Dependency claim

A dependency claim is brought by the close family of someone killed in an accident, for the financial support they would have received had that person lived.

Section 7 of the Civil Law Act 1956 sets out who can claim, typically the spouse, parents and children, and how the court values the lost support using the deceased’s income and a multiplier.^[1] It also covers reasonable funeral expenses.

This claim belongs to the family, not the deceased’s estate, and it runs on its own strict deadline separate from an ordinary injury claim, so acting quickly matters.

Bringing a dependency claim explains who qualifies and what evidence is needed.