Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Calculating Future Damages in a Massachusetts Wrongful Death Claim (Part B)
Calculating Other Future Damages
Family members and loved ones may also be entitled to wrongful death compensation that has no connection to wages or potential earning power.
In wrongful death cases, juries often award damages for:
- loss of consortium
- loss of companionship
These categories pertain to the emotional issues that families and spouses will face after the loss of a loved one. The damage amounts might be affected by such factors as the decedent’s marital status, how many surviving children there are, and the family’s level of dependency on the person who died.
Present Value
When future damages are calculated in Massachusetts wrongful death lawsuits, they are filtered through a computation known as “Present Value”.
This computation operates on the principle that an amount of money is actually worth less today than a similar amount in the future. Put another way, it assumes that a sum of money today will be worth more in the future if it is invested wisely at a reasonable interest rate.
Calculating Present Value
Present value is calculated by:
- figuring out the total amount of future damages to which family members are entitled
- estimating an interest rate and the number of years the victim would have lived
- consulting a present value table to find a percentage value which identifies how much the total future damages will be worth if paid in a lump sum today
- multiplying the total future earnings by the percentage value found in the present value table
Contacting a Massachusetts Wrongful Death Attorney
If you have lost a loved one in a Massachusetts accident, contact a Massachusetts wrongful death attorney to learn about your rights and determine liability.
When you are interviewing wrongful death attorneys, ask critical questions like: how long have you been practicing; what is the largest settlement or verdict you’ve obtained, and do you have experience with wrongful death cases?
The Kiley Law Group, a law firm based in Andover, Massachusetts, takes time when speaking with you about your case and works with you on a contingent fee basis so there are NO FEES unless our trained personal injury lawyers wins your case.
Call now to schedule a FREE evaluation of your case.
