Pecuniary, or financial injury is the main measure of damages in a wrongful death action. Courts have interpreted “pecuniary injuries” as including the loss of support, services, lost prospect of inheritance, and medical and funeral expenses. Most laws provide that the damages awarded for a wrongful death shall be fair and just compensation for the pecuniary injuries to the persons for whose benefit the action is brought. If the persons bringing the action paid (or are responsible for) the funeral expenses or medical care incidental to the injury that caused the decedent’s death, they may also recover those expenses. Finally, state statutes vary on whether interest on those amounts may be recovered.

Determining Pecuniary Loss

When determining pecuniary loss, it is relevant to consider the age, character and condition of the decedent, his or her earning capacity, life expectancy, health and intelligence, as well as the circumstances of the persons bringing the action. This determination may seem straightforward, but it often becomes a complicated inquiry, keeping in mind that the measure of damages is actual pecuniary loss.

Usually, the main consideration in awarding damages is the circumstances of the decedent. For example, when an adult wage earner with dependants dies, the major parts of the recovery are: 1) loss of income, and 2) loss of parental guidance. The jury may consider the decedent’s earnings at the time of death, the last known earnings if unemployed, and potential future earnings.

Adjustments in the Jury’s Award

In a wrongful death action, the jury determines the amount of the damages award after hearing the evidence. The jury’s determination is not the final word, however, and the size of the award may be adjusted upward or downward by the judge for a variety of reasons.

If the decedent earned considerable income and provided it to his family, that sum will be recoverable. A jury may award lost earnings despite the decedent’s having been unemployed, if he had worked in the past and if the plaintiff presented evidence of the decedent’s average earnings while employed.

If the decedent routinely squandered his income, this might reduce the family’s recovery. The courts might reduce a jury’s award if the decedent had poor earnings, even though he was young, had great potential, and supported several children. If the plaintiff fails to present such evidence of the decedent’s average earnings, the court may set aside the jury’s damage award and order a new trial.

Using Expert Testimony to Determine Pecuniary Loss

Plaintiffs are allowed to present expert testimony of economists to establish the value of the decedent to his family. Until recently, this testimony was not admissible when a housewife died, but that rule has changed. When the decedent is a housewife who was not employed outside the home, the financial impact on the survivors will not involve a loss of income, but increased expenditures to continue the services she was providing or would have provided if she had lived. Because jurors may not be knowledgeable regarding the monetary value of a housewife’s services, experts may aid the jury in this evaluation.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are damages awarded in cases of serious or malicious wrongdoing to punish the wrongdoer or deter others from behaving similarly. In most states, a plaintiff may not recover punitive damages in a wrongful death action. There are some states, however, that have specific statutes that permit the recovery of punitive damages. In states that do not explicitly allow or disallow punitive damages in wrongful death actions, courts have held punitive damages permissible. An attorney will be able to advise you as to whether your state allows punitive damages.