What are the damages available to the surviving family members after an Ohio wrongful death?

Though it is little consolation to people who have lost a loved one, the way our court system compensates the beneficiaries of a decedent is by awarding money. Damages - the term used to refer to the various reasons for which financial compensation can be awarded - are available for the estate for the damages of the decedent and to the beneficiaries.

The estate of the decedent can be compensated for the medical bills incurred to treat the decedent prior to death and for the pain and suffering the decedent experienced as a result of the accident or wrongdoing.

Under state law, the following damages are available to the beneficiaries:

Loss of support - This refers to the lost earning capacity of the decedent had he or she not died. The factors taken into consideration for loss of support would be the salary at the time of the decedent’s death as well as the amount of money the decedent reasonably could have been expected to earn in the future had the death not occurred. Charts called “life tables” are used to calculate how long the decedent would have been expected to live based on such factors as age at the time of death, gender, and race.