Individuals get married because of the many benefits they receive from their unions. Love, companionship, intimate contact, and sharing enjoyable moments with your spouse are just a few of the most important of these benefits. There are financial benefits as well, and benefits to having an extra pair of hands around the house can help with driving, repairs, cleaning, laundry, and child-rearing tasks.
Sadly, however, when one spouse is seriously hurt in a motorcycle or car accident, he or she can no longer provide those benefits to the other spouse. Not only does the injured spouse suffer pain, lost income, and medical bills, but the uninjured spouse suffers due to the loss of spousal benefits.
In personal injury terms, the loss of these spousal benefits is referred to as a "loss of consortium." Someone who loses consortium after a spouse is in an accident may be able to pursue damages from the party who is at fault for the accident.
Here are some of the types of damages that might typically be claimed as a part of a loss of consortium claim depending on the facts, circumstances, and laws that apply to the case:
- Loss of intimate contact, love, and affection
- Loss of relationship
- Loss of household services like cleaning, laundry, driving, childcare, cooking, repairs and so on
- Loss of future inheritance
As you might imagine, some of the damages above are easily quantifiable in monetary terms while others are more abstract in nature. Therefore, anyone who has a loss of consortium claims may want to talk about their case with a personal injury attorney who can help them determine exactly what they are entitled to claim and how to value their losses.
