When a wrongful death results from an accident caused by another’s negligence in Nevada, the economic damages recoverable by the surviving family members can be substantial — reflecting not just funeral expenses and lost wages, but the full economic contribution the deceased would have made to the family over a lifetime. Understanding how these economic damages are calculated helps Las Vegas wrongful death families and their attorneys assess the true value of a claim. Marathon Law Group handles wrongful death cases throughout Las Vegas and Clark County and pursues maximum economic damages for surviving family members.
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Who Can Recover Economic Damages in Nevada Wrongful Death
Nevada’s wrongful death statute (NRS 41.085) provides that a cause of action for wrongful death may be brought by the decedent’s heirs (surviving spouse, children, and parents of the decedent) or by the personal representative of the decedent’s estate on behalf of the heirs. The economic damages recoverable depend on the relationship of the heir to the decedent — surviving spouses typically have the broadest economic loss claim (lost financial support for their joint lifetime); surviving minor children have substantial claims for lost parental financial support through age 18 (and in some cases through college); surviving adult children and parents of the decedent may have more limited economic claims but are often entitled to non-economic damages for grief and loss of companionship.
Component 1: Lost Financial Support
The largest economic damages component in most wrongful death cases is the lost financial support the decedent would have provided to their dependents over their expected remaining working life. This is calculated by: establishing the decedent’s pre-death earnings (tax returns, W-2s, pay stubs, employer records); projecting future earnings over the decedent’s expected working years (to typical retirement age, adjusted for likely promotions, career trajectory, and wage growth); subtracting the decedent’s personal consumption (a portion of the decedent’s income would have been spent on themselves — not available to the family); and reducing the total to present value (a sum payable today that, invested at a reasonable rate of return, would equal the stream of future payments over the relevant period). Economic experts — forensic accountants or financial economists — perform this calculation and testify to it at trial. Their analysis requires detailed employment records and expert assumptions about wage growth and discount rates, making pre-trial retention of the expert essential in serious cases.
Component 2: Loss of Household Services
Beyond financial earnings, the decedent provided valuable household services — maintenance, childcare, cooking, transportation, financial management — that must now be replaced by hired professionals or managed by the surviving family at significant cost. Nevada law allows recovery for the replacement cost of these services. Expert testimony from a vocational or household services specialist establishes the hours of services the decedent provided and the market cost of replacing them over the relevant period.
Component 3: Medical and Funeral Expenses
Medical expenses incurred before death — emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgical care during the period between the accident and death — are economic damages recoverable by the estate or heirs. Funeral and burial expenses (or cremation costs) are also recoverable as economic damages. These are typically the most straightforward to document but require preservation of all receipts, invoices, and medical bills from the period of the decedent’s survival after the accident.
Component 4: Loss of Prospective Inheritance
Nevada law also permits recovery for the loss of prospective inheritance — the assets the decedent would have accumulated and left to their heirs had they lived a normal lifespan. This component is calculated by expert economists and can be substantial in cases involving high-earning decedents with significant future accumulation potential.
Contact Marathon Law Group for Wrongful Death Economic Damages in Las Vegas
Marathon Law Group retains the economic experts needed to calculate and present the full value of wrongful death economic damages. Call (702) 522-1808 for a free consultation — we represent surviving families throughout Las Vegas and Clark County.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact our experienced Las Vegas wrongful death attorney at Marathon Law Group. We offer free consultations and only get paid when you win.