First, What Is “Wrongful Death”?
It’s a death caused by a person or group of persons (company, agency, etc.) due to negligence, incompetence, or malpractice. Since it’s not viewed as intentional, it’s not a criminal matter.
A wrongful death claim is a lawsuit brought in a civil action only by those legally entitled to do so. Usually, this claim is filed by relatives, as determined by law.
Examples Of Wrongful Death
A common catalyst for a wrongful death claim is vehicle accidents. Obviously, those driving “under the influence” who cause fatalities are not only criminally liable but likely candidates for a wrongful death lawsuit. (This applies to any reckless driving accidents causing death.)
Vehicle accidents are also caused by defective road conditions. When those road conditions appear to have been a result of negligence, a wrongful death claim may await.
Death because of faulty design, defective manufacture, or lack of warnings to consumers about possible/probable hazards of products: this also may prompt a wrongful death claim.
Malpractice by those in the medical world (doctors, hospitals, product manufacturers, etc) likewise occasionally creates a valid claim of wrongful death.
Work-related accidents and conditions causing a fatality could motivate the surviving family members to seek legal redress. Machinery malfunction, hazardous chemical exposure, an unsafe workplace: these and other factors often require legal compensation (when causing wrongful death).
Fairly recent on the legal scene, wrongful death due to “intentional infliction of emotional distress” leading to suicide has produced wrongful death lawsuits.
The Value Of Excellent Legal Representation
The untimely death of a loved one often overwhelms the surviving family. Not only has negligence (of some sort) robbed innocent ones of companionship. It has also caused financial hardship for the loved ones of the deceased.
Enlisting the services of a compassionate highly experienced law firm eases the resolution of both of those issues. Should you find yourself in these unfortunate circumstances, contact us. Our record over several decades speaks for itself. Allow us to legally speak for you!
