After experiencing a traumatic car accident, the intangible loss of comfort and normal life can severely damage a happy family.
Many times, the term ‘loss of consortium’ finds its way through legal documents pertaining to compensation claims. Loss of consortium is an important part of filing a car accident claim. If you have lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a reckless driver, filing a wrongful death lawsuit may help you recover compensation and loss of consortium.
What is Loss of Consortium?
The term ‘loss of consortium’ is best explained by the following example. A family driving on a road meets with an accident and the driver is seriously injured. The other family members in the vehicle are injured as well. Recuperation from any physical injury takes time. Work life, family life, and a number of other factors are also affected. A loss of normal life, the inability to perform daily chores, the loss of normal sexual life, humiliation and embarrassment, and the stress that accompanies recuperation fall under ‘loss of consortium’.
Proving Loss of Consortium
The family are the most important part of a person’s life. Whether they are injured or not, the family will be affected by the accident as well. Even if physical injuries heal and medical bills are paid for, the stress, tension, and inability to lead the normal life that they led before the accident can be compensated for as well.
For example, a spouse may find it difficult to manage day-to-day chores in the same way before the accident or a child may be traumatized and develop vehicle-related phobias. The whole family may find it difficult to cope with mood changes and emotional distress that a family member experiences during the recovery period. The intangible loss of comfort and normal life can severely damage a happy family.
Claim for Loss of Consortium
Loss of consortium is usually considered as a separate part of a car accident claim. A Illinois auto wreck lawyer will gather evidence by asking the spouse questions with regards to the accident and how the life of individual family members and the family as a whole has changed since the accident. Call Willens & Baez at (312) 957-4166 to schedule an appointment.
