Grief after Wrongful Death of a Loved One
I’m Ed Smith, a wrongful death lawyer in Sacramento. Although death is part of the natural cycle of life, it’s never easy losing someone you love. It’s more comforting if your loved one passes away from natural causes after living a long, full life. However, if your loved one dies suddenly and without warning in a wrongful death accident, it’s a traumatic experience.
What is “Wrongful Death”?
Wrongful death refers to a death that is caused intentionally, recklessly or negligently by another person without reasoning. Everyone owes a legal obligation to exercise due care to prevent accidental injury or death to others. When someone suffers a wrongful death, it not only robs the victim of his or her life but also haunts the victim’s surviving family members who are forced to deal with the tragic loss.
Grief and Wrongful Death
It is hard to accept a loved one’s death that was caused by another person’s careless action. The sadness and sorrow that follows can last for years. In some cases, you will never recover fully from the emotional trauma. The pain may taper off, but it will never really go away. Grief caused by a wrongful death can lead to depression, sleep disorders and anxiety. It can also create stress which can lead to physical health problems like high blood pressure and ulcers. Mentally, you may feel lost and isolated from life.
Wrongful Death Loss
The unexpected death of a loved one can torment you in ways that are different from natural death. When someone you love suffers from a fatal illness, you have time to prepare yourself mentally and have a chance to say goodbye. It’s easier to accept the loss, even if it was a premature death. However, when your loved one’s death is a result of negligence, it deprives you the opportunity to prepare. There’s no chance to express your feelings or say the things you wanted to say. Just knowing that another person caused the death of someone you love makes it more difficult to accept. You may feel anger and frustration as you try to make sense of the untimely death.
Compensation
Although no amount of money can replace your loved one, filing a wrongful death claim against the negligent party can provide some comfort. You can receive compensation not only for the loss of income that your loved one would have produced if he or she was still alive but also for non-economic damages such as the loss of love, companionship, care, protection, affection and moral support. In reality, compensation in a wrongful death case will not bring your loved one back, and it does not replace grief. However, it will acknowledge that your loved one contributed to your life in a big way. It sends a clear message that your loved one’s irreplaceable affection had significant value.
Watch YouTube Video – By: The Good Grief Trust – What is Grief?
In this video, grief counselor Julia Samuel explains the meaning of grief and how to cope with it.
Wrongful Death Lawyers in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a wrongful death lawyer in Sacramento. Losing someone you love is never easy, especially if the death was sudden and unexpected. If you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death and need help with pursuing a claim, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly and compassionate advice. You can also reach me online.
I have helped many families in Sacramento and throughout Northern California receive compensation from wrongful death and personal injuries cases for 36 years.
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I’m a member of the prestigious Million Dollar Forum, a group of top U.S. trial attorneys who have been recognized for obtaining million dollar settlements and verdicts on behalf of our clients.
You can see our previous Verdicts and Settlements here.
Photograph Attribution: By “Greg Ortega” via Unsplash
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