Fatal accident claims

Fatal accidents can devastate the lives of the victim’s family and they often do not know which way to turn. As well as the emotional suffering there is often a financial situation to deal with which leads to hardship at a time when the family are already under great stress.

We have advised numerous families in claims for damages after the loss of their loved ones, whether through road traffic accidents, accidents at work, public or occupiers liability assaults, medical negligence or industrial disease.

Our specialist team of personal injury lawyers are experienced in representing relatives through the process, from notification of the death, to the inquest and beyond. We will provide the information and representation you need at every stage including any criminal proceedings.

We deal sympathetically with the bereaved family whilst at the same time pro actively pursuing fatal accident compensation for their loss.

Claims involving fatalities are dealt with differently from personal injury cases and entirely separate rules apply to awards of compensation.

There are two parts to a fatal accident claim.

The first part is the deceased’s own claim. It gives compensation for the physical and emotional pain and distress that they suffered before they died. Compensation can also be given for the victim’s financial losses between the date of injury and the date of death, including funeral expenses.

The second part is the claim brought by the dependants of the deceased for the loss of financial support. Dependents are specifically defined for these claims and include:

• The surviving spouse or co-habitee of the opposite sex who has lived with the deceased for more than 2 years.
• Children.
• Parents.
• Persons treated as children or parents.
• Grandchildren and grandparents.

Compensation can be given for loss of support since the death which consists of that part of the deceased’s contribution to the family earnings which they would not have spent exclusively on themselves together with any services they provided such as childcare gardening or DIY.

As well as the dependency claim there is a sum payable for bereavement to the spouse or to the parents of a deceased minor that currently stands at £10,000.

Our accident lawyers have wide experience of these claims and will assess each case on an individual basis. The value of dependency claims can be substantial and where appropriate we will involve forensic accountants to assist in presenting the claim and to give the best chance of recovering compensation

Our case studies can show you how we have helped others make a claim for compensation, alternatively find out more about making a fatal accident claim.