Dealing with a wrongful death includes a lot of moving parts, including all the logistics surrounding the usual process of death. On top of the unexpected grief, you may find yourself at the center of planning for your loved one’s funeral.
Handling the financial costs of a funeral may exacerbate the emotional costs of all this stress. When you understand the usual prices of burial arrangements and how that impacts a wrongful death case, you may be able to better prepare.
Median funeral costs in the United States
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, a funeral’s cost varies most, depending on whether you choose burial or cremation. Services that include viewing and a burial range costs around $8,000. Some cemeteries require a cement vault if you choose their plots, which may raise the price as much as $1,500.
Cremations forgo the burial and vault but still may include embalming, other preparations and the usual fees for the viewing service. The median cost of a funeral with viewing and cremation ranges around $7,000.
Reasonable costs of a wrongful death
If you have a wrongful death case on your hands, the courts may award you some of the costs involved in your funeral planning. The important thing to understand is that the judge or jury must find these demands reasonable. Funeral charges like basic services, the casket and the tombstone may fall under that definition. A $2,000 catering charge at the service may not qualify.
In these situations, it is important to keep accurate documentation of what you spent and lean on your resources so that you have all the information you need to recover what’s fair.