The loss of a loved one can be an incredibly painful experience, and the grief and trauma can be overwhelming. In some cases, when a loved one has died due to the actions or negligence of another person or entity, the surviving family may choose to seek closure and justice by suing the responsible parties in a wrongful death lawsuit.
A wrongful death lawsuit is a civil action brought by the surviving family members of a deceased person against a party whose negligent or intentional actions caused the death. The purpose of the lawsuit is to hold the responsible party accountable for their actions and to seek compensation for the damages caused. While an amount of money from a wrongful death claim settlement can’t bring back a loved one, a wrongful death lawsuit can provide closure and justice for the surviving family.
Coping with loss can be a profoundly personal experience, and there are a few basic steps to the bereavement and grief process. Knowing these steps can help the surviving family recover from their grief. Read below to find the stages of grief that everyone must go through to achieve true healing:
Stage 1: Acknowledge everything you’re feeling
Acknowledge everything you’re feeling, even the emotions you don’t like, such as sadness or rage. Be vulnerable, and cry if you need to. It’s also important not to pressure yourself with expectations. Understand that you need to experience your pain and emotions so that you can forge your way of healing in your own time. Don’t judge your emotions, don’t think you are weak, and don’t compare yourself to others. Remember that no one else can tell you how you should mourn or when to stop.
Stage 2: Gather support
While there may be times when you are coping with loss, and you wish to be alone, it’s important to gather support around you. You can gather support from friends, family, and perhaps a therapist during your grief process. These individuals can be a source of emotional and physical support. The death of a loved one often leaves a large vacuum in the life of the survivor that can be, at least temporarily, occupied by a support team. Express your feelings to others.
Stage 3: Allowing the grieving process
Grief is a process, and it takes time to heal. Although it’s an emotional wound, it will take time to heal, just like a physical injury. While every person has their own way of coping with loss, it is important to take all the time you need. You must allow yourself to experience the stages of grief as they arise. Accept that grief can bring up different and unexpected emotions.
Seek out face-to-face support from people who love and care about you. Look after yourself emotionally by taking care of yourself physically and abstaining from things, people, and events that will trigger you. There are different stages of grief, and we are going to discuss them below:
- Denial: Accepting the loss of someone you love can be difficult. You may find it impossible to believe your loved one is gone forever; this experience might leave you numb. This is a stage of grief where you have to accept what has happened to you.
- Anger: It’s normal to feel angry and enraged as the reality of the situation starts to sink in. This rage may be aimed at God, yourself, a loved one who abandoned you, or medical professionals who failed to cure your loved one.
- Bargaining: It’s not uncommon for survivors to negotiate with their higher power to deal with their loss. If you find yourself negotiating with God based on “if only,” don’t be shocked. Recognize that it’s all part of healing.
- Depression: Many people who lose their loved ones typically experience overwhelming sadness. However, this feeling can’t last forever. While this is a common feeling, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel.
- Acceptance: This is the final stage of bereavement and grief, which refers to coming to terms with the finality of the death and moving forward with your life. This doesn’t mean you won’t remember your loved one or that your healing will be a linear process. For a lot of people who have lost a loved one, they might remember them or revisit some of the stages of their grief from time to time just so that the pain of their loss will become more manageable.
Stage 4: Embrace life
Even though you must feel the pain of your loss, you will eventually have to start living your own life again. You reach a point where you accept death as a fact by working through the grief associated with the death of a loved one. Without your loved one by your side, you will be able to accept life and go forward.
Conclusion
Losing a loved one can be a difficult and emotionally challenging experiences a family can go through. However, it is possible to recover and heal from such a loss. The surviving family members need to give themselves time to grieve and process their emotions, and seek closure by suing responsible parties in a wrongful death suit. This can be a challenging yet necessary step for the surviving family to take. While it cannot bring back a loved one, it provides a sense of closure and justice for the family, as well as financial stability and emotional healing.
It is essential to work with experienced legal professionals who can guide the family through the process with empathy and compassion. Ultimately, the decision to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit is a personal one, and each family must make the choice that is best for them.