Wrongful Death Attorney

A wrongful death attorney is a personal injury attorney. They may practice only in the area of wrongful death, or they might practice in other areas of personal injury or other civil or criminal cases. A wrongful death is defined as the “loss of life wrongfully caused by another individual or entity.”

A wrongful death attorney will work with insurance companies and doctors. Doctors may be called as expert witnesses in your case. Insurance companies have their own attorneys, so your insurance company may provide you with one; however, it's probably more beneficial for you to retain your own. The insurance company’s attorney is looking out for his client– the insurance company– first and foremost.

Wrongful death attorneys also work with accountants, economists, psychologists, psychiatrists, private detectives, and other experts in order to prove that you suffered emotional and monetary losses.

Wrongful death cases involve a lot of paperwork in the form of discovery. Discovery may include medical and financial records of the deceased. This discovery must be categorized and presented in a way that allows the attorney easy access to it. Most wrongful death attorneys have software that helps them to categorize your case file and keep track of all of the discovery in your case.

When choosing a wrongful death attorney, be sure to explain the facts of your case and ask them what type of experience they have with your type of case. Experience should not be limited to only litigation or settlements. The attorney you choose should have plenty of experience in both, in the event that your case does not reach a settlement.

Many wrongful death attorneys will take your case on a contingency basis and so will not collect fees from you unless they can win your case. In a wrongful death suit, you are entitled to compensation for pain, suffering, loss of earnings of the decedent, burial and funeral expenses, any out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of the death, medical expenses, and loss of companionship.

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If you think a death occurred because of the negligence or recklessness of another person or entity, you should contact a wrongful death attorney immediately. Most states have a statute of limitations that stops you from filing a lawsuit against the negligent party after a certain amount of time has lapsed.