The survivors left behind after a deadly New Jersey car crash may have questions about their rights. They want to hold the party at fault for the collision accountable, which could involve filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
Surviving dependent family members can ask the courts to award them both economic and non-economic damages after a deadly motor vehicle collision. If the driver at fault violated traffic statutes or was clearly negligent, the courts may require that they provide damages to surviving dependent family members. If a person who has died in a crash had a spouse, one of the non-economic damages they can request is loss of consortium.
The loss of a spouse creates unique challenges
A marriage is a legal relationship intended to last a lifetime. Both spouses derive benefits from the relationship. They provide one another with emotional support and guidance. They provide practical services for their joint household. There is also the unique intimacy between spouses to consider.
A claim for loss of consortium helps compensate a surviving spouse for the loss of their partner. It can be very difficult to quantify the financial value of losing a loved one’s care and affection, but that is essentially what spouses must do when seeking non-economic damages for the loss of consortium after a deadly crash.
Working with an experienced New Jersey car crash lawyer can help those left behind after a fatal car wreck pursue justice. A successful lawsuit may include claims for the loss of consortium and other non-economic damages suffered by surviving family members, in addition to a request for verifiable economic damages.
