What is a Life Worth?

Wrongful Death

          A jury in New Haven, Connecticut, has awarded $2.3 million to the family of a man who was killed as he rode his bicycle and was struck by a van.

          The case is of interest to people in Maine, because a Maine statute limits the amount which can be recovered for the loss of a loved one, and an award such as this in our sister New England state is a reminder of community values and how out of step Maine is in this regard.

          Although there is no limit in Maine law for the amount which can be recovered for financial loss, such as funeral expenses and loss of future earnings, our statute does limit recovery for loss of companionship to $500,000.

          The news report of the Connecticut case in the New Haven Register of December 22, 2012, does not give a breakdown of how the award was made, but it is very likely that a large portion was to compensate the widow for the loss of companionship of her husband.  The deceased was an immigrant from Honduras who had been a medical doctor in his native country and was preparing to take a medical license examination in Connecticut.

          In my view the Maine statute results in unfair compensation for people who have lost a loved one in an accident.  It seems logical that a jury of peers is in a better position to reflect community values than legislators in Augusta who have no knowledge at all of the particulars of any given case.  Why should the life of a Maine resident be worth less than a life in Connecticut?