Wesley Chapel Wrongful Death Lawyer
The sudden death of a loved one in an accident is a shocking event. No one expects to lose a spouse, child or parent in a motor vehicle crash or property accident, to say nothing of a violent attack. The grief can overwhelm surviving family members, and going about your normal life can feel impossible.
Contact Anderson & Anderson. We provide compassionate legal advice to family members who have endured a tragic loss of a loved one. In Florida, some family members can receive financial compensation in a wrongful death claim. These are complicated legal actions which seek to hold negligent drivers or other defendants accountable for an accidental death. A Wesley Chapel wrongful death lawyer with our firm can provide authoritative legal guidance in a free consultation.
When Can You Bring a Wrongful Death Claim?
These are civil actions for financial compensation. You might have a claim if a close family member died in any of these accidents:
- Negligence-based accidents like distracted driving collisions or slip and falls.
- Accidents caused by defective products, such as a bicycle that fails to work, causing a child to die, or clothing or bedding that catches on fire.
- Intentional acts, including criminal acts. You might have a wrongful death claim against someone for fatally striking your family member or for intentionally killing them.
The objective is to hold the defendant accountable for causing the death and seeking financial compensation for a variety of losses.
These are not criminal prosecutions. The defendant might not have even committed a crime. Nonetheless, they are liable because their negligent or other wrongful conduct resulted in death.
Filing a Wesley Chapel Wrongful Death Claim
Surviving family members might qualify for compensation for their losses, including lost financial support, loss of love and affection, and lost services. These are “damages” recognized under the law. In some cases, you might even pursue punitive damages.
However, Florida’s law assigns responsibility for filing the lawsuit to someone else: the personal representative. This person is named in a will and is charged with handling the estate in probate. This person has critical duties, one of which is to file lawsuits on behalf of the estate.
The personal representative files the wrongful death lawsuit in court within the statutory period, which is two years from the date of death. Most wrongful death cases settle, however, so trial is unnecessary. At Anderson & Anderson, we can negotiate with the defendant or their insurance company for a wrongful death settlement.
Compassionate Legal Advice from Our Wesley Chapel Wrongful Death Lawyers
Did a beloved family member die recently in an accident, and do you have questions about your legal rights? Many accidents are just that—accidental. But others are the result of negligent or wrongful acts which make a defendant liable for the death in a civil lawsuit. Contact Anderson & Anderson today. A Wesley Chapel wrongful death lawyer with our firm can listen to you describe what happened and determine the possible strength of your case. Our consultations are free.
