Losing a loved one in a fatal car accident is a painful experience. Beyond the emotional devastation, surviving relatives are often left struggling with financial stress, unanswered questions, and uncertainty about the future. Medical bills, funeral expenses, and the sudden loss of income can quickly stack up while you’re still grieving.
At Harris & Hart Attorneys at Law, we are dedicated to helping you and your family pursue justice after the loss of a loved one in a fatal accident. With an experienced team of attorneys, our firm can assist you with exploring the financial and emotional consequences that often follow these tragic accidents and pursuing compensation for your loss.
When another party’s careless actions lead to a fatal accident, you and your family deserve answers and support. Located in Overland Park, Kansas, we serve clients in both Kansas and Missouri. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation.
Non-Economic Compensation for a Fatal Accident
While financial losses matter, the emotional impact of losing a loved one often reaches far beyond medical bills and lost income. Wrongful death cases frequently involve non-economic damages tied to emotional suffering and personal loss.
These damages are often more difficult to calculate because they don’t come with invoices or receipts. However, they are no less important. The common non-economic damages you and your family may be able to recover include:
Loss of companionship: This encompasses the profound loss of the emotional support, guidance, and advice the deceased provided. It also accounts for the absence of daily affection and care within the family unit.
Mental and emotional suffering: This encompasses the severe grief and emotional distress experienced by you and your family following the death. It also addresses the ongoing anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma that surviving relatives must cope with.
Loss of parental support: This specifically addresses how surviving children lose vital parental instruction, mentorship, and daily involvement in their lives. Ultimately, it compensates for the deep emotional harm and lack of guidance caused by losing a parent.
Kansas and Missouri's wrongful death statutes recognize that the value of a person’s life extends far beyond financial contributions. Therefore, the courts and insurance companies will consider the relationships and emotional support the deceased provided to their surviving relatives.
Factors That Affect Compensation
No two fatal accident claims are the same, and the compensation you can receive will often depend on several factors related to the accident and the impact it has on you and your family. Insurance companies will often attempt to reduce payouts whenever possible, but our experienced Kansas and Missouri personal injury attorneys can advocate for the support you need. The common factors that influence compensation include the following.
The age and earning history of the deceased: This evaluates the deceased's future earning potential and lost career opportunities based on their age. It also considers their past employment history, work consistency, and the total value of their workplace benefits.
Severity of negligence: This addresses whether the accident was caused by egregious actions such as drunk or distracted driving. It also accounts for other hazardous actions, such as reckless speeding or dangerous conduct on the road.
Number of surviving dependents: This measures the impact on minor children who were entirely dependent on the deceased's income. It also considers the critical financial support needed for a surviving spouse and the loss of daily family caregiving responsibilities.
If you have decided to pursue a wrongful death claim following the death of a loved one in a fatal accident, our experienced Kansas wrongful death attorneys can help you determine how these factors will influence your claim and gather detailed evidence to support your case.
Essential Evidence You Should Preserve After a Fatal Accident
Strong evidence can significantly affect the outcome of a wrongful death case. After a fatal collision, important evidence can often disappear. Therefore, it's essential to gather evidence and information as soon as possible. The common types of evidence you should collect include the following:
Accident scene documentation: Collect comprehensive photographs of the accident scene and detailed images of all vehicle damage. Secure any available surveillance or dashcam footage to provide a clear visual record of the incident.
Medical and financial records: Gather any hospital bills, medical invoices, formal funeral expense documentation, and employment and wage records to accurately calculate the full extent of your financial losses.
Witness information: Organize the contact details for all key eyewitnesses and secure written statements while their memories are still fresh. Incorporate official observations and notes recorded by the responding police officers.
Personal relationship evidence: Collect family photographs and personal correspondence, such as messages and emails, to highlight the relationship you and your family members had with the deceased. This can provide clear evidence of the deceased's active involvement in caregiving within your family.
Collecting and presenting these types of evidence can help establish both liability and damages in wrongful death claims. An experienced personal injury lawyer can also work with investigators and financial professionals to build a stronger claim for you and your family.
Contact Our Skilled Wrongful Death Attorneys for Support
The aftermath of a fatal car accident can be emotional and exhausting, and leave you feeling uncertain. While no legal claim can replace the person you lost, pursuing compensation through a wrongful death claim helps provide financial stability and accountability.
At Harris & Hart Attorneys at Law, our experienced personal injury attorneys can help you and your family pursue a wrongful death claim following a fatal car accident caused by negligence. Our goal is to help you and your family members seek compensation for medical expenses, funeral costs, lost income, and emotional suffering connected to the loss of your loved one.
Located in Overland Park, Kansas, we serve clients in Kansas and Missouri. If your family has suffered the loss of a loved one in a fatal crash due to someone else's negligence, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
