# What losses can a wrongful-death claim cover? Canonical: https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/wrongful-death-damages/ Reviewed by Andrew (Andy) R. Gillin; publisher reported approval on 2026-11-04. Original review date was not supplied. ## Short answer Some survivors may claim money for lost support and loss of a loved one’s care and company. These are called wrongful-death damages. The law limits which losses the claim can cover. Proof still matters. ## Hypothetical example A family loses income and help at home after a parent dies. They lose the parent’s care and company too. They ask which losses the claim may cover and what proof is needed. ## How the rule works The claim may cover lost support, help at home, and some costs of a funeral or burial. It may also cover lost care, guidance, and companionship. Who may sue is a separate question. ## Different types of survivors’ losses 1. **Financial support**: Support, benefits, and household services may matter. 2. **Companionship**: Care, guidance, and the relationship may matter. 3. **Separate claims**: The deceased person’s own claim needs a separate review. Examples of categories only. Eligibility, proof, and limits still apply. Grief itself is not a wrongful-death damage item. ## What proof helps with financial loss? Income records can help explain support. A clear account of work at home can also matter. Keep funeral and burial bills. Do not assume that a salary alone describes all of the loss. A future-loss claim needs a reasoned basis. It cannot rest only on a guessed total. A lawyer may need other records or expert work to explain the amount and time period. Before valuing the claim, check [who may bring a wrongful-death claim](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/wrongful-death/). Sources: [CACI No. 3921 — Wrongful death of an adult (2026 edition)](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/judicial_council_of_california_civil_jury_instructions_2026.pdf); [Code of Civil Procedure § 377.61 — Wrongful death damages](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=377.61.) ## Why are companionship and grief different? The claim may cover the care, help, and company the person would have provided. Grief and sorrow are a different legal category. Krouse explains why courts keep these things apart. The deceased person’s own claim is different from the survivors’ losses. A survival claim has separate rules. A separate emotional-harm claim also needs its own facts and legal basis. To keep the claims distinct, read [the difference between wrongful death and survival](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/wrongful-death-vs-survival/). Sources: [Krouse v. Graham (1977) 19 Cal.3d 59](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/3d/19/59.html); [CACI No. 3921 — Wrongful death of an adult (2026 edition)](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/judicial_council_of_california_civil_jury_instructions_2026.pdf); [Code of Civil Procedure § 377.30 — Survival of a claim](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=377.30.) ## What can change the answer Grief itself and the person’s pain before death are not wrongful-death damages. A separate claim may raise other rules. Future losses and claims by several survivors need careful review. ## A useful next step Keep records of support, household work, and costs. Ask who may claim each loss and how the different claims fit together. ## Court decisions behind this answer ### Krouse v. Graham (1977) 19 Cal.3d 59, pp. 67–72. The court distinguished loss of a loved one’s companionship from grief itself in a wrongful-death claim. Limit: The case also discussed a separate emotional-harm claim. The rules for that claim need their own review. Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/3d/19/59.html ## Sources - [Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60 — Wrongful death claims](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=377.60.) - [Code of Civil Procedure § 377.61 — Wrongful death damages](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=377.61.) - [CACI No. 3921 — Wrongful death of an adult (2026 edition)](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/judicial_council_of_california_civil_jury_instructions_2026.pdf) - [Krouse v. Graham (1977) 19 Cal.3d 59](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/3d/19/59.html) - [Code of Civil Procedure § 377.30 — Survival of a claim](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=377.30.) General information, not legal advice.