Will a Wrongful Death Settlement Cover All of My Loved One’s Lost Wages?

When someone dies due to the negligence of another person, the survivors of the victim can bring a wrongful death
lawsuit to recover compensation for losses caused by the victim’s unexpected death. The most common type of damage
recovered in wrongful death claims is lost wages. Lost wages can encompass several forms of income loss, and differ
in each case, leaving the victim’s family wondering, “Will I still have access to my partner’s 401k?” “do wrongful
death settlements include future lost wages or just present losses of income?”

In this FAQ, we’ll explore the different types of lost wages covered in wrongful death settlements and what factors
are used when calculating the amount of a wrongful death settlement. If your family member was killed in a fatal
motor vehicle accident, workplace accident, or due to a defective product or company’s negligence, you could be
entitled to a settlement that covers all of your loved one’s lost wages.

If you have questions about the type of wrongful death settlement you can recover, including your loved ones’ lost
wages, call our wrongful death lawyers in St. Louis at 314-542-2222 or 618-272-2222. We don’t charge any fees for our consultations, and we never ask for
any attorney fees unless we win damages for your family’s wrongful death claim.

What Losses of Income Can Be Recovered with a Wrongful Death Settlement?

Wrongful death settlements are designed to help the surviving family members of victims killed by another person’s
negligence maintain the same quality of life that they had before the victim’s death. While recovering compensation
won’t take away the pain of losing a family member, it can help offset expenses that the family has struggled with
since the victim’s death.

Recoverable wrongful death damages typically include compensation for medical expenses incurred before the victim’s
death, property damage caused in the accident, and the family’s loss of the victim’s income. The term “lost wages,”
which is the most commonly reported wrongful death damage, pertains to any financial benefits the victim contributed
to their household income before their death including:

• Salary
• Health insurance
• 401k
• Pension
• Retirement benefits

The number of lost wages that can be recovered in a wrongful death claim is based on factors such as the victim’s
age, whether they had pre-existing health conditions, their work experience, and how long they had until retirement.
Loss of income primarily covers present losses of income caused to a victim’s surviving family members, but in some
cases, a claim could be made for future losses of income with help from a wrongful death lawyer in St. Louis.

Wrongful Death Settlement Lawyers in St. Louis

If your family is struggling with the sudden loss of an immediate family member’s wages, you are going to need help
from a wrongful death lawyer in St. Louis. The wrongful death process is complex and has many critical elements
involved, which, without an in-depth understanding of Missouri’s wrongful death statute, can be challenging to
identify. An attorney can make sure that you have proof of the victim’s death, evidence of the negligent party’s
fault, proof of your relationship to the victim, and other elements that make a strong wrongful death claim.

Burger Law provides the highest quality legal representation to the surviving family members of wrongful death
victims in Missouri and Illinois. If your family member was killed because of another person’s negligence, and you
need help answering the question, “Will a wrongful death settlement cover all of my loved ones’ lost wages?”, call
or contact our wrongful death lawyers in St. Louis at 314-542-2222 or 618-272-2222. We don’t charge any
fees for our consultations, and we never ask for attorney fees unless we win compensation for your claim.

Gary Burger

Founder | Injury Attorney
Gary Burger has dedicated his career to standing up against bullies. The founder and principal attorney of Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer has helped hundreds of Missouri and Illinois individuals and families recover th …
Years of experience: 30 years
Location: St. Louis, MO

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