Dealing with the sudden death of a loved one can be a horrifying experience, even more, when it was due to someone else's negligence, commonly called wrongful death. A person’s wrongful death may be caused by an auto accident, medical malpractice, criminal acts, and product malpractice. This may result in emotional and mental distress, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, loneliness, lifelong pain of young children growing up without one of their parents, and more.
The financial aftermath could be devastating if the loved one you lost in a wrongful death were the primary breadwinner. Here are six tips for coping with a loved one's wrongful death.
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1. Find closure
When your loved one’s death was someone else’s fault, you might want to hold them accountable for their actions. This may result in filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible party. While compensation can’t replace, bring back, or fill the void a loved one’s absence leaves behind, it can help cater to funeral arrangements, medical bills left behind, and other things during the mourning period. In a wrongful death case, you can claim pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of guidance and instruction the deceased would have offered their surviving offspring, loss of financial support, the survivor's lost inheritance, and punitive damages.
Considering how difficult it is to cope with the death of a loved one, fighting a legal battle might be the last thing on your mind. However, with the help of a trusted and reliable law firm such as The Tinker Law Firm PLLC, your family can get the compensation it deserves and, eventually, closure.
2. Consider grief counseling
The level of grief resulting from a death that could have been prevented can be quite severe, making it hard to overcome the tragedy mentally, emotionally, and financially. While family and friends may want to assist you in overcoming your grief, their lack of understanding of the effects of dealing with a wrongful death can make it difficult. Through grief counseling, you can get tactics for coping with your loss while finding peace to keep living your life.
Seeing a grief therapist can help you learn coping skills and how to find acceptance and deal with anger and other emotions. It also gives you someone who can listen and understand you, then objectively give you the necessary advice.
3. Find a robust support system
Coming to terms with the wrongful death of a loved one alone can be challenging, necessitating the need for a support system. Since you might find it difficult to stop thinking about what or who was responsible, or maybe you could have done something to prevent the tragedy, finding a solid support system can help you voice your thoughts regarding what you're going through. While it's impossible to forget them, the right support, including friends, colleagues, or family members, can make it easier to cope with grief.
4. Join a support group
When experiencing grief, it might be difficult for your friends and family members to help you through it. Joining a grief support group involving others going through the same situation as you can make it easier to cope with your loss. In these groups, you can share feelings, thoughts, and support with people who've already experienced grief to help ease your pain. Usually, people in support groups are at varying healing stages.
Engaging with others who are far along in their journey can give you hope to work towards getting happiness again. Isolating yourself in grief can result in loneliness and prevent you from moving toward peace and acceptance. Meeting others with similar goals gives you a sense of belonging that brings comfort and hope.
5. Give yourself time
Learning how to cope with the sudden loss of a loved one can take time. Going through such a tragedy comes with its highs and lows. You might feel anger towards the guilty person or have difficulties understanding whatever happened and why you. Give yourself time and space to come to terms with your emotions. Avoid going back to your daily life unless you feel ready. Note that grief symptoms might manifest as a physical illness. Be sure to take care of yourself and let your body and mind heal.
6. Establish a new routine and reduce triggers
Setting a new routine can enable you and your family members to grieve by reducing frustration and panic. Avoid anything that might trigger grief until you can cope with it. Don't research or read about anything that might have caused your loved one's death to avoid mental and emotional stress. Try thinking of the best times you shared with them.
Endnote
Losing a loved one due to someone’s negligence can be devastating and hard to accept. Consider using these tips for coping with a loved one’s wrongful death.
