Damages After a Wrongful Death Accident in Virginia

Losing a loved one is always difficult, even though we know that death is a natural and inevitable part of life. When you lose someone unexpectedly, though, and it happens because of someone else’s negligence, your loved one’s death may feel even more traumatic. There’s nothing that can replace the person you lost, but partnering with a wrongful death attorney can help you make the situation a little bit more bearable.

Like personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers, wrongful death attorneys help when, through no fault of your own, you suffer because of someone else’s bad behavior. If you are the family member of a someone who was killed because of another person’s reckless conduct or negligence, you can file a wrongful death claim. Most of the time, these lawsuits are filed by a personal representative of the person who was killed, or someone approved by the will. Sometimes, the state will bring the lawsuit. The victim’s spouse or children are able to collect damages because of their loss. In some cases, though, certain other dependent family members are entitled to collect damages. These family members include parents, siblings, and other close relations.

Why do people bring wrongful death cases? They are usually filed because of auto accidents, medical malpractice, product liability, and other such situations. For instance, it was reported in the news that a 20 year old man died in a car accident when a pickup truck crossed the center line of a bridge and hit his car. The impact caused the vehicle the 20 year old was driving to flip over and come to rest on its wheel. Sadly, the man died, and his passenger, along with the driver of the pickup truck, were severely injured.

It’s impossible to quantify the loss that young man’s family suffered. When determining damages in a wrongful death case, though, we turn to economists and other experts. These experts will examine a person’s profession, age, and education, and the money he or she made over a lifetime, along with the contribution that person made to the family and household. The courts must consider all of these factors, and these cases are often extremely complex. Successful recovery depends on the presentation of a case that’s both factually sound and legally compelling. What’s more, plaintiffs in these cases have to follow strict procedural and substantive laws, with which the average person is probably not familiar. That’s why it’s so important to partner with an attorney who knows how to acquire witnesses and prepare a case, so that the lawsuit is handled effectively.

If someone you love has died as the result of another person’s actions, you don’t have to go through this alone. For help with your wrongful death claim, contact the Law Firm of Kevin Paul Childers. Since 1990, we’ve been committed to providing important legal guidance, paying close attention to each case, and giving one-on-one treatment to each of our clients. Our lawyers are among the best in Virginia, and we’ll put our more than 100 years of collective experience to work for you. Contact us for a free case analysis or call (703) 636-2182 today.