Death is always tragic, but it can be an especially sorrowful even if the fault falls on the negligence or wrongdoing of another person or entity. In such happenings, the survivors may be able to bring wrongful death lawsuits to trial. Such a case is meant to win the survivors a settlement to compensate for the loss, which may include funeral expenses, lost companionship, and the lost wages that the deceased would have earned.
To help you get a better understanding of wrongful death law, here are a few things you should know.
Who Can Sue For Wrongful Death?
The people who can sue for wrongful death are immediate family members, distant family members, life partners, putative spouses, and anyone who suffers financially. Immediate family members include significant others, children, and the parents of an unmarried person. Distant family members refer to siblings and grandparents. Some states, but not all, allow for people who depended on the deceased financially to bring a wrongful death lawsuit, even though they may not be blood related or married to the victim.
Who Can Be Sued For Wrongful Death?
A wide variety of people and entities may be legally responsible for wrongful deaths for many different reasons. Hypothetically speaking, if your husband dies from colliding with a drunk driver, who has defective breaks, the wrongful death case may be brought against such defendants as the other driver, the person who sold the driver alcohol, the owner of the premises that sold the alcohol, and the truck manufacturer. If the road was faulty, then the case could also be brought against the government agent who didn’t provide the proper, hazard warnings.
Wrongful death law will never be able to bring back what was lost. Though it can’t bring fairness, wrongful death lawsuits can bring some justice to the mourning. If you have any questions about your particular situation, it would be best to schedule a consultation with one or more wrongful death lawyers to discuss your case. If you have any other questions regarding wrongful death law, feel free to ask in the comments. Find out more at this site.