How Insurance Carriers May Value Wrongful Death Claims

If you’ve lost a loved one due to an accident, a Newport Beach personal injury attorney can help evaluate whether you may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim on their behalf. A good first step is to understand how insurance companies evaluate claims.

Liability Issues
When evaluating a wrongful death claim, an insurance adjuster looks at whether their insured bears legal responsibility for the accident that caused your loved one’s death. Wrongful death claims might be filed after an auto accident, slip and fall, products liability case or any number of other accidents by which the conduct of another person or product caused the death. Adjusters look at whether the victim may have in any way contributed to the accident and whether the person who caused the accident acted unreasonably or recklessly.

Economic Issues
Though it is impossible to try and think of the loss of life in dollars and cents, adjusters are tasked with doing just that. Loss of life may be calculated by considering factors such as:

• Potential lost earnings;
• Medical bills incurred as a result of the accident;
• Funeral and burial expenses; and
• Loss of services and companionship sustained by loved ones.

A Newport Beach personal injury lawyer can discuss other unique factors that may impact the valuation of a wrongful death claim for your situation.

Trust your wrongful death matter to an experienced Newport Beach personal injury attorney at Russell & Lazarus APC. Call 949-851-0222 to set up a consultation.