5 Common Causes of Wrongful Death
If you have recently lost a family member or loved one in an accident, you may have a wrongful death suit on your hands. You may be wondering what qualifies as a wrongful death under the eyes of the law.
Wrongful death can be a tricky legal subject, but there are a few very common wrongful death examples. If you know someone who died under one of these circumstances, there's a good chance that you have grounds for a lawsuit.
Keep reading, and we'll tell you all about the most common causes of wrongful death.
What Is Wrongful Death?
Before we get into the most common causes of wrongful death, let's break down what this term actually means. Wrongful death usually occurs when someone dies accidentally, and it is clearly another party's fault.
Wrongful death is a type of civil law case, meaning that a wrongful death case always seeks financial compensation for the plaintiff. Wrongful death cases do not bring criminal charges against the defendant.
When you build your wrongful death case, you should seek out a wrongful death lawyer. Your wrongful death lawyer should have experience in the field and a history of winning wrongful death suits.
1. Car Accidents
The most common wrongful death cases are car accidents. Car accidents are extremely common, and unfortunately, they are often fatal.
Semi-truck accidents are another leading cause of wrongful death. Semi-truck accidents happen less frequently than car accidents, but they are more likely to be fatal due to the size and weight of semi-trucks.
2. Medical Malpractice
Some of the most tragic types of wrongful death cases are medical malpractice cases. Most doctors are highly skilled and trustworthy, but sometimes they make deadly mistakes.
Some examples of wrongful death by medical malpractice include botched surgeries, irresponsible medication management, and neglect by hospital staff.
3. Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents are another leading cause of wrongful death. Workplace accidents are a slightly trickier area of wrongful death law, because sometimes an employer can claim that the employee's death was their own fault.
However, an experienced wrongful death lawyer can help you get justice for someone you know who has died in a workplace accident.
4. Manufacturing Errors
When someone dies due to a manufacturing error, the manufacturer is legally responsible for their death. Deadly manufacturing errors can take the form of defective products, toxic manufacturing materials, and more.
If you know someone who has died due to a defective product, you should seek legal representation immediately.
5. Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents are less common wrongful death causes than car accidents, but they still happen fairly often. A pedestrian accident occurs when someone who is walking along a road is killed, usually by a vehicle.
When building your pedestrian accident case, it is important to retrieve traffic footage and eyewitness accounts, so you can prove that the accident was a case of wrongful death.
Contact a Wrongful Death Lawyer for More Information
If you believe you have a wrongful death case on your hands, find a wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible. You deserve compensation for your loss.
Your lawyer can answer any further questions you have about wrongful death suits.
For more legal advice, feel free to check out the rest of our blog as well!