Prince George’s County, MD Wrongful Death Attorney
The loss of a loved one is always difficult, but if their passing resulted from someone’s wrongful actions, you might want to take legal action. An attorney can help you and your family get justice for your loved one’s wrongful death.
Knowing you have a wrongful death claim on your hands can be difficult since losing a family member almost always feels wrongful. However, a wrongful death, in the legal sense, stems from another person’s wrongful or negligent actions. Generally, only immediate family members, including parents, spouses, and children, can file a wrongful death claim. Damages include pecuniary losses related to your loved one’s wrongful death, in addition to damages for emotional suffering and mental anguish. A wrongful death attorney can help you articulate your claim in a formal complaint and fight for fair compensation in a trial.
Your family deserves justice and peace of mind after suffering such a devastating loss. Our wrongful death attorneys can help you hold any wrongdoers accountable. For a free case review, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.
Knowing You Have a Wrongful Death Case in Prince George’s County, MD
After the loss of a loved one, tensions and emotions tend to run high, and it can be difficult to understand if the loss was due to someone’s wrongful actions. This is where the assistance of a wrongful death lawyer comes in handy. According to Md. Code, Cts. and Jud. Proc. § 3-901(e), a wrongful act is one that the deceased person could have sued for themselves had they survived. Often, wrongful acts involve deliberate actions or acts of negligence.
Some common examples of wrongful death cases include car accidents, medical malpractice, and workplace injuries. In many instances of wrongful death, the negligent party might try to settle with you out of court. Many family members are very emotional after losing their loved one, and defendants might take advantage of your vulnerability by offering paltry settlements in the hopes they can make the case disappear. It is imperative that you speak to our wrongful death attorneys before accepting anything.
Who Files a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Prince George’s County, MD?
There are strict rules about who can and cannot file a wrongful death lawsuit and benefit from awarded damages. While certain immediate family members can file a wrongful death claim, extended family and non-relatives usually cannot. This means that even if your very close friend was the victim of a wrongful death, you cannot sue unless you were immediately related.
According to Md. Code, Cts. and Jud. Proc. § 3-904(a), spouses, parents, and children may usually be parties to a wrongful death lawsuit for the loss of a loved one. However, there might be restrictions depending on how the wrongful death occurred.
In cases of parents filing claims for children, a parent may not recover any damages if they are the cause of the wrongful death. This often comes up in cases of abuse or where a parent’s negligence caused their child’s death. The same goes for children suing for their parents and one spouse suing for the loss of the other spouse.
Damages You Can Recover in Wrongful Death Cases in Prince George’s County, MD
Damages in wrongful death lawsuits tend to be complex as pecuniary losses and non-economic injuries are available. Our wrongful death lawyers know how to evaluate your case, so you and your family recover the most compensation for your damages.
Pecuniary losses are injuries and damages related to your loved one’s passing that cost money. For example, funeral costs, medical bills, and costs related to the accident or incident that caused your loved one’s wrongful death may be claimed.
Under Md. Code, Cts. and Jud. Proc. § 3-904(d), non-economic damages related to mental anguish, emotional pain, suffering, and various losses may also be claimed, including the following:
- Companionship
- Society
- Comfort
- Protection
- Parental Care
- Marital Care
- Filial Care
- Advice
- Attention
- Counsel
- Guidance
- Training
- Education
The kinds of non-economic losses you claim depend on your relationship with the deceased person. In many cases, these damages are quite considerable.
Under the law, damages are awarded to all beneficiaries on the case (i.e., eligible immediate family members) in shares directed by the verdict. This means that the overall damages award in your case may be divided among eligible family members, and the share each person receives depends on what the jury says at the end of the case.
How a Wrongful Death Lawyer in Prince George’s County, MD Can Help You
Our wrongful death attorneys can help alleviate your legal burdens while you and your family focus on coping with your grievous loss. We can help you identify the parties who might be to blame for your loss. Wrongful death cases are often challenging because very few people are willing to come forward and admit that what they did was wrongful. Accidents might also be convoluted, and numerous potential defendants might be involved. We can pick apart the details to determine who should be named in your lawsuit.
We can also determine if a wrongful death claim can be filed at all. In some cases, families feel that their loved one’s passing was unjust and want to take legal action. Unfortunately, this is not always possible if the person’s passing was not caused by another person’s negligence or other wrongful behavior.
One of the most important elements of a wrongful death lawsuit is damages. All damages must be identified and evaluated so that plaintiffs can recover the maximum compensation possible. If damages are overlooked, compensation might be reduced. Our team can help you identify all possible pecuniary losses in addition to your non-economic losses for your emotional pain and suffering.
Contact Our Prince George’s County, MD Wrongful Death Attorneys for Assistance
Our wrongful death attorney will work to help you and your family get justice and closure after suffering such a terrible loss. For a free case evaluation, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.
