Wrongful Death: The Beneficiaries and Claims To die is human nature. However, it’s completely different if your loved one suffered from a serious physical injury and died or met an untimely demise because of somebody else’s fault. This occurrence is what we call wrongful death. It becomes a bigger problem when you will be leaving loved ones behind, especially those who depend on you for finances. Fortunately, you can still give them hope and comfort even when you’re no longer around. They can file a claim against those who are responsible for your death. Who are the beneficiaries? The beneficiaries are those who can take advantage of the insurance settlement, as well as the ones who must file a claim against the individual or the company (simply called defendants). However, not all related to you can file for a claim. The very first people who can do so are your immediate family members. It should be the spouse of the deceased. If the couple is no longer around, the children should take the responsibility, particularly the one who’s of legal age. If the person who died is single, his parents shall be the one to make the claim, then his brothers and sisters. If neither his siblings nor his parents are around, the kids of his siblings can make the claim. If all have been single throughout their lifetimes, the grandparents will make the claim. If none of these immediate families can file for a settlement, for one reason or the other, any minor who lived with the deceased and is receiving 50 percent of financial support from the latter will be the one to do so. There are some conditions to take note of, though. One of these is that the minor must be with the household of the deceased at least 6 months or more before the former’s death. What are the inclusions of the claim? The primary purpose of the claim is to have the necessary funds to start a new life, especially if the family no longer has the breadwinner with them. For one, it will include all his future earnings and estate. The emotional trauma and mental anguish will be compensated too through indemnities. If the deceased has children, it may even include the educational funds that he could have contributed if he were alive. Lastly, the insurance claim can be a form of reimbursement for everything you spent on the deceased’s hospitalization and funeral.