No amount of money can replace the comfort a parent gives a child who has a bad dream in the middle of the night, the joy of coming home to a loving spouse, or the happiness and pride you experience watching your child grow and pass milestones such as graduation, marriage, and the birth of a grandchild. However, compensation for your loss can ease some of the practical burdens, such as finding competent child care when a parent has passed.
If you have lost a loved one to medical malpractice in the Atlanta Georgia area, please contact Robbins Law, PC today to schedule your free consultation with of our compassionate wrongful death attorneys.