How much money do you receive if a loved one is killed in an accident?

This is a topic I don't think I've covered before on this blog, mostly because it involves a type of litigation that I typically send out to other lawyers. However, the question of how much money (we lawyers refer to the amount as "quantum") is involved is a relevant question to family members left behind.

Loved ones left behind might be struggling financially due to the loss of the deceased's income. A small business might be in danger of folding without the deceased there to do the work. There are many such situations in which the family of a person who died a "wrongful death" might consider taking legal action to recover some money. The potential amount of the lawsuit is an important factor for the simple reason that in any legal action you have to weigh the potential benefit against the potential cost.

Recently I read an article in www.advocatedaily.com in which an injury lawyer laid out the three sources of money that become available when someone is killed in an accident. Click here to read the article ("Wrongful death Part 2"), which interviews Toronto lawyer Alison Burrison, The article is specific to Ontario so some of the material is going to be different in other provinces, but this should give you a good idea of where to start.