Q: What's the average settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit?
I have seen where the family members of injured or killed criminals have sued the victim of a break in. I am looking into purchasing insurance to cover this (civil protection along with criminal defense) but would like to know how much coverage I actually need. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
A:
You can't buy insurance for criminal defense.
As for a homeowner's policy, the value of a wrongful death case depends on comparative fault (between the Decedent and the person at fault for killing him), life expectancy, earnings potential, the value of the love, comfort, society and affection of the Decedent to the heirs, etc. That can be anywhere from $0 to millions. What you purchase depends on your budget. Any policy contains a civil defense obligation. The policy limit only applies to what is paid to the victim, not to the cost of defense.
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