The short answer is yes. Georgia law allows parents to file a wrongful death claim on behalf of their deceased child.
Parents may file two other claims as well:
- Claims on behalf of the child’s estate – These are claims the child could have made because of their injuries.
- Claims for expenses – These expenses include medical bills and funeral costs.
Parents can also file wrongful death claims for adult children with no surviving spouse or children of their own. In this case, parents can pursue what is called the “full value of the life” of their child, which includes their expected lifetime earnings, among other factors.
You may wonder how someone can assign a “value” to the life of a child. While a child’s life is priceless, the law states that the value of a wrongful death claim can be determined by accounting for the child’s age, gender, health, most-likely educational achievement, and their expected life expectancy.
