If you’re reeling in the wake of a loved one's wrongful death, you probably want to seek out as much help from others as you can—both to cope emotionally and to get the legal justice you, your family, and the deceased deserve. Of course, some people might choose to grieve alone, but the time will come for many when they are ready to reach out for the support, love, and legal help of others.
An indispensable person to contact in regards to this final part, of course, is a wrongful death lawyer. Wrongful death attorneys and lawyers, as their names imply, are legal professionals who assist in the recovery of financial damages for those who have suffered due to their loved one’s wrongful death. “Wrongful” in the legal sense does not mean that the person died young or before their time. While these are certainly tragedies, a “wrongful death” to personal injury lawyers and personal injury attorneys means a death that happened to another entity’s negligence or recklessness. Should the resulting legal case be concluded in favor of the person who has suffered the wrongful death, the aforementioned entity might be required to pay money. This can compensate for:
● Funeral costs and medical bills | If the wrongful death caused the deceased to spend time in the hospital or collect medical debt, a wrongful death settlement could be used to pay for it. This includes related ER visits, medication costs, surgery, and visits with medical personnel. Likewise, the settlement could also be used to pay for the loved one’s funeral—a ceremony the victimized family would not have had to pay for so soon if the wrongful death hadn’t occurred.
● Pain, suffering, and loss of companionship | While nobody can put a price on a person’s life, the legal system allows those who have suffered emotionally because of wrongful death to collect money. This is because the entity at fault could have caused the victim to experience emotional pain that they would have not otherwise encountered, and there is now a void left in the victim’s life, now that the deceased is no longer there to fulfill an integral social role.
● Income loss related to the deceased | No doubt your departed loved one played a financial role in whatever family unit they chose to spend their time with. Now that that role is unfulfilled, financial hardship can certainly result. Money can be sought from a wrongful death case to compensate for these income losses, which gives you and your family the time you need to grieve, re-allocate your budget, and slowly take up your financial responsibilities once more.
As you can see, the money that can be recovered from a wrongful death case can fall into many categories. Therefore, wrongful death lawyers and wrongful death attorneys must be well-educated and sharp-of-mind! They must look at a case from multiple angles to achieve the best settlement for their clients. Just how, though, do they manage all of this? What sort of things will they do for you, a potential client? While all wrongful death lawyers and wrongful death attorneys do things a little differently, JD Haas, a Minneapolis legal team, explains what you can expect from qualified legal professionals like us.
There’s A Lot More To It Than Representing Clients in Court
While this is often the image of an attorney that’s shown on TV—and yes, it’s an integral part of the job—legal professionals, especially those who handle wrongful death cases, do a lot more than mass media might let on. Perhaps because the settlements and emotional stakes from these cases are so complicated, wrongful death attorneys must also be skilled in:
● Contacting witnesses who have an “expert” opinion | While eyewitness accounts are certainly useful in these cases, a good wrongful death lawyer will know the value of an expert witness. These are individuals whose unique trades or skills provide a new viewpoint to evidence that clarifies it in a way that non-experts cannot do. Such expert witnesses are often highly-educated and busy—they can include medical personnel or accident reconstruction professionals—so getting a hold of them is a skill on its own, one that a talented wrongful death lawyer will have mastered.
● Gathering and organizing case evidence | Attorneys don’t just march into court to represent their client without a plan of action! While thinking on one’s feet is an important skill in this field, many wrongful death lawyers strive to collect as much evidence that supports their clients as they can before a court appearance (if one is applicable). These can include police reports, video evidence, and much more.
● Negotiate a potential settlement with an insurance company | Wrongful death cases don’t always result in court appearances. Sometimes, a settlement can be reached with the liable party’s insurance company, and a drawn-out court battle is avoided. Should you choose to go this route, a wrongful death attorney will be able to help you.
Contact JD Haas for Expert Legal Help
Our Minneapolis team of lawyers is skilled in many areas of the law, and we’d be privileged to support you in your time of need. To inquire about our compassionate legal services, give us a call today at 952-345-1025. In addition to Minneapolis, we also serve Saint Paul, Bloomington, and Rochester.