A wrongful death lawsuit is filed following the death of a loved one. These lawsuits are aimed at the person or party responsible for the loss of your loved one. In these kinds of civil cases, acts of negligence or intentional harm may be grounds for a case. The attorneys at Saunders Law Group stand by their clients, offering peace of mind and sound counsel during these fraught times.
Wrongful death lawsuits cover a wide range of incidents. Below is just a few common examples of injuries, accidents, and incidents that can prompt a wrongful death lawsuit.
Auto Accidents
According to numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 37,461 people were killed in auto accidents in the United States in the year 2016. These accidents may have been the result of drunk drivers, reckless drivers, texting while driving, or people who were drowsy while behind the wheel. If negligence led to a fatal accident, a wrongful death lawsuit will allow you to hold the negligent motorist accountable.
Medical Mistakes
We count on doctors, surgeons, and nurses to cure disease and improve our health. Yet mistakes by medical professionals can occur, and they can have tragic repercussions. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis could cause terminal diseases to go untreated. Surgical errors may cause hemorrhaging or fatal post-op complications. Even mistakes by pharmacists can prove fatal given the nature of some contraindications.
Slips and Falls
If someone take a serious tumble down the stairs or falls from a high place, the injuries sustained may prove fatal. In some cases, these fatal slips and falls could have been avoided had their been a guardrail or banister in place. Property owners may be held accountable for fatalities that occur on their premises.
Defective and Dangerous Products
We assume that the products that reach consumers have been properly tested for safety. Yet sometimes products don’t function as intended, and may be inherently dangerous or deadly from a design standpoint. Whether it’s a car, a toy, or a pharmaceutical, companies need to be held accountable for any injuries or fatalities that are linked to their products.
Workplace Injuries
People who work in construction, carpentry, demolition, manufacturing, or other dangerous professions run a high risk of fatal injury. If proper safety standards are not in place or were not followed, there’s a chance that the deceased’s employer, co-workers, or third-party contractors may be responsible for the fatality.
Assaults and Attacks
Intentional harm such as attacks or assaults are criminal acts, and severe and potentially fatal injuries may be sustained during these kinds of incidents. In addition to criminal charges, civil actions can be pursued against attackers to obtain legal damages and hold these assailants accountable for the harm they’ve caused.
Damages in Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Damages in wrongful death lawsuits are sought as a means of covering the financial losses associated with the death of a loved one (compensatory damages) and to punish the person or party who caused the fatality (punitive damages). This may include compensation for funerary expenses, emotional pain and suffering, the lost income from the loved one, and so forth.
Speak to an Experienced Wrongful Death Attorney
To learn more about your legal rights following a fatal injury, it’s important that you contact an experience injury and accident attorney. The legal team at Saunders Law Group is here to help you in your time of legal need.
