Wrongful death cases try to compensate families to help survivors cope with the loss of their loved one. The types of compensation available may include: Lost Income – This is an estimate of how much money the deceased would have earned over the course of the rest of their life, had they not passed away. Medical Expenses – These are determined by the amount of expenses from hospitals or other medical care providers during the time between the deceased’s injury and leading up to their death. Pain and Suffering – This is factored in to compensate the deceased for their pain and suffering experienced prior to the eventual death. This can vary wildly, and can range into the multiple millions of dollars. Loss of Consortium – This is usually given to spouses, but can also go to children or parents of the deceased. Loss of Consortium represents the loss of companionship, guidance, and relationship with the deceased. Punitive Damages – These can sometimes be awarded, in some states, to the family if the death was caused intentionally or the person at-fault was extremely out of line with normal behavior. They are intended to punish the person at-fault and, like pain and suffering, can range into the millions of dollars. Other Losses In Rhode Island, the wrongful death law states that the at-fault party must pay the deceased’s family at least $250,000 in damages. This amount may be adjusted much higher when the above mentioned types of compensation are factored in.