Opinion ID: 2305543
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Robert and Barbara's NIED Claims for Witnessing Karen's Death

Text: [¶ 12] Robert and Barbara contend that the wrongful death statute does not prevent them from recovering for the emotional distress they suffered as bystanders. According to them, wrongful death statutes, designed to reverse the common law rule that a cause of action does not survive a decedent, are not intended to limit claims brought by individuals based on witnessing a close family member's death. The defendants contend that the Maine statute precludes separate claims for any emotional distress arising from the facts alleged in the wrongful death claim. [¶ 13] Maine's wrongful death statute, as it existed at the time of Karen's death, provided, in pertinent part: The jury ... may give damages not exceeding $75,000 for the loss of comfort, society and companionship of the deceased, including any damages for emotional distress arising from the same facts as those constituting the underlying claim, to the persons for whose benefit the action is brought .... 18-A M.R.S.A. § 2-804(b) (1981), as amended by P.L.1989, ch. 340. [¶ 14] The statute does not distinguish between cases in which the heirs witness the death of the decedent, but instead explicitly states that the maximum recovery includes all emotional distress damages arising from the same facts. Because the NIED claims of Barbara and Robert were based on the same facts as their wrongful death claim, the court properly concluded that they may not bring NIED claims separate from the wrongful death claim.