Almost 40,000 Americans die in a car accidents every year. Do their family members have a wrongful death lawsuit on their hands?
Dealing with the loss of a loved one is painful. Navigating financial hardships associated with that loss makes that grieving process all the more difficult.
A wrongful death lawsuit can protect you from financial hardship. First, you have to determine whether or not your case qualifies.
Read on as we discuss common types of wrongful death cases, what qualifies a death as wrongful, and what to do about it.
Types of Wrongful Death Cases
Naturally, all wrongful death cases revolve around the loss of someone’s life. However, there are several different causes that come up regularly in wrongful death cases. These include:
- car accident deaths
- medical malpractice deaths
- workplace accident deaths
- deaths caused by product defects
- roadway deaths involving pedestrians, motorcyclists, etc
- plane accidents
If the cause of death of your loved one resembles one of these types of cases, you may have a wrongful death claim on your hands. However, that isn’t all there is to it.
What Qualifies as a Wrongful Death?
The statute of wrongful death in your state will matter a great deal to your case. Not only will this determine how long you have to file your wrongful death lawsuit but it will also determine whether or not you have one, at all.
While the statute of wrongful death does differ from state to state, it will almost always require proof of three things.
You must be able to demonstrate, first, that your loved one passed away in the incident named in the lawsuit. Second, you must demonstrate that the accident that caused that death resulted from another party’s negligence. Third, you must demonstrate that the loss of life has led to tangible (financial) hardship for the individual’s beneficiaries.
What Should You Do About Your Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
If you have gotten this far and believe that your case meets the wrongful death qualifications, what should you do next? Your next move is to find an experienced and successful wrongful death lawyer. Many will offer a free case consultation, during which you can tell them what you know and they can tell you what they think.
Try to avoid filing your lawsuit before hiring a lawyer. Most lawyers prefer to work with a client from the very beginning to both protect them and gather all of the facts. We never recommend defending yourself, as wrongful death laws are difficult to navigate.
Call a Wrongful Death Lawyer Today
If you lost a loved one to wrongful death, contact a wrongful death lawyer. They will walk you through the next steps and help you to seek justice and fight for financial compensation.
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