Attorney Christopher Boots Testifies in Favor of LD 934 to Increase Awards in Wrongful Death Cases
This spring, Berman & Simmons attorney Christopher Boots presented testimony in favor of LD 934, an act to amend the laws governing damages awarded for wrongful death, on behalf of the MTLA legislative committee.
LD 934 bill aims to increase damages in wrongful death cases
This bill would increase the limit on damages for the loss of comfort, society and companionship and emotional distress in a case of wrongful death from $750,000 to $1,500,000. It would also increase the limit on punitive damages from $250,000 to $1,000,000 and increases from 2 years to 3 years the time after the decedent’s death within which a wrongful death action must be commenced.
“The reality is that in many wrongful death cases, such as those involving an instant death when a victim was not employed, non-economic damages are the only damages available to compensate a victim’s beneficiaries for the loss of their loved one due to the fault of another,” says Boots. “Each of the changes outlined [in the bill] would better allow our civil justice system to fully and fairly compensate victims’ beneficiaries, deter misconduct, and keep our communities safe.”