Fatal Accident Claims
When a loved one dies due to an accident caused by another person’s negligence, those who were dependant on the deceased can make a fatal accident claim.
We have worked on a great number of fatal accident claims in the past and know how difficult a time it is for all those involved. For this reason, we recommend you seek legal advice as soon as possible if you have made a fatal accident claim. We pride ourselves on our empathy and work hard so that families can take their mind off of the difficulties in making a dependency claim.
Loss of dependency can take many forms. We have successfully made claims in the past for:
- Medical expenses prior to death;
- Funeral expenses;
- Past gratuitous services by friends and family;
- Loss of financial support (e.g. the proportion of the deceased’s income to which the dependants were receiving);
- Loss of domestic & parental support (e.g. childcare); and
- Other losses.
The law is different for fatal accident claims and Kakulas Legal has particular expertise in these claims.
The most common claims are made by husbands, wives or children.
An example of a fatal accident claim
John, a teacher, is killed in a motorcycle accident when a driver didn’t stop at a red traffic light. His wife Mary and two young children Alex and Andrew make a claim for loss of dependency. Things that they claim for include:
Loss of John’s income as a teacher and the money that he would have spent on Mary, Alex and Andrew, such as:
- Food;
- Clothing;
- school fees, gifts, outings etc.
- Loss of John’s help around the house and garden
- Loss of John’s time in caring for the children
Mary, Alex and Andrew can each make a claim. Any money received by the young children is kept in trust for them by a court-appointed Trustee and Mary can access the money to pay for things like clothing and school costs.
For more information, see What Is The Process For Fatal Accident Claims?