An Indianapolis wrongful death lawyer can help you recover future lost wages for a wrongful death case. We can include the cost of wages lost while caring for a loved one in the request for compensation you file with an insurance company, civil court, or both. We can also include a request for damages based on the deceased’s loss of earning ability.
Why should you consider asking for future lost wage compensation in the aftermath of a loved one’s wrongful death? Unfortunately, death is expensive. The damages you stand to receive from a wrongful death claim can help you stabilize your finances and focus on your emotional needs.
That’s why our team wants to make sure you include all of the losses you can in the claim you bring forward.
Personal Executors Spearhead a Family’s Financial Recovery
You can recover future lost wages for a wrongful death case only if you serve as the deceased’s personal executor. Indiana will not allow any other parties to take legal action on behalf of the deceased.
In other words, you need to determine whether or not you fill this role before you make your case for future lost wages. The only exception to this rule comes to light if you choose to fight for your own lost wages.
If you had to take time away from work to help a loved one through hospice and were not compensated for your time, you may have the right to include a request for financial support based on your lost earnings. Our Indianapolis personal injury lawyers can help you integrate those losses into insurance claims and lawsuits.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
Recovering the Right Damages in a Wrongful Death Case
Your and your loved one’s future lost wages fall under the category of “economic losses” sustained in a fatal accident. If you choose to file an insurance claim after a fatal accident, you may hold the insurance provide responsible for compensation based on these and other economic losses, including the following:
- Emergency medical care, including ambulance fees
- Surgeries and additional pre-mortem care
- Hospice care, as applicable
- Funeral expenses
- Property damage and restoration
Pursuing a personal injury lawsuit allows you to recover damages based on your economic and non-economic expenses. Our Indianapolis, IN, wrongful death attorneys can help calculate the dollar value of losses like your peace of mind, quality of life, loss of consortium or companionship, and emotional distress.
How to Account for Your Lost Wages
Arguing for your right to compensation based on your lost wages requires you to present evidence indicating that:
- Another person’s negligence resulted in your loved one’s fatal accident
- That negligence impacted your ability to go to work and/or receive paid time off
- Your lost income had a concrete impact on your quality of life
You can use pay stubs in your effort to recover future lost wages for a wrongful death case, as your pay stubs assert the average value of your work. Our wrongful death lawyers in Indianapolis can also refer to corporate bereavement and unpaid time off policies to better argue for your right to predictive support.
How to Account for the Deceased’s Lost Wages
Your argument for compensation based on the income your loved one can no longer earn looks similar to your argument for compensation based on your own lost income. You need evidence to prove the value of your loved one’s lost income and a liable party’s involvement in their fatal accident.
However, you must also prove that your loved one’s earnings would have gone directly to your overall betterment. For example, if you’re representing a parent who no longer financially supports you, compensation for their lost wages may go to their current partner and not you.
Our team can break down the complications involved in lost wage distribution as your case evolves.
How to Present Your Argument for Fair Wrongful Death Compensation
You have the right to choose how you argue for future lost wages for a wrongful death case. If you want to take your case to trial, our attorneys can prepare you for:
- Discovery and pre-trial motions
- Opening statements
- Examination
- Cross-examination
- Closing statements
- Deliberation and verdict
However, you may want to avoid going before a judge and jury. If you’d rather negotiate for a settlement, our attorneys can mediate face-to-face conversations between you and the party liable for a loved one’s passing. Unfortunately, these meetings can be emotionally challenging, but we can protect you from wrongful attacks and the misrepresentation of your losses.
No matter which path you prefer to walk, you can trust our team to get your claim in before Indiana’s two-year statute of limitations expires. This way, you can preserve your right to choose how you fight for wrongful death support.
Let an Indianapolis Wrongful Death Lawyer Advocate for You
You don’t have to try to recover future lost wages for a wrongful death case on your own, especially if you’re in the midst of deep grief. You instead have the right to delegate responsibility for your legal action to an experienced wrongful death attorney in Indianapolis, IN.
Vaughan & Vaughan brings over 100 years of legal experience to your pursuit of damages. We know how to balance your need to grieve with the deadlines imposed on your family by Indiana’s civil courts. If you’re ready to fight for your right to future lost wage compensation, consider booking a free case consultation with our staff today.
