Was My Child Killed in a Wrongful Death Case?

After the death of any loved one, we are too shocked, too grief-stricken to think of anything but the event that has changed our lives. The death of a child is even more difficult, leaving parents overwhelmed with grief and unanswered questions, wondering how to put their lives back together. In most cases, the child’s death was due to an avoidable circumstance, or what is legally called a wrongful death.

Children are often the victims of Palm Beach Gardens wrongful death cases. Their age makes them less of a risk of natural death, while also making them dependent on the care of others. Although a child’s loss at any age is devastating, a wrongful death case can only be filed for minors under the age of eighteen, when the parents are legally responsible for the child.

There are a number of ways that your child’s death could have been caused by someone else’s negligence, including:

• Car accidents, including children hit while walking to school or left in hot cars by caretakers
• Prescription drug errors, including improper dosage of painkillers, antibiotics or attention-deficit drugs
• Product malfunctions, such as trampolines, bicycles or toys

If the company or manufacturer is found liable for the death, parents can receive compensation for the following losses:

• Any hospital, medical or medication expenses following the accident
• Funeral arrangements and burial costs
• Any loss of financial support they received from the child
• Recompense for undue grief and suffering to the family
• Psychiatric treatments, medications and coping mechanisms for the survivors

There are also special considerations for your loss, often referred to as “loss of love and companionship.” It may seem incredible that a company would try to reimburse you for the loss of your child, but the meaning behind this is symbolic: when the company admits fault, they are not just reimbursing you for hard line costs such as medications and flower arrangements–they are stating that they are truly sorry for the accident, and acknowledge that your loss can never be fully repaid.

Many parents do not pursue cases after the death of a child, thinking that the process will be too long and too hard, and will only remind them of what they have lost. Unfortunately, not only does this mean that the parents will have to deal with the expenses on their own, but the person responsible for their loss will not be brought to justice–meaning the accident could happen to someone else. If your child was taken from you due to someone else’s carelessness, contact a Palm Beach Gardens wrongful death attorney today to get justice for your loved one. Call Fetterman & Associates at (866) 865-1244 for your free consultation in Palm Beach, Marin and St. Lucie counties.