Evaluating Wrongful Death Cases Involving Children
One of the most tragic kinds of case that we encounter is that involving the death of a child. Oftentimes it is in the context of a serious automobile collision but obviously death due to negligent behavior comes in a variety of forms. It is particularly difficult to deal with the death of a innocent […]
Assessing Damages In A Burn Injury Case
In those serious injury cases where the damage is a burn injury and significant scarring or disfigurement is present, it sometimes is difficult to estimate the settlement value of such a claim. Even if the plastic surgeon is able to give a reliable figure of future medical expenses, assuming more surgery is needed to address […]
Boating Under The Influence: A Deadly Combination
We read in the paper this week about a tragedy which occurred on Lake Lanier outside of Atlanta. A ski boat being operated by an individual under the influence of alcohol crashed head-on into a pontoon boat occupied by 13 people. Many of the people on the pontoon boat were seriously injured and apparently two […]
Punitive Damages In A Wrongful Death Context
Because damages in a wrongful death context are measured from the standpoint of the decedent and are considered under Georgia case authority to be somewhat punitive since the damages include compensation for the full value of the life of the decedent, in a wrongful death case, per se, punitive damages cannot be sought. However, in […]
Estate Claims In A Wrongful Death Context
As we have posted before, in a wrongful death context, the heirs-at-law have a claim for damages for the full value of the life of the decedent whereas the Administrator of the estate has a claim for pre-death damages. In some cases involving serious injury, the injured individual may live for a time prior to […]
Voices Insisting On Pursuit Safety: Heroes At Work
This entry is written in tribute to a little known non-profit association called Voices Insisting On Pursuit Safety. http://www.pursuitsafety.org/ VIPS is a group of dedicated volunteers who are trying to save lives through their work. Each of the members of this group unfortunately have experienced tragedies in their own lives typically as a result of […]
Another Police Chase: More Deaths
Another Police Chase: More Deaths We read last week on the internet of a tragic story out of Parsons, Kansas. Unfortunately, the Kansas story is all too familiar and occurs each and every day in this country. What we refer to are dangerous and reckless police chase cases which regrettably and tragically all too often […]
Non-Economic Damages In A Georgia Wrongful Death Case
As we have posted before, in Georgia the measure of damages is the full value of the life of the decedent. The full value of the life of the decedent is comprised of the economic value of the deceased’s normal life expectancy and the non-economic loss sustained at the time of the wrongful death. As […]
Determining Economic Damages In A Wrongful Death Claim
In determining the economic value of a deceased’s life in Georgia, a jury is not bound by any fixed criteria in reaching its verdict. A Georgia jury may take into consideration the decedent’s age at the time of his/her death, heredity, health, physical condition, habits, character, education, prior earning capacity, the amount of money he […]
Wrongful Death Damages: The Economic Component
The economic value of a wrongful death claim in Georgia is typically based upon lifetime earnings or the economic value of lifetime services. In a wrongful death case, a plaintiff must prove by a preponderance of the evidence the age of the decedent when he/she died, probable life expectance and yearly income or the value […]