If you’ve had a loved one killed in an automobile accident, when using a defective product, or during the commission of a crime, then you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the party responsible. To file a wrongful death claim, you must be:
* A spouse
* The child of the deceased, whether a natural child or adopted.
* A parent of the deceased.
A claim can be filed individually by one or all of these people as a group. If they don’t file and the deceased had a will, the executor can contact wrongful death lawyer in West Palm Beach FL about filing a lawsuit unless asked not to do so by a family member.
What Is Wrongful Death?
State law in Florida states that a wrongful death claim can be made if someone is killed because of a “wrongful act, neglect, carelessness, unskillfulness or default” of another party. Usually, the damages in a wrongful death suit are expressed only in terms of monetary damages.
However, if your loved one’s death was ruled a homicide or another crime, then a prosecutor will file criminal charges and seek to imprison those responsible. Wrongful death lawyer in West Palm Beach FL can also file a lawsuit against those responsible for your loved one’s death.
Damage Awards
When wrongful death lawyers file a lawsuit, the damages sought are to compensate the family and the estate for the loss of their loved one. They can be compensated for:
* Loss of earnings.
* Loss of care, maintenance, services, support, advice, and counsel that the deceased provided for his or her family.
* Mental and emotional pain, suffering, and anguish.
* Loss of love, comfort, and companionship.
* Loss of inheritance, which calculates what the deceased may have left his or her family if he or she lived out his or her life naturally.
If you want to file a wrongful death lawsuit after losing a loved one, contact Janssen, Siracusa & Keegan PLLC for help.
