Wrongful death lawsuits provide surviving family members with financial compensation
It is not right that you and your family should have to bear the awful physical and financial consequences caused by chemicals that were known by its manufacturers to potentially cause life-threatening diseases.
It is in your best interest to contact Environmental Litigation Group, P.C.to discuss your right to file a wrongful death lawsuit if you are a survivor of someone whose death was caused by years of exposure to film-forming foams containing toxic chemicals.
However, it is important to know that exposure must have occurred in occupational or military settings in order to qualify for recovering compensation on behalf of a deceased loved one, as only firefighters and military personnel who regularly worked with AFFF are eligible for filing a lawsuit. A lawyer with vast experience in pursuing toxic exposure cases will be able to help you file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of your family member who passed away.
What damages are recoverable in a wrongful death action?
When filing a wrongful death claim, the losses that the plaintiff seeks can fall under general and specific damages.
Compensatory damages include economic and non-economic damages. The economic damages are monetary awards that are easily quantifiable and include medical expenses, and past wage losses. If you are a family member of someone who died from a medical condition caused by AFFF exposure, the economic damages might also include reasonable burial and funeral costs and your loved one’s lost inheritance rights. Noneconomic damages are intangible losses that cannot be easily assigned a monetary value. These can include:
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional trauma
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages of the deceased
We have helped grieving families receive millions for the loss of their loved ones
If you are a survivor of someone whose death was wrongfully caused by years of exposure to film-forming foams containing toxic chemicals, you have to begin the process of probating the deceased’s estate so that a personal representative can be appointed. Only the personal representative of the deceased can file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the surviving spouse, children, other beneficiaries, or dependents.
When filing a wrongful death lawsuit, your personal representative must prove that the other party was negligent and that this negligence resulted in your loved one’s death.
To obtain any form of compensation in a wrongful death case, one must also prove that he or she suffered financial damages as a result of the loved one’s death. Financial damages may include any medical expenses associated with the loved one’s injury and funeral expenses.
These damages may also include a general loss of income if you or your children were financially dependent on your loved one. While the legal process is significantly more complex in wrongful death cases, as solid evidence is necessary to support the lawsuit, a lawyer who specializes in toxic exposure cases can help you recover compensation if one of your family members passed away due to a disease caused by AFFF exposure.
Your involvement will be minimal, as you will only have to provide our attorneys with your deceased family member's employment records or military records, which you must retrieve, death certificate, and medical records, documents that will be used to support your case. Therefore, while it may take longer to recover compensation in a wrongful death case, it is possible with the help of a specialized attorney, as the surviving family members of victims of AFFF exposure are eligible for financial compensation from the liable company.
