When it comes to taking care of yourself, having access to an incredible lawyer is absolutely essential. A few years back, I was accused of a crime that I didn't commit, and it was absolutely devastating. The only way that I got through the ordeal was by finding an excellent general attorney who could represent me. I worked hard to find the right lawyer, and it was amazing to find an expert who truly understood what I was up against. This blog is all about finding the right lawyer to help you through your legal battles so that you can avoid serving time for something you didn't do.
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Do You Qualify To Bring A Wrongful Death Suit?
Henry Jennings
If you have lost a family member due to the actions of someone else, such as a car accident, medical malpractice, work-related accident, or murder, you may be able to bring a wrongful death case against the person who is responsible for the death of your family member, or the company in the case of a work-related accident. If you want to bring one of these suits, you will need to talk to a personal injury attorney and see if you have the standing to bring a wrongful death lawsuit.
Family Members
In most cases, the only people who can bring one of these cases are family members, however, some states will allow people who are affected financially by the death to bring a suit. Your attorney will tell you if you fall within one of the qualifying categories.
Immediate family members
If you are the spouse or child of the deceased person, you count as an immediate family member. Children also includes any adopted children that the person may have. If the children are minor children and both parents are dead, the suit can be brought on their behalf by the person who is raising them, such as an aunt/uncle, grandparent, or legal guardian. Parents of children who have reached their majority but are still unmarried can also bring a wrongful death suit. That's because they are still the next-of-kin, once that child is married, their spouse becomes next-of-kin.
More distant relations
In some states, family members who aren't part of the immediate family group are still able to bring a wrongful death suit. Those people include siblings, cousins, grandparents, and aunts/uncles. Your state may only allow you to bring a case if you are one of these people who is raising any child of the deceased person.
Life/domestic partners
Not all couples are married, such as LGBT couples that were together prior to the marriage equality laws. That can also include couples who have a long-standing relationship and have acted as a married couple would, for example, common law spouses. Many states will also allow these people to bring the lawsuit, but if your state doesn't allow that, you may have to work with someone who can bring the case in order to be involved.
Losing a family member is hard enough, but having that family member die due to the actions of another person can be even worse. You may be able to get some compensation by bringing a wrongful death suit.
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