A wrongful death is the loss of someone who has been injured in an accident or by an intentional act of another person or company. A wrongful death attorney is the legal representation for the loved ones who have been left behind. At the same time that they are dealing with the loss of someone close to them, they may be experiencing a large financial burden that they don’t know how to handle. Attorney Kevin Attkissonexplains that when someone has lost a loved one, they need a wrongful death attorney who understands the emotional stress they are dealing with as well as their legal rights. It is important to have someone who will offer them support and guidance to get them through a difficult time that could have far-reaching affects currently and into the future.
Scenario 1
Phillip is a 42-year-old man who has his own cleaning business and two kids. He and his wife Marsha have been paying the mortgage on their home for ten years. They each have new vehicles and the oldest of their two sons is getting ready to go to college next year. On his way home from work, Phillip is struck by another driver who had one too many drinks after dinner. His car is penned against the concrete wall next to the road and emergency personnel works for some time to get Phillip free from his damaged vehicle. Once he is finally rescued, they find Phillip is unresponsive but still alive. He is airlifted to a major university hospital for emergency care.
At the hospital, Phillip is rushed into surgery where he stays for the next twelve hours. Although the surgeries are largely successful, complications arise and Phillip dies two days later without ever regaining consciousness. His family is devastated as they make arrangements for his burial.
For Marsha, the emotional turmoil of losing her husband is the only thing on her mind. She has not yet considered the mountain of financial distress that is about to come down on her family. The last thing on her mind is calling a wrongful death attorney to have her situation evaluated. Time has already started ticking as the statute of limitations for filing a suit begins to come nearer.
Sometimes it takes months for medical claims to be processed and the amounts not paid by the insurance company to be billed to the patient. In Phillip’s case, services like the air ride to the hospital may not be covered at all. The cost for this service alone is often $15,000 or more.
By receiving care from the best surgeons, the charges for the extensive surgeries that Phillip received are going to be much higher than the limits the insurance company has set. The same is true for the hospital stay during which time he was in ICU. By the time the medical costs are added up with the funeral expenses, the total bill could be many thousands of dollars.
Marsha and her family no longer have Phillip’s income to rely on. Phillips vehicle was totaled in the accident but the car insurance will not pay enough to pay off the balance of the car. She is still making payments on her own car and she needs it for transportation. Mortgage payments are more than $900 each month and there is still the matter of household expenses. A family that was successful and looking towards a bright future just a few days ago is about to suffer from financial ruin.
Scenario 2
Beth is so excited to be going to her first rock concert in celebration of her eighteenth birthday. One of her favorite bands is playing at a local arena; a spot that isn’t usually on the tour schedule. She picks up Carly and Tamara and heads out in plenty of time to avoid running late because of the traffic. She doesn’t want to miss a single thing.
Beth and her friends hand their tickets to the person at the door, not thinking about the lack of security that is visible. After all, it is her first concert and she doesn’t really know what to expect. When a gunman opens fire inside, it is Beth’s parents who will go to the wrongful death attorney to complain that the arena failed to keep their daughter safe. Beth had been thrilled to be able to see the band so close to home. But the arena did not have the resources to keep the attendees safe and secure.
Scenario 3
Robert has been working for the same private construction company for about five years. After spending nearly thirty years at the same company, he lost his job when the company downsized and no longer needed him. He had been grateful when the owner of the construction company, Chet Barkley, had agreed to give him a job. Now that he was nearing retirement age, Robert was pinching pennies to make up for the time he had lost contributing to his retirement fund once his job had suddenly ended.
The only thing about the construction job that Robert wasn’t comfortable with was that Chet was also pinching pennies whenever possible and in some areas that he knew he shouldn’t be. Robert had shared his concerns that Chat wasn’t investing in the safety equipment that they really needed with his wife Penny on numerous occasions. When Chet took a fall that was immediately fatal, Penny was immediately suspicious that the accident might have been caused by faulty equipment.
Penny had the money needed to pay for Chet’s final expenses and to live comfortably for the rest of her life if she used their retirement savings. When she talked to a wrongful death attorney about her concerns, she was assured that using her and Chet’s retirement savings to “get by” wasn’t her only option.
Calling a wrongful death attorney during a time of grief is a difficult to impossible chore for most people. But getting an attorney who understands your situation can help to take some of the emotional burden off you and start working towards relieving the financial burden that is not far behind.