After a fatal car accident, you have a lot more to think about than the cost of a funeral. You lost a loved one. It’s a traumatic time for your family and it’s something you all need to work through together.
However, you cannot ignore the cost, either. This is a serious financial expense and you have to plan for it in one fashion or another. When it’s an unexpected death, you can find yourself suddenly facing debt that you have no way to pay off.
So, what types of expenses could you see? While the specifics differ from one case to the next, here are a few average numbers to keep in mind:
- $2,000: Staff and funeral director
- $300: Grooming
- $800: Embalming
- $50 per day: Refrigeration
- $325: Transporting remains
- $300: Hearse
- $500: Visitation
- $2,500 to $12,000: Burial
- $500 to $10,000: Casket
You may have some additional costs depending on the specifics and what you would like for the funeral. Will the person wear a suit or a dress they already own, or do you plan to buy one that they can wear? Do you care about buying the most expensive casket and having an elaborate service, or will you keep things simple?
However, no matter what decisions you make and how hard you try to cut costs, you can see that you’ll still be looking at thousands of dollars in unexpected bills. Therefore, you may want to investigate what rights you have to financial compensation when another driver was negligent and caused the accident. In addition to funeral costs, the compensation may cover lost wages, medical bills and much more.