The passing of a loved one can create an extremely distressing period of time for the family of the deceased, especially when the loss is due to someone’s negligence or carelessness. The last thing you want is a financial burden on top of your emotional stress. Medical expenses, funeral costs, and lost income can create an extremely unfavorable financial situation, but you are likely entitled to compensation to help offset these costs.
What is a Wrongful Death?
A wrongful death results when another individual’s negligence (i.e., carelessness) contributes to the death of another human being. Even though they may be unintentional, an individual’s actions may be held legally at fault for a failure to respect another person’s health or safety. Wrongful deaths are frequently seen with auto accidents, product liability cases, and medical malpractice.
The following are some typical examples of wrongful deaths:
- Auto accidents resulting in fatalities due to careless driving, especially driving while intoxicated
- Deaths from a hazardous work environment (i.e. construction accidents)
- Deaths resulting from a fire at an unsafe premises
- Deaths resulting from defective building designs
- Car-pedestrian/bicyclist fatalities
- Medical malpractice fatalities
- Defective medicines and drugs
- Attacks from pets and other animals
- Intentional acts of murder or injury
Many times, if the death was reasonably avoidable and caused in part by the negligence of another individual or company, you have the basis for a wrongful death claim. Furthermore, the immediate family — parents, children, and spouses – are likely entitled under the law to receive compensation for the loss of future family companionship and affection for one another.
Seeking Aid after a Wrongful Death
If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another individual, you need to seek help as quickly as possible. Financial issues can overburden a family in a time of need, and the sooner you seek help, the sooner we can help you receive compensation to cover your unexpected expenses. Furthermore, you can bet that if the fault of another driver causes a personal injury or wrongful death accident, the wrongdoer’s insurance company will send an adjuster out to take statements and begin an investigation within days of the accident. Adjusters want to take a statement from the innocent party before he or she visits an attorney who will inform the innocent party of the law and the reasons not to give a statement to an adjuster.