When you lose a loved one, the costs of medical bills and funeral bills can cause additional stress in addition to the grief you experience from the loss.
There is no way to bring a loved one back after their death or fill the hole that they leave behind in your life. In cases of wrongful death, the family of a lost loved one may be able to relieve the financial burden through recovery.
What is wrongful death?
Wrongful death is a death resulting from the wrongful act, neglect or default of another. The party at fault may be an individual or a business depending on the circumstances of the death.
What are some examples of wrongful death?
Any death resulting from negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct by another may qualify as wrongful death. Examples include the following:
- Drunk driving
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse
- Dangerous or defective products
- Dangerous conditions on a property
Any death where the injured party could have recovered damages if they had lived is wrongful death.
What kind of recovery is possible?
Possible financial recovery includes medical bills associated with the accident and funeral and burial costs. The family of the deceased person may also ask the court to consider damages for what their loved one may have earned and provided if they had lived, including loss of wages, loss of family support, loss of companionship and loss of expected inheritance. Pain and suffering are also frequently considered as part of the damages available.
The statute of limitations for wrongful death cases in Ohio is two years from the time of the death or two years from the time of discovery that the death was wrongful.