Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things a family can go through. When the death is unexpected and happened in an accident, the shock of the sudden loss can be extremely painful. Knowing someone else’s negligence caused your loved one’s death can cause a lot of emotional turmoil. You want to focus on grieving your loved one, hold the liable people accountable for their actions, and you still need to maintain your household and keep up with your other responsibilities. Having all of this weigh on you at once is a heavy burden to bear—but you don’t have to go through it alone. Golden Law Office can help you get justice for your loved one. Our Georgetown wrongful death lawyer will make your loved one’s voice heard.
We understand that each case will have unique circumstances. Wrongful deaths can occur any time someone exhibits negligence. A distracted driver could cause a fatal car accident, a truck driver could fall asleep at the wheel, or a doctor could miss the signs of a heart attack. These mistakes could have been prevented had the party acted with responsibility. We’re here to hold those people accountable.
While you may have mixed feelings about filing a wrongful death claim, it may help to think of it as your loved one’s personal injury claim they would have filed had their injuries not been fatal. They would have sought compensation for their losses and the other party would have to recognize their negligence. A wrongful death claim acts similarly—you’re getting justice for your loved one and also showing the other party how their actions were unacceptable.
When a loved one passes away, you may find yourself struggling with more than grief. The loss of a partner or someone who was there for support is extremely difficult. Running a house, both financially and in terms of division of labor, takes a lot of work. If you’ve lost the other person who helped you do this, you may be feeling the stress of taking on this responsibility yourself.
If your loved one’s wages helped you run the house, your lawyer will seek damages for their lost wages and loss of earnings. Lost wages could be days they missed work if they were in the hospital. Loss of earnings applies to what they would have earned had they lived and continued to work.
In addition to these economic losses, we’ll also assess the medical bills your loved one incurred and include that in your compensation as well. Medical expenses can be overwhelming, especially when another’s actions are the reason you have them in the first place. That’s why we’ll work diligently to gather what the accident cost you and fight for you to recover those damages.
The expenses of a funeral and burial can also be something weighing on you. When we’re fighting for your rights, we’ll also seek compensation for funeral and burial expenses. This way, you can focus on the service and giving your loved one a dignified farewell.
As the financial losses can be totaled, unfortunately that’s not the case with how your life will change without your loved one. Losing companionship is also something your lawyer will fight for. They’ll also include recovery for the pain and suffering your loved one may have endured after their injury. While these may not have an exact monetary amount, your lawyer will keep these additional losses in mind when determining your rightful compensation amount.
When you’re dealing with a complex claim, you may have questions about the process. That’s where our wrongful death attorney comes in. We can explain each step of the process and the law so you understand what’s going on in your case. Let’s take a look at some basics of wrongful death cases.
You may wonder who is eligible to recover damages from a wrongful death claim. There are a few family members who can do this. Those who can recover damages include:
You should also be aware there is a statute of limitations on wrongful death claims. This means there’s a specified amount of time in which a claim can be brought forward. A personal representative can bring a claim forward up to one year after the wrongful death. If you miss this deadline, your case can be dismissed, and you will not be eligible to recover compensation. Having a trustworthy lawyer at your side will give you peace of mind that your paperwork will be filed correctly and on time.
While compensation typically includes economic and noneconomic damages, you may also seek punitive damages in certain circumstances. For example, if the person exhibited gross negligence, you may recover punitive damages. These exist as a punishment to the defendant and to deter them from making this mistake again. If your Georgetown wrongful death lawyer believes gross negligence occurred, they’ll gather the evidence necessary to prove it and seek punitive damages in your case.
When Golden Law Office represents you, you’ll know we’re prepared to take your case to court if necessary. You deserve to get fair compensation—and in some cases, they need to go to a court room for this to happen. While it can be intimidating to take your case to court, our lawyers have years of experience in presenting cases to a judge and jury. We’ll offer assistance and tips so you can prepare and feel confident when you enter the court room.
Getting started on your case will put you on the path to resolving the legal matter so you can focus on grieving for your loved one. Call Golden Law Office today. We’ll meet in an obligation-free consultation to go over your claim’s validity and discuss your options so you can find the best course of action for you and your family.