Assessing Wrongful Death Damages

Q: Who can sue for wrongful death?

Apparently, a boxing champion may be capable of inflicting serious personal injury outside of the ring as well as in it. Unlike a professional opponent who assumes the risk of injury upon entering the ring, a fellow driver on the roadways does not.

A grief-stricken husband and father is reportedly “haunted” by the screams of his late pregnant wife whose death he claims he witnessed– – by hearing not seeing – – the sounds of the automobile accident that claimed her life and that of their unborn child.

Allegedly, a “boxing champion, suspected of driving drunk” crossed into her lane, striking her vehicle which then caught on fire. The eight months pregnant woman and mother of three young children was reportedly trapped with her legs pinned beneath the dashboard. Her husband, who was reportedly talking to his wife on a speakerphone before the accident heard her scream before impact and “heard everything” before, during, and after the accident. She was airlifted to a trauma center and reportedly was initially expected to survive, according to police, but unfortunately neither she nor her baby lived.

The boxer, who reportedly began “live-streaming” right after the accident and complaining about his car’s condition, “pleaded not guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated” during a recent court appearance.

When someone is killed as a result of the negligent, reckless, or intentional actions or inactions of somebody else, the victim’s closest surviving relatives may be entitled monetary damages if they commence a wrongful death action against the responsible party. Compensatory damages, if liability is proven, may include such things as the final medical and funeral expenses of the victim, the victim’s (not the survivor’s) pain and suffering prior to their death, the loss of the victim’s future income and future benefits (such as medical or retirement), and damages for loss of companionship and support and guidance that the victim may have provided.

If you or a loved one has been injured or loved one has been killed as a result of someone else’s actions, the Noland Law Firm may help maximize the compensation to which you may be entitled. Contact us today for a free consultation.

From our office in Liberty, Missouri, we represent clients throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area and western Missouri, including Clay County, Liberty, Blue Springs, Independence, and Gladstone.