Wrongful death lawsuits are, in this author’s opinion, one of the most stressful, chaotic, and traumatic experiences a person can have in a court of law. Dealing with the aftermath of a loved one’s death coupled with the stress of court proceedings can often be enough to drive people to madness. Because of the stress that one can experience dealing with a wrongful death lawsuit, we have brought you this comprehensive, all-encompassing guide. Simplifying and demystifying wrongful death lawsuits, we believe, will make the entire experience much more manageable, and though it will still be stressful, you will be able to get through it without a total breakdown.
Yes, in this article (as you surely know), we are going to provide you with every important detail that you need to know about a wrongful death lawsuit.
Here those details are:
Eligibility
You need to establish whether or not you are even eligible to launch a wrongful death lawsuit. Generally, you need to be a close relative or a dependent in order for you to do so. You need to do a bit of research beforehand to establish whether or not you would be eligible. You can likely find all of the information that you need on your local government website, or alternatively, when you do approach an attorney, you can just ask them. Find out whether or not you are eligible first and foremost.
Statute of Limitations
In most states, the statute of limitations for a wrongful death lawsuit is three years. This gives you, in our opinion, enough time to grieve and compose yourself before you mount your case. Many people, unfortunately, go headfirst into a wrongful death lawsuit, despite the fact that they would have plenty of time to still take their lawsuit ahead even if they just took a few months to a year out to grieve. Think carefully as to whether or not a lawsuit is appropriate with how you are feeling before you go ahead with legal proceedings.
Contact an Attorney
When you are satisfied that you are ready to proceed with a wrongful death lawsuit, you can go ahead and contact an attorney. Contacting an attorney is a fantastic way for you to proceed with your case without having to worry about the burden of compiling evidence and performing investigations. Some people choose to self-represent, but we believe you need an attorney. The legal specialists from www.stewartlawoffices.net/wrongful-death-lawyer/ explain that an attorney will fight tooth and nail for you. You may not be able to do that for yourself. Give an attorney a call and ask them to help you out with your case.
Reliving the Trauma
A very unfortunate part of wrongful death lawsuits is that, by their nature, you will have to relive the incident that took your loved one from you. Reliving the trauma of a loved one’s death can be incredibly difficult, and even soul-destroying. We believe that, however, if you take enough time out to grieve that you will be better equipped to handle a lawsuit like this and will be able to approach it methodically and be as stoic as possible. If you have not had time to mourn, you cannot safely confront a wrongful death lawsuit.
Support
When dealing with a loved one’s wrongful injury lawsuit, we sincerely recommend that you have a support network in place to help you. It will be incredibly difficult and will bring back many emotions that you might not have experienced since the initial instance of your loved one’s death. A support network can be friends, family, or mental health services. Please only go into a lawsuit like this with a network of supporters there to help you if you begin to struggle or falter. Support is absolutely needed in a wrongful death lawsuit, so don’t approach one without adequate support to hold you up.
Out of Court Settlements
More often than not, a company, government, or person will attempt to make you an out-of-court settlement instead of going to court. Your attorney will give them an opportunity to do this before legal proceedings officially commence. You should give serious thought to a settlement if they do offer you one. Taking a settlement can mean you take a reduction in compensation, but it also means you do not have to be burdened with the stress of court proceedings. Out-of-court settlements are a great way for you to receive compensation and avoid stress.
Dealing with the death of a loved one can be very stressful, then with a wrongful death lawsuit added, it can become even more stressful. We hope our suggestions will help you. Thank you for joining us today.
