Lawyer for Wrongful Death and
Fatal Accidents in Medicine Hat
If you are the spouse, adult interdependent partner, child, parent, brother, or sister of a person who was the victim of a wrongful death or fatal accident, you may be entitled to compensation. While the loss of a loved one is overwhelming, Alberta law provides financial remedies for eligible family members.
Who Is Entitled to Compensation?
The law governing compensation for the death of a close family member is found in the Fatal Accidents Act (Alberta). The following family members may be entitled to compensation:
- Spouse
- Adult interdependent partner
- Parent
- Brothers and sisters
- Child or children
Clear entitlements under Alberta law
If you are within the eligible family categories, compensation may be available even while your family is navigating grief and uncertainty.
How Much Is the Compensation?
Compensation for wrongful death in Alberta is higher than in any other province. Recoverable damages may include:
- Expenses for care, travel, and accommodation incurred between injury and death
- Expenses for the funeral and disposal of the body
- Fees paid for grief counselling
Bereavement compensation is provided only to the spouse, adult interdependent partner, and parents.
Compensation is provided per child of the deceased person.
Only one claim may be made by either a spouse or an adult interdependent partner—not both. If the spouse or partner was living separate and apart from the deceased, entitlement may be lost.
If both parents are alive and eligible, the bereavement amount is divided equally. Only one claim may be made by either a spouse or an adult interdependent partner—not both. If the spouse or partner was living separate and apart from the deceased, entitlement may be lost.
Each child of the deceased person is also entitled to $49,000. For example, if a person leaves a spouse, three children, and one surviving parent, compensation would total $311,000.
Entitlement and totals can depend on who survives the deceased and whether eligibility rules apply. A lawyer can confirm how the Act applies to your situation.
If you want, we can review your scenario and outline next steps.
Dependency Damages
In addition to statutory compensation, family members may also recover dependency damages. These are assessed on a case-by-case basis where dependents relied on the deceased person’s income.
Dependency compensation depends on factors such as the deceased person’s income, future earning potential, and the age and needs of the dependents. To obtain an estimate of dependency damages, we recommend speaking with our wrongful death lawyer.
- Income history and support provided
- Future earning capacity
- Ages, needs, and duration of dependency
If you share a few details, we can explain what evidence typically matters and how claims are structured.