Wrongful Death Lawyers

Wrongful death

As the name suggests, when a death results because of some person’s act, then it is a wrongful death.

When a person dies, nothing else can be done about it. The loss of the person cannot be compensated anyhow. However, some kind of relief can be brought by the compensation. The article deals with the basic definition of wrongful death and the claim that you can make on its basis.

The definition


The death can be considered wrongful in the case where the person has killed the decedent by negligence or any other liability. As a result, the surviving dependants or beneficiaries can make a claim to receive monetary damages from the person in fault.

In order to make such a claim, a death should have been occurred. The intention does not matter in this case. So, even if the defendant had no intention of killing the person, a claim can be made if a death has occurred. Although, it should be clear that the defendant was clearly responsible for the death of the person.

Wrongful deaths are the result of circumstances like automobile or airplane accidents, occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals, criminal behaviour and any death that occurred during any kind of supervised activity.

The laws are different in every state and country. Hence, it is difficult to give a generalised view of the laws.

The claim

The type of the claim usually differs depending upon the circumstances. However, in history the dependants or beneficiaries of the victim could not make a claim if the victim died due to negligence because it was believed that death could not be compensated and hence, the claim died with the victim.

However, new reforms have been made with the introduction of the wrongful death claim. Here, the dependants or beneficiaries can make a claim in case of the victim’s death in order to seek for compensation in the form of monetary damages. This also serves as an incentive to act carefully, safely and responsibly.

Usually the wrongful death statutes are unique and different from each other. However, they are based on similar principles. They will consist of four units.

1.    The first is that the defendant was responsible in whole or part for the death.
2.    The second is that the death was caused because of negligence on part of the defendant or that the defendant was strictly liable for the death.
3.    The third is that there should be a surviving dependant, be it a spouse, children or beneficiaries.
4.    The fourth is that the death of the victim should have resulted in order to make the claim.

When a lawsuit be filed depends mainly on the particular state and its laws. The statute of limitation as it is called is the timeframe during which a lawsuit must be filed. Generally, this limitation requires you to file the suit within a timeframe of one to three years after the victim’s death. However, it mainly depends on the state.

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