How can your family pay for a funeral after a fatal car crash?

Money is usually the last thing you want to think about when dealing with a sudden loss. When you kiss your loved one goodbye before they left, you would never have imagined that you wouldn’t see them again.

Denial and anger about the irreversible damage done to your family by one person’s bad decisions can overwhelm you and make it hard for you to live your daily life, let alone consider the long-term implications of your loss.

Surviving family members can take legal action

New Jersey protects those who lose their loved ones by giving them the right to file wrongful-death lawsuits. A wrongful death claim lets your family told another person responsible for medical expenses incurred by your loved one before they died and any pain and suffering they endured before succumbing to their injuries.

You can also ask for compensation based on the impact of your loss on your life. Often, funeral expenses help motivate a family to look into their rights under wrongful death laws.

Funerals are often expensive, but they cost more in New Jersey

Some people take out a life insurance policy just to cover the cost of their funeral. Families left to pay for such expenses out of pocket may struggle to gather enough money or may need to max out multiple credit cards just to pay for services and burial.

Funerals in Texas cost a bit more than ceremonies in other states. While the national average cost for a funeral is currently around $6,723.92, in New Jersey the average cost is $11,371. Both the burial and the casket contribute quite a bit to the total cost, as the average cost of a cremation with an urn is only $4,254.

Funeral costs can be part of a wrongful death claim

Your family should not have to worry about absorbing the financial losses caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongful acts. Whether the crash that claimed your loved one’s life was the result of someone texting at the wheel or a drunk driver, unsafe or illegal behavior on the road can lead to civil lawsuits.

Grieving families can ask for compensation that includes lost wages and funeral expenses. New Jersey wrongful death claims can be difficult to handle while also adjusting to the changes after a loved one’s death.