What Families Should Know About Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The following is a guest post by Chicago wrongful death attorneys at Dolan Law Offices: When a loved one is suddenly killed as a result of the negligent, destructive or illegal behavior of another person, it is hard to imagine how life could ever return to normal. Often times, the thought of taking legal action seems all the more difficult and traumatic. Yet, to not take legal action can result in a life of speculation, wondering whether there was more that could have been done on behalf of the victim, or there could even be regret and a feeling that justice was not served. Families should know when a wrongful death claim is possible. What is a wrongful death claim? Wrongful death cases vary. Commonly, wrongful death cases involve motor vehicle accidents. The reason for this is that most fatal accidents are the result of gross negligence, recklessness, a disregard for other people’s safety and illegal behavior. If a person dies because of any of these things, their death can most likely be argued to be a wrongful death. That is why other common wrongful death cases involve medical malpractice, accidents at work (such as construction accidents) and product liability (such as faulty cribs). The best way to determine if the death of a family member qualifies as a wrongful death is by speaking with an experienced wrongful death attorney. Who can file a wrongful death claim? In most cases, a wrongful death lawsuit is filed by a close member of a victim’s family including a spouse, sibling, child, parent and in some cases a grandparent, cousin, aunt or uncle. An experienced wrongful death attorney is able to determine if an individual might be able file a wrongful death claim. Once a wrongful death claim has been filed, in most cases, you and your attorney will need to prove by a preponderance of evidence that your claim is valid. Therefore, you will need to successfully argue that the victim died as a result of negligence, recklessness, a disregard for human safety and / or illegal behavior. If you think that a member of your family is the victim of a wrongful death, you should speak with a qualified and experienced wrongful death attorney immediately. Time is not always on the victim’s side when it comes to wrongful death lawsuits. Speak with a wrongful death attorney today about your case and to learn more about whether you have a claim to file. Dolan Law Offices is a wrongful death law firm in Chicago that is committed to providing excellent legal services to its clients. Its experienced wrongful death lawyers represent families of wrongful death victims in Chicago and in the entire Illinois state.