Pecuniary loss includes lost financial support, lost services, and lost inheritance depending on the statute. Some states limit wrongful death recovery to pecuniary loss while others permit non-economic damages.
The measure varies by statutory scheme.
Alternative Names:
Economic Loss (Wrongful Death)|Financial Loss
Why it Matters?
Pecuniary-only states substantially limit exposure, since loss of society, grief, and mental anguish are excluded and recovery reduces to economic calculation. That difference makes the forum's statutory scheme a primary case value determinant. Even in pecuniary states, lost services including household work and childcare are recoverable and frequently substantial for a decedent who provided them.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What do pecuniary-only statutes exclude?
What remains recoverable in pecuniary states?
