In this guide, we look at the Statutory Bereavement Award. This is a type of compensation or damages awarded to qualifying persons in the event a loved one died in an accident which was not their fault. It may only be applicable in certain circumstances and not all fatal accidents or claimants may be eligible for the bereavement award.
We look at who may be eligible to claim the statutory bereavement award and how much the award currently is. We also take a look at who could make a claim under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 (FAA). Finally, we also take a look at how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you claim compensation.
For further information on making a fatal accident claim, please contact our team:
- By calling us on 0161 509 2856.
- By using the live support on this page.
- Or ‘contact us’ to start your claim for bereavement damages online.
Jump To A Section
- What Is The Bereavement Award?
- Who Can Claim For The Bereavement Award?
- Who Can Claim Compensation For Fatal Accidents?
- Claim For A Fatal Accident On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Read More About Claiming Personal Injury Compensation
What Is The Bereavement Award?
If a loved one has died in an accident which was not their fault, qualifying dependents may be able to claim compensation. The Fatal Accidents Act 1976 sets out who could be eligible to make a claim. This must be following the unlawful death of a person due to a liable third party’s negligent act. As part of the settlement, certain eligible relatives may be entitled to a Bereavement Award.
As of the time of writing (2024), the award is set at £15,120. This is set out in Section 1A of the Fatal Accidents Act. This is fixed in stature and may not be varied. However, if more than one eligible party claims this award, it will be divided between them.
For more information on how to make a fatal injury compensation claim, please contact our team.
Who Can Claim For The Bereavement Award?
There is a limited list of persons who could claim the Bereavement Award. These are dependents or relatives of the deceased. Eligible claimants are;
- The deceased’s partner, such as a spouse, civil partner or a cohabiting partner.
- Parents of the deceased, if they were legitimate, unmarried and minor.
- The mother of the deceased, if they were not legitimate, were unmarried and a minor.
In the event that Bereavement Damages are awarded, they must be shared by all those eligible to claim them. This means you should include these parties in the claim for the award.
Parties who cannot claim this award may qualify for other types of compensation in a fatal injury claim. For example, the children of the deceased can launch a claim for fatal accident compensation.
To find out how fatal accident solicitors could help you claim bereavement damages, please contact our team.
Who Can Claim Compensation For Fatal Accidents?
In addition to bereavement damages, fatal accident claims for a wrongful death, could include additional types of compensation.
There are two parties who may (at different times) claim compensation for fatal accidents. These are the estate of the deceased and dependents of the deceased person.
Under The Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934 a fatal accident claim may be brought by the estate of the deceased. During the first six months after fatal accidents, the estate is the only party who may bring a claim. Such claims for fatal accidents may be brought for the pain and suffering of the deceased person. The estate may also bring forward a claim on behalf of the dependents.
After six months, the dependents of the deceased may make a claim if the estate hasn’t already done so. This is set out in the FAA.
Dependents of bereaved families who may make a claim under the FAA include;
- A wife, husband or civil partner of the deceased. This may include current and former partners.
- Someone who lived with the deceased as a spouse for the two years prior to the death.
- A child, parent or someone treated as such (including a step-child or step-parent).
- Uncles, aunts, a sibling or the children of these parties.
Call to check when you could claim for a fatal accident. An advisor can also assess whether you are eligible to claim for the Bereavement Award.
Claim For A Fatal Accident On A No Win No Fee Basis
At Advice.co.uk our team could help bereaved families to claim compensation for the death of a loved one. In addition to helping you to claim the Bereavement Award, we could help you to claim for funeral expenses and other forms of damages that make up a fatal accident settlement.
Whether your loved one died in a fatal accident at work or a fatal car accident, our team could help you. A solicitor from Advice could work under a Conditional Fee Agreement. This is a way to help you on a No Win No Fee basis.
No Win No Fee means that your solicitor;
- Will not charge for their services in advance or whilst the claim is being processed.
- Will not charge for their services in the event of an unsuccessful claim.
If your claim is successful, they will instead charge you a success fee. This fee is limited by law. It will be a percentage taken from the compensation that has been awarded to you.
For more information on how to claim for fatal accidents, please contact our team.
- Use the live chat below.
- Phone our team on 0161 509 2856.
- Start your claim by completing our ‘contact us’ form.
Read More About Claiming Personal Injury Compensation
Below you can find further information related to frequently asked questions about fatal accident claims.
- Learn more about medical negligence and wrongful death compensation claims in this guide.
- In this guide we look at how to claim for death by careless driving and at how our team could help you.
- In the event of a care home death due to negligence, our team could help you to claim compensation.
Unlawful death and fatal accident resources
- Read more about bereavement damages in this government resource.
- Statistics on fatal injuries in the workplace from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
- The charity Brake! Publishes UK road safety statistics.
Thank you for reading our guide to the Bereavement Award. If you have any further questions about how to claim bereavement damages, please contact our team.
