Drunk drivers take their own lives in their hands when they get behind the wheel. They also put other people at risk. If your family has recently lost a loved one because of a drunk driver, your finances have likely suffered.
Not only do you have to replace a vehicle and pay for a funeral, but you also have to worry about the loss of your loved one’s income. A wrongful death claim allows surviving family members the right to seek compensation if someone else’s negligence, wrongful acts or default causes a death.
In addition to claiming verifiable financial losses, surviving family members can also make claims about non-economic losses as well.
What noneconomic losses can you claim?
Colorado allows you to hold the responsible party accountable for noneconomic damages. You can make a claim for your emotional distress and grief, as well as your pain and suffering related to the incident. Finally, you can make a claim for your loss of companionship suffered when your loved one died. In most cases, there will be a limit to noneconomic damages, but if the drunk driving crash constitutes manslaughter, there may not be any limit on noneconomic damages.
Why should you claim noneconomic damages?
Obviously, no amount of money can repair the emotional suffering that comes with losing a loved one. However, securing these damages in a wrongful death claim will increase the consequences for the person who caused the crash. Additionally, the compensation you receive could help your family address the emotional damage you suffered, possibly by paying for counseling or similar services.
Evaluating your circumstances to determine what claims you have the right to bring and what value to put on that claim it’s often the first step toward justice after a drunk driver causes a fatal crash.