If you learn a loved one has passed away in an accident, it’s common to want to know what happened. A person’s negligent actions may have caused the accident that took your loved one away from you and your family. While mourning the loss of someone who was taken too soon is difficult, it can be that much harder to know your loved one’s death could have been avoided had the person acted responsibly. When negligence plays a part in an accident, you may be able to hold that person accountable with a Hagerstown wrongful death lawyer.
Belsky & Horowitz, LLC is here for Maryland citizens whose lives have been completely changed by another’s actions. We can guide you through the complexities of the legal system and will stand by your side and help you get the relief you need.
It’s possible you may have already been approached by insurance companies asking to settle your loved one’s accident early. This will likely result in an unfavorable settlement and can lead you to financial trouble later. Take a look at how having a wrongful death lawyer can benefit your claim.
Our Lawyers Will Fight to Help You Recover
With a wrongful death claim, you can recover damages for what you’ve lost. While you may not want to think about filing a claim for money after losing a loved one, you can think about this claim as what your loved one would have filed had they survived the accident. Their personal injury claim would hold the right people accountable for their actions and your loved one would receive appropriate compensation—this is the same goal with a wrongful death claim.
Our Hagerstown lawyers will fight for your compensation to cover the following losses:
- Funeral and Burial Expenses
- Medical Expenses
- Loss of Earnings
- Loss of Companionship
- Pain and Suffering
This way, you won’t have to worry about affording memorial services and paying off medical bills. If you ran a household with this individual, it’s possible you depended on their salary to maintain your way of life. We’ll fight for loss of earnings, or what your loved one would have earned if they had continued to work.
On the other side of the types of losses are ones that aren’t as quantifiable. They’re often referred to as noneconomic damages. Losing a loved one and seeing them go through pain is devastating. Your wrongful death attorney will take these into account in your case.
It’s important to contact representation as soon as possible because you’ll likely need to file your claim within a certain amount of time. The statute of limitations for wrongful death claims in Maryland is three years after the time of death. Missing this deadline could result in the immediate dismissal of your case and you will not be able to collect compensation. When one of our attorneys is representing you, we will make sure to meet important deadlines and have everything filed correctly on our part to give your case the strongest chance of success.
Now that you know more about how our firm can help, let’s look into the common causes of wrongful death that we’ve seen.
Negligence Can Result in Fatal Accidents
When someone acts negligently, their decision can result in life-changing consequences. Negligence is one someone fails to act with the care that most would have if they were under the same circumstances. For example, a negligent driver may resort to speeding. Most drivers know that speeding is illegal, lessens their control of the vehicle, and increases their chances of an accident. Many fatal auto accidents, including truck accidents, happen due to driver negligence.
Some other causes of wrongful death include:
- Defective Products
- Premises Liability
- Work Injuries
- Medical Malpractice
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Pedestrian Accidents
Negligence usually applies when someone makes reckless decisions, but there are also situations where a person’s inaction can result in tragedy. If that person had a duty to act and chose not to, then they could be held responsible for the person’s death. It’s also possible the at-fault party is a company. For example, a manufacturing company may have knowingly put an unsafe product on the market, which then caused your loved one’s accident and resulting death. Our lawyers are prepared to hold that company responsible for its carelessness—we won’t let intimidation get in the way of justice.
When our Hagerstown wrongful death lawyer looks into your case, they will seek to establish if the person owed a duty of care, they did not provide a duty of care, their actions caused an accident, and your loved one incurred injuries from the accident.
We have experience in handling these types of cases. We’ll compile all the evidence we can to help your case. This could include police reports, official reports of the accident, eyewitness accounts, medical records, and treatment plans from the doctor. Photographs of the accident and injuries may also help your case. Our team is up to the task of analyzing the evidence and consulting with experts if necessary to make your case as strong as possible.
Get Peace of Mind Today
Losing a loved one in an accident is a tragedy. We know that taking legal action will not bring them back or undo the pain of losing a loved one, but you may get comfort knowing you fought for their rights and also held the right people accountable for their actions. This may result in the negligent party taking actions to ensure this never happens again.
You may also have peace of mind about your financial future. Your compensation will help with many of the costs of the accident, so you won’t have to worry about them and instead can focus on your family and grieving for your loved one.
Belsky & Horowitz, LLC is dedicated to helping families who have lost someone because of negligence. We’ll work diligently to get justice for your loved one and secure your future. Contact our office today so we can start your case and help your family move forward.
