Are you the personal representative for your loved one’s estate and seeking a wrongful death settlement on their behalf? Finding an experienced attorney who can answer your questions and guide you through the process is essential. Working with an attorney will allow you greater opportunity to receive the maximum compensation for damages and pain and suffering.
Although no amount of money can take the sting out of the loss of a loved one, it can assist you with matters as you work through the grieving process and adjust to life moving forward.
It is crucial to prepare questions to ask a wrongful death attorney for your consultations with potential attorneys. Doing this will ensure you find an excellent attorney that fits your needs.
What are you hoping to achieve by pursuing a wrongful death claim? Whether you are clear on your goals for your case, below are some of the critical questions to ask a wrongful death attorney that you should be sure to present to any attorneys you are interested in hiring.
What Should I Ask a Wrongful Death Lawyer?
What is Your Experience with Wrongful Death Claims and Settlements?
While it does fall under the category of personal injury, wrongful death is its own category of law. During your consultation with a potential personal injury lawyer, it is essential to inquire about their experience filing a wrongful death suit
It should be clear that they have the experience necessary to guide you through your claim, displaying knowledge of various wrongful death cases such as medical malpractice, product liability, and car and truck accidents.
How Will Working with You Make My Wrongful Death Claim Stronger?
As part of the preparation for your meeting, the potential attorney will have probably reviewed any prior submitted information regarding your claim to determine its strength. This assessment will become further developed as you meet with them.
As such, they will probably give you a clear picture of their thoughts on your chances of winning a settlement. However, you should be prepared to ask them how their work on your case will strengthen it. Having these interview questions for attorneys in mind going into your meeting will allow you to listen for the answer or ask the question if they do not address it.
Note that you are not required to work with a wrongful death attorney for your case. However, many will explain how working with him will help bring efficiency and clarity to the process while easing the burden on you.
- They can help you prove negligence by the responsible parties, which is key for receiving any settlement.
- They can assist you with establishing a value for your loss.
- They can negotiate with the liable parties’ insurance companies on your behalf, saving you the heartache.
- They will guide you through every step of the process, available for questions and working on your behalf to pursue the settlement you deserve.
- They can help you navigate the probate process for your loved one’s estate.
Ultimately, working with an attorney will allow you to step away from the case and have space to grieve and pursue healing.
What is Compensation in a Wrongful Death Case?
Because each wrongful death case is so unique, the type of settlement you may receive can vary based on the circumstances surrounding your loved ones death.
As part of the settlement, you may receive compensation for the following:
- Pain and suffering: this can include what your loved once may have experienced as part of their death, as well as your and your family’s pain and suffering.
- Medical bills
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of income: this can include loss of your own personal income due to time off handling your loved one’s affairs and pursuing the settlement. It can also include income your loved one lost and may have earned in the future.
- Punitive damages: this is awarded as a punishment to the defendant.
The basis for arguing compensation comes down to establishing negligence, making an attorney’s assistance in this process crucial.
What is the Wrongful Death Lawsuit Process?
An important question to ask an attorney during a consultation is what the process will be for pursuing your case. The steps can vary based on cause and effect, however, they should be able to provide you with an outline of next steps and how those may determine the direction of the case.
The first thing to be aware of is the statute of limitations. There is a deadline for filing a wrongful death suit, as well as other timelines. As such, the attorney should be able to present you with these dates based on the date of death.
The attorney may need to do their own investigation into the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s death in order to file a claim with the liable party’s insurance company. Or, that insurance company may already be contacting you with a settlement. In that case, your attorney would be able to work on your behalf to determine if the compensation being offered is appropriate or whether you should be awarded more. If they cannot agree on a fair settlement, your case will need to go to court.
Expert Wrongful Death Attorneys – Here to Answer Your Questions
At the law firm of Strickland and Kendall, LLC, our team of experienced and compassionate wrongful death attorneys are ready to use their expertise to work on your behalf to seek justice for you and your family as well as the compensation you deserve.
Schedule your consultation with us today! – 334-269-3230