Wrongful death is a legal term that describes any situation in which a person died, but without the contributing negligence of another person, the death would not have occurred. In these situations, a wrongful death attorney can seek compensation for the death of your loved one, if you have the legal standing to bring such a case. This only involves the immediate family members such as a spouse or children. The following are a few situations that often involve a case of wrongful death.
A criminal act that caused a death
Most homicides can be attributed to an intentional act, so a strong case of wrongful death exists. However, after a criminal conviction, it is rare to have a follow-up case of wrongful death in a civil court, because most perpetrators do not have any assets to pay compensation. However, often there is a potential for compensation in the case of vehicular manslaughter, especially in cases involving drunk driving. If not for the negligence of the driver, your loved one would still be alive. It is important to have a lawyer to handle the insurance and compensation, but you are likely able to sue the driver if your attorney can identify assets to pay for the damages.
A death at a hospital
Although people die in hospitals every day in this country, there are occasional deaths that should not have happened. This can be due to the negligence of a doctor or any of the staff at the hospital. Perhaps a wrong medication was administered, or maybe the surgery didn't go as planned because a mistake was made due to anesthesia. There are many possibilities, but all of them have one thing in common: If it were not for the negligence of the hospital, your loved one would still be alive.
During the course of work
This can often be seen at a construction site, but there are many jobs that require physical work where there is a certain amount of danger associated with the job. In this situation, you may see the death of a loved one due to equipment not being secured correctly, or a procedure that was not followed properly, which led to a high risk of death. Although people die from work accidents, some of these accidents could have been prevented. An attorney can help determine the strength of your case.
The untimely death of a loved one comes as a shock and with much grief. And although it is natural to want to place the blame on someone, sometimes it is just an accident. However, there are many situations when it was due to negligence. If you have any suspicions that negligence was involved, make sure to consult with a wrongful death lawyer to discuss the strength of the case and the possibilities of seeking compensation.
Share3 November 2020
When I was injured in a slip and fall accident a few years ago, my family and friends had a hard time relating to the things I was going through. While some people thought that my decision to file a lawsuit was frivolous, others were under the impression that I would walk away as a millionaire. Their lack of personal experience with this type of legal problem left me feeling alone during one of the most difficult times in my life. That is why I decided to start this blog so that accident victims from all over would have somewhere to come to get the information and support that they need. I truly hope that this page can be that place for you.