Langley Park Wrongful Death Lawyer
Fewer events are harder to process than the unexpected death of a loved one. If the death was caused by the wrongful act of another person, our lawyers can help you get justice.
Most wrongful deaths in Langley Park cases are caused by negligence. Our lawyers often help family members pursue compensation for deaths caused by car accidents. We will obtain important evidence, arrange for experts to testify, and file your lawsuit before the filing deadline passes. We are here to support you and your case in this difficult time.
Contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (410) 694-7291 to get your free case evaluation with our wrongful death lawyers.
Common Reasons for Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Langley Park. MD
The passing of a loved family member can happen for any number of reasons. However, if your loved one’s death was caused by another person’s negligence or intentional act, you can file a wrongful death lawsuit against them. Our wrongful death attorneys have worked with families for years to get the compensation they deserve for their immense loss. Whether the loss was suffered in a car accident or from malpractice, our team can support your claim:
Vehicle Accidents
Vehicle accidents are a leading cause of wrongful death claims in Langley Park. Sitting right outside of Washington, D.C., Langley Park sees its fair share of negligent drivers. As such, deadly accidents are common on the nearby interstates.
While many deadly accidents involve cars, our firm can also help if your loved one was involved in a motorcycle accident or struck by a commercial driver. These cases often have additional issues that make them more challenging than other cases. You might also need to file a claim if the victim was hit by another vehicle while riding their bicycle around the area.
Accidents Caused by Defective Products
Defective products or machinery is another major cause of wrongful death. People use products trusting that they are safe or that the instructions will tell them how to operate them safely. A defective product can easily kill someone if it malfunctions and electrocutes them or explodes. These types of accidents are notorious in the construction industry and other dangerous industrial work.
Sometimes, the defect occurs during assembly. Other times, the defect is baked into the design, making the product inherently dangerous. Our team can help file a claim against the manufacturer or designer, depending on where the flaw occurred in the process.
Medical Malpractice
Many people associate wrongful death with medical malpractice, and for good reason. Many wrongful death lawsuits are filed for healthcare providers’ negligence. Doctors and other medical professionals have a duty to their patients to give them the care another similarly trained and experienced provider would give. When that standard falls short, it can have deadly results.
For instance, if a surgeon leaves a foreign object in the patient, the patient might die from a fatal infection. In other cases, nurses and attending doctors might cause the death of a patient by forgetting to administer the proper medications at the right time. While these cases are often complex, our lawyers have the experience to prove how wrongful death was caused in your case.
Pedestrian Accidents
Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents sometimes result in the death of the victim. Pedestrian safety is a serious concern in Langley Park, as there are countless walkways and trails that bring pedestrians into close proximity to drivers. The danger to pedestrians is heightened by the fact that the traffic coming in and out of D.C. barely watches out for pedestrians.
If your loved one was struck by a negligent driver while out walking, we can help file your complaint. Some pedestrian victims are hospitalized before passing. If that happened to someone you were close with, we can evaluate the damages they sustained while alive and those suffered by their passing.
How Our Wrongful Death Attorneys Can Help Your Claim in Langley Park
Wrongful death lawsuits are challenging for many reasons. Our attorneys are here to meet those challenges on your behalf. We can help you determine if you are a close enough family member to file a claim, gather evidence to prove your damages and file your lawsuit as soon as it is prepared.
Determine if You Can File a Claim
One of the most important aspects of your claim will come at the beginning when we review your relationship with the deceased. Only close family members can file a claim for the death of a loved one, according to Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 3-904(a)(1). This includes surviving husbands, wives, parents, and children of the deceased. Unfortunately, not every family member can make a claim, regardless of how close they were with the deceased.
However, if the deceased did not have any of the surviving family members mentioned above, you could file a lawsuit if you were substantially dependent on the victim under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 3-904(b). Our lawyers can help get the evidence that shows your close relationship with the deceased.
Gather Evidence
Once we have identified your right to sue, we can start gathering evidence to build your case. Wrongful death cases often need a substantial amount of evidence to prove the elements of the case and the damages suffered.
To start, our team will investigate the scene of the accident. We will take photos and look for other evidence that can help. For instance, we can check with nearby residences or businesses to see if any surveillance cameras captured the accident. If the accident happened at a major intersection, multiple cameras might have filmed the crash.
Our lawyers will also have witnesses testify in your case if they are available. In most cases, we will need to arrange for an expert witness to testify in your case. Experts often need to testify to explain the injuries the victim succumbed to and the medical records showing it.
File Your Lawsuit Before the Deadline
Our lawyers will also make sure your claim is filed on time. Under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 3-904(g)(1), you only have three years from the date of your loved one’s death to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Langley Park. This deadline is crucial, as your case will typically not be heard if it is filed after the deadline.
Our Langley Park, MD Wrongful Death Attorneys Can Help You Get Compensation for Your Loss
For a free case review with our wrongful death attorneys, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.