Factors Affecting Lost Earning Capacity in Orange County Wrongful Death Cases, Part 1

The biggest element in most Orange County wrongful death cases is lost earning capacity-the money the deceased person would have earned had he or she lived to the end of his or her work-life expectancy. There are many factors that can affect this value, and they are generally the same factors that affect someone’s earnings while they are still alive. Factors your Orange County wrongful death attorney will consider when determining the value of your case include:

1. Occupation and Industry. Whether a person worked in a profession with a lot of opportunities for promotion or a lower-paying occupation without many prospects for advancement will affect the calculation of lost earning capacity. So will the industry in which the person worked. Was it expanding or declining? If jobs in a person’s field are likely to dry up and force a career change late in life, this will likely lead to lower expected earnings than for a person in an industry with lots of future growth.

2. Age. A working person’s earnings rise most rapidly when he or she is young. Near the end of a person’s work-life, basic earnings rise less rapidly, or even plateau.

3. Sex and Race. Though there are laws intending to prevent pay discrimination based on sex and race, women workers still tend to earn less than their male counterparts, even when doing identical work. Similarly, racial, religious, and national origin minorities often find themselves at a disadvantage earnings-wise.

If you have lost a loved one due to a wrongful death, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation. Please contact Orange County wrongful death attorney Samer Habbas at (888) 848-5084 for a free case evaluation.

Factors Affecting Lost Earning Capacity in Wrongful Death Cases, Part 2.