Fatal Accident Claims and Compensation

Nothing can prepare you for the sudden loss of a loved one. It is tragic and can disrupt your life and the lives of those around you forever.

Whilst seeking compensation for your loss will not likely be one of your immediate priorities, if someone else was at fault for the accident that led to your loss then you may be able to seek compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.

Whether you are seeking workplace death compensation, or any other type of accident that led to fatal injury, you should get in touch with a team of expert serious injury lawyers like ours at Brown Turner Ross to support you and see if you have the basis for a claim or compensation.­

Getting a Fatal injury claim

If you have lost someone close to you due to somebody else’s negligence, then you may be able to claim compensation for a fatal accident.

There are criteria that must be met for you to be able to make a claim. For example, your relationship to the deceased is an important factor. You can make a claim if the deceased was:

• Your spouse
• Your civil partner or cohabiter for at least two years
• Your child, grandchild, or child through adoption, marriage or civil partnership
• Your parent or grandparent, whether by blood relation or not
• Any other direct relative, including sibling, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, or cousin

Outside the above listed relationships, any other direct dependant or dependant ascendant may be able to make a claim if the loss of a loved one has affected your life through loss of services or dependency.

Fatal claims are a troubling time for all involved, but the hope is that receiving financial security will help you to work towards the best interest of yourself and your family for the foreseeable future, leaving behind the risk of any financial stress or burden you may otherwise suffer.

Fatal accident claims guide

While it may not be the nicest or most immediate thought you think of, you should seriously consider whether the loss of a loved one who you were dependant on will impact your life financially in the future.

Every family is different, and every family has individuals who care for and support others whether financially or otherwise. If you lost a loved one who you depend on for support due to the negligence of someone else, then there are a specific set of losses that you can claim for. These include:

• Loss of services – if the deceased provided services to you or your family that you have now lost you can claim for the replacement of these services
• Loss of dependency – if you were dependant on the deceased’s income, including pension and other benefits, then you can claim for the loss of these funds
• Loss of earnings – if the deceased was unable to earn an income after they were injured and before they passed, then this loss of income will be accounted for in your compensation claim
• Administrative/care costs – if you have personally had to cover costs while caring for the injured before they passed, including medical costs, travel costs, and the cost of performing any adaptations to your home or vehicle so that you can provide an adequate level of care, then you can claim compensation for these costs
• Pain and suffering – if the deceased suffered any pain before they passed, such as with long-term complications following an injury, then you can claim compensation for their pain and suffering

You have three years from the date that your loved one passed to file a fatal claim. If the deceased had already begun a personal injury claim before they passed, which comes with its own three-year limitation, then the original three-year limitation will be reset to the date of their passing and a personal injury claim can be progressed to a conclusion on behalf of the deceased’s estate.

Our Speciality

Getting accidental death compensation

You can seek compensation of the death of your loved one if they died as a result of negligence of another party, regardless of the setting that this took place in.

The accident that led to the death of your loved one does not need to have occurred in the workplace as is often wrongly assumed. Provided that there was a negligent or unlawful act that led to their passing, you, as a dependant, are entitled to claim compensation on their behalf.

At the very least, you can seek compensation through the statutory bereavement award. This lump sum of £15,120 is awarded to the deceased’s dependants following an unlawful or negligent act that led to the death of your loved one.

Your fatal accident lawyers

The most important thing to look for when selecting personal injury solicitors to manage your fatal accident claim is a supportive and empathetic presence. You will no doubt be going through one of the hardest moments of your life and without a calm and understanding support system around you it can be hard to picture how your life can get back on track.

At Brown Turner Ross, we strive to not only be the best solicitors to manage your claim, but to also be the most helpful people who can support you in getting any and all emotional care that you and your family may need.