Successful wrongful death lawsuits can provide families with two distinct forms of justice. Grieving families often derive a sense of closure from having the courts affirm that an individual or business was responsible for the death of their loved one.
They can also request damages for the losses generated by the tragedy. Frequently, families focus on economic losses, such as lost future income. However, the person who died may have provided unpaid household services rather than a paycheck. If a stay-at-home parent dies in a drunk driving crash or other preventable incident, families may need help putting a price on their household services.
Unpaid labor is relatively valuable
People sometimes underestimate the economic worth of unpaid labor. However, researchers recognize that household services have a fiscal value. On average, stay-at-home parents provide roughly $4,500 in household services each month to their families. Depending on factors including the number of children in the household and the extent of the services provided, the work of a stay-at-home parent could actually be far higher than the average.
Grieving families may want to create a list of the household tasks the deceased individual typically provided. After that, they can estimate how many hours each month they committed to different tasks. With that said, it is impossible to use market rates for professional services to estimate the total financial impact of such a tragedy on a family, which is one of the reasons why seeking legal guidance can be helpful.
Overseeing legal proceedings and performing complex calculations can be difficult for those already dealing with grief and disruptions to their household schedules. Obtaining support when pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit may make it easier for families to quantify their loss and seek justice in the civil courts.