The Value of Death
My mom passed away just a few days ago. As she battled her illness, she was hospitalized for days at a time, released, only to come back again. At the end of her life she spent about two weeks in the intensive care units of the hospital.
As I watched my mom slowly slip away from life, our family gathered close. If she would open her eyes, we would get right next to her so she could see that we were there for her. At that time, nothing else mattered. Work took second place. "Important" appointment now got canceled. Everything else in our lives became less important than being at the hospital by my mother's side.
My work as a personal injury lawyer often takes me to hospitals. When a loved one is injured, they often have immediate and important questions but they cannot leave the hospital because being by the side of their loved one is the most important thing.
As my mother slowly passed away, I reflected on what was important in our lives. Family and our relationships take center stage. At that crucial time, at the last moments of our lives, we value the most important things, our family and close friends.
Someone once asked me, "How do you put a value on death?" If your loved one has been killed due to the fault of another, the law requires the wrong-doer to compensate the family for that loss. Calculating the value of your loved one's death is personal and different in every case. However, the law gives us some guidance. For example, we can calculate the loss of income for that person. We can look at medical bills the family has incurred from the injuries. Funeral expenses and other economic losses are part of the calculation as well.
But with the passing of my mom, I am reminded that while these losses are important, they are nowhere near the importance of the loss the family experiences by the loss of their loved one. As we gathered at my mom's bedside, I was reminded that the truly important things, the valuable things, are the relationships we all had with mom.
If your loved one has passed away from the fault of another, the law recognizes that most significant loss, the loss of your relationship with your loved one. The law also recognizes that the wrongdoers have caused you very real, serious emotional pain. Your grief is, therefore, also compensated when your loved one is killed.
When your loved one has been killed by the wrongful act of another or even if you just have a question, call Dixon Law Office at 888-354-9880 or go to www.AttorneysMakingItRight.com any time. We can answer your questions and help you navigate this painful process because I have done it for countless other families and I have lived it myself.
G. Grant Dixon III