What is the value of a person after death in America?

According to US courts, some deceased individuals are considered "more valuable" than others.

In the United States, there's an unwritten rule that everyone understands implicitly: the value of a human life varies greatly. In Los Angeles alone, some families receive more compensation for the loss of a loved one than others.

Luis Carillo, a lawyer with over 40 years of experience in shooting cases involving police, said: "If you can prove the emotional state of the family, how the parents cared for and looked after their children, or whether the husband regularly remembered anniversaries and his wife's birthdays... all of that affects the amount of compensation received."

Recently, Carillo handled the case of Sergio Navas, 35, who was shot and killed by police as he stepped out of his car. The officer stated that he feared a surprise attack. After the police proved that his actions did not constitute a crime, Carillo pursued the case as a violation of regulations regarding contact with and handling of a suspect. Based on this, Navas's family sought $10 million in compensation, but only received $2.5 million at the conclusion of the trial in December 2016.

Carillo declined to elaborate on the discrepancy. He only cited the example of police officers convicted of criminal offenses, where the payout would be higher, but this is extremely rare. A prime example is the case of Brandon Glenn, a homeless man shot and killed in May 2015. Glenn's family received $4 million. However, these amounts are still considered high, as the average person receives a maximum of only $1.2 million.

In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated the value of a human being at $9.1 million. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimated it at $7.9 million, while the Department of Transportation only had $6 million. These calculations are based on the cost and value an individual creates from birth to death. Therefore, age and income play a significant role in determining the "value" of a deceased person for compensation purposes.

Wrongful deaths often involve victims of color or Latino origin.

Besides the obvious factors, juries often judge emotionally. In one 2014 case, Carillo overheard them saying, while viewing full-body photos of the victim, "If I had known he had so many tattoos, I wouldn't have put such a high price on him." Fortunately, the judge prohibited the release of these images during the trial.

And so, the job of lawyers like Carillo is to paint the complete picture of the victim's life, the immeasurable emotional loss, in order to convince the judge. But he notes that, no matter how large, those sums of money cannot patch the bigger hole, which is that the actions of the officers are not seen as a sign of systemic failure.

The scene of a shooting.

Therefore, these lawsuits are increasingly eroding the budget. Recently, Los Angeles had to borrow $70 million to cover a total compensation claim of $135 million. The unprovoked attacks and shootings of unarmed victims not only cause financial damage but also serve as a reminder to officials of a culture of violent, "enthusiastic" violence that leads to wrongful deaths.

According to Dan Viet