Westminster Wrongful Death Lawyer

Wrongful death lawsuits can be among the toughest cases to pursue. On top of grieving for the sudden loss of a loved one, planning funerals, and handling other associated issues, the surviving family has to plan legal actions to get some sense of justice for losing their loved one. This can create a great deal of stress during an extremely challenging time in people’s lives.

Fortunately, we can help. Our lawyers have handled wrongful death cases before, and we understand how difficult it can be to get through them. We have the skills, experience, and professionalism to handle these cases the way they were meant to be handled. Let us deal with the legal dilemmas and arguments while you focus on dealing with the loss and taking the time you need to heal.

To get a free analysis of your claim from our patient wrongful death lawyers, contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s office by calling (410) 694-7291.

Frequent Causes of Wrongful Death Cases in Westminster

Wrongful death cases arise out of varied circumstances. Proving negligence in a car crash case will be different than proving negligence due to medical malpractice, so no two cases will ever be exactly the same. Thus, it is important that you discuss your particular case in detail with our wrongful death lawyers so that the correct actions are taken to give you the best chance possible of getting financial compensation.

Car, Bus, and Truck Accident

Motor vehicle accidents of all kinds can lead to untimely deaths. While some may chalk it up to unfortunate luck, we know that in many cases these accidents were caused because the driver or another party was negligent. Drivers can be negligent by driving drunk, speeding, violating other traffic laws, or acting unreasonably on the road. While drivers may be the primary target of a wrongful death lawsuit, you can also use other parties like car designers and manufacturers. For example, you may sue a car designer if faulty electrical wiring made the car act in a way that the driver did not intend, you can sue the party responsible for doing that wiring.

Medical Malpractice

We trust doctors with our lives in some circumstances. Unfortunately, sometimes even medical professionals can screw up. When that happens, you can take them to task in wrongful death claims.

Medical malpractice lawsuits often involve complex medical determinations, so expert witnesses play an important part in their outcome. Our lawyers will get qualified experts to testify as to the conduct of the medical professional that negligently caused your loved one’s death.

Products Liability

Dangerous products can lead to people’s deaths if the product is put to market. For example, many defective household appliances sadly lead to the death of end-users through electrocution.

Part of proving that a product is defective involves showing that the product will still be dangerous even if used as intended. Our attorneys will work hard to make sure that the jury understands that the deceased individual was doing everything they were supposed to, and the company dispersing defective products is at fault.

Compensation Plaintiffs Receive in Westminster Wrongful Death Claims

When plaintiffs file wrongful death claims, the goal is to be awarded damages to, at least in some way, offset the deceased’s absence from their lives. Some things you may be able to get compensation for in wrongful death claims include:

Lost Income Sources

If the deceased person was a source of income for their family, it can be a financial burden since that income will be gone. Accordingly, families can be awarded damages based on the deceased’s consistent income. “Lost income” can also mean disability benefits, so you should talk with our attorneys to ensure that nothing is left out when you ask for these kinds of damages.

Loss of Care

If the deceased provided care for a family member or someone else, that can factor into financial compensation awards. For example, if your deceased loved one was helping a disabled family member with daily tasks, that family member may now need to seek out and pay for professional help. Therefore, you can get damages based on those new expenses and other things.

Lost Companionship

Certain family members can recover damages for loss of companionship. True, nothing can truly replace a loved one’s presence, but courts do allow financial compensation for that loss.

Under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc Art., § 3-904(d), damages for things other than pecuniary loss can be sought for the loss of a spouse, minor child, or adult child under the age of 21 under certain circumstances. Contact our office if you have concerns about the damages you can seek from these claims.

Survival Actions in Westminster

There are actually two kinds of wrongful death cases. First, there are “wrongful death claims” where the deceased’s close relatives seek compensation for the loss of the deceased in their lives. Second, there are “survival actions.” Survival actions are brought by the executor of the deceased’s estate, not the deceased’s family – although, in practice, there is a chance that it is the same individual.

Where wrongful death claims seek damages for the family of the deceased, damages in survival activities go into the estate of the deceased and are based on things like pain and suffering and economic damages the deceased incurred before they passed rather than on the effects of the deceased’s passing on surviving family. If you find yourself as the executor pursuing a survival action, we can help you through the process.

Have Our Westminster Wrongful Death Attorneys Assist You with Your Claim Today

The wrongful death attorneys with Rice, Murtha & Psoras can help you when you call our office at the number (410) 694-7291.