When a family member or a loved one is killed due to the negligence of someone else, it is a highly traumatic experience. A wrongful death usually results in massive losses both financial and emotional incurred by the surviving spouse and children of the individual. Such economic losses felt from a wrongful death are oftentimes complex in nature and necessitate an accounting expert to evaluate the situations to the fullest extent and provide a basis for a compensatory amount for the damages incurred. The surviving family of the deceased is usually impacted to the point that economic hardship is merely the start of the consequences.
In calculating these damages through an expert the goal is to demonstrate to the court how much hardship the family has faced based on the losses incurred by the spouse and children or any other dependents. When the deceased is the primary bread winner, the injured party needs compensation in order to become whole. Recovering from such a tragedy is never an easy process and the burden of needing to find a job or adding to the wages of the household is paramount. An accounting expert has the ability to determine the amount by calculating all factors. Their primary task is to go through valuations of economic losses and how awarding damages to the surviving family of the deceased can provide much needed recovery. But in order for damages to be awarded, the defendant has to be found liable in their actions which caused the wrongful death of the individual.
Wrongful death cases often entail complex matters that need to be thoroughly investigated so that more information may be gathered to sift through any confusion. The accounting expert needs to include various factors connected to the incident in their calculation and how much the deceased person earned for his family. Therefore the testimony of the accounting expert witness is very important in the courtroom once they have reached a conclusion in their calculation of the amount of damages. There are also situations where another person intentionally caused the death of the deceased but they are not held criminally liable for their action. In such a situation the avenue of civil litigation may be taken to ensure that compensation is available for their loss. The loss of a loved one typically causes issues for a family, however certain parameters need inclusion for court processes which may involve loss of income, extra expenses, payroll issues, material issues and supplies.
Any services that the deceased performed at his or her home are no longer performed. Accounting experts usually require several factors to be included in their calculations. Lost income is often the most important element and may increase the amount significantly. However, other services the deceased may have performed for the family such as keeping the finances and increasing the value of an estate thereby ensuring economic freedom and support. The expert can calculate these amounts and explain to the court why the individual or company liable for the wrongful death needs to compensate the family for the full amount of damages calculated.
If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of someone else, you should retain the services of a competent wrongful death attorney to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.
I am Connecticut Attorney Timothy L. O'Keefe and I am dedicated to assisting crime victims with claims for financial compensation for their harms and losses.